# New MoBo question
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mobo-question/174459
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 11, 2003, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mobo-question/174459 "2003-05-11T05:44:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@futureman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/futureman)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2003, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mobo-question/174459/1 "2003-05-11T05:44:02Z")
Okay guys, I am doing a huge new computer upgrade. I am getting a new motherboard, a new HDD, memory, and video card.
But I have a question. I lost my CD key to WinXP. Does anyone here know how I can retrieve it before I reinstall if I have to? I have two thoughts about this. I would rather not have to reinstall XP, but I think I will. Last time I went from an Intel MoBo to a VIA and when I swapped the HDD into the new MoBo, it wouldn’t boot. When I installed windows 2000 fresh, it worked. But this time, i’m going from a VIA to another VIA, so perhaps it will manage to work? But I have also heard that Win XP will ask for a key again if it detects a large hardware change.
If I can’t do the MoBo swap gracefully, then I will need the CD Key anyway. Can I find out by looking in the registry or somewhere else on my computer? I was just going to use Ghost to copy my current HDD to my new one, and then plug everything in and see if it worked, but I suppose I’ll have to see. any suggestions would be helpful.
---
### Author:  [@cstamets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cstamets)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2003, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mobo-question/174459/2 "2003-05-11T11:48:41Z")
Unless this is the corporate edition of Windows XP, you’ll need a new activation code from Microsoft after replacing this much hardware. They’ll probably want the CD key before giving you the activation code.
To assist in the motherboard swap, before you pull the old motherboard, switch your IDE controller driver to the “Standard IDE Controller” generic driver. The biggest cause (but possibly not the only cause) of the blue screens after switching motherboards is the different IDE controller. Switch to generic, and then install your new drivers after the hardware upgrades are done.
---
### Author:  [@cstamets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cstamets)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2003, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mobo-question/174459/3 "2003-05-11T11:54:40Z")
Unless this is the corporate edition of Windows XP, you’ll need a new activation code from Microsoft after replacing this much hardware. They’ll probably want the CD key before giving you the activation code.
To assist in the motherboard swap, before you pull the old motherboard, switch your IDE controller driver to the “Standard IDE Controller” generic driver. The biggest cause (but possibly not the only cause) of the blue screens after switching motherboards is the different IDE controller. Switch to generic, and then install your new drivers after the hardware upgrades are done.
---
### Author:  [@cstamets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cstamets)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2003, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mobo-question/174459/4 "2003-05-11T11:58:47Z")
Hmmm… I know I only clicked the submit button once… but it did take forever…
---
### Author:  [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mobo-question/174459/5 "2003-05-11T15:47:39Z")
Here’s a small program that will display the CD Key that you used at installation. Write it down and re-use it after you format/re-install:
[http://www.simtel.net/pub/pd/62225.html](http://www.simtel.net/pub/pd/62225.html)
---
### Author:  [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mobo-question/174459/6 "2003-05-11T15:51:55Z")
[http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v15/vic15.htm](http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v15/vic15.htm)
For those who may be concerned about the legality of the procedure:
“This is about retrieving your own serial from an existing Windows 95,98, 98se, 2000, or XP installation, which may or may not be corrupt. This is not about getting a cracked serial.”
“It should go without saying, that in XP, the key will only allow you to install, not activate, unless you are using the Corporate version which requires no activation”
---
### Author:  [@futureman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/futureman)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2003, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mobo-question/174459/7 "2003-05-11T18:22:56Z")
But if my key is legit, which it is, I can activate it again if I have to, right? It doesn’t really matter, right? I’d rather have a legit version than an illegal version, though I wouldn’t feel bad about using an illegal version of what I have because I did pay for it.
Just a quick question. When I change this much hardware, do I have to reactivate my old key or just reenter it?
PS, thanks a lot for the little program, that did the trick. I guess it won’t matter when I have to redo everything, now.
---
### Author:  [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mobo-question/174459/8 "2003-05-11T20:03:56Z")
You will have to reenter the key on installation. Because you have changed so much hardware, you will have to reactivate the OS within 30 days (I think) if you want to keep using it.
---
### Author:  [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mobo-question/174459/9 "2003-05-11T21:33:28Z")
Yes, if your version of XP requires reactivation, you would have to reactivate it. Try the online option. If that doesn’t work for some reason, just call up Microsoft and explain your circumstance to them. They’ve probably encountered many such cases before and should, hopefully, be reasonable.
Since you have a legit version, and you are not installing it on multiple PCs, you are within your legal rights to activate your installation again having significantly changed your hardware configuration. The XP Activation algorithm generally (I think) triggers a requirement for reactivation if 3 or more components are changed. The exact algorithm has not been made public by Microsoft. Activation is just a method they use to control piracy, not to deny legit users from changing system configuration.