# Replace Power Supply, get shaken down by Microsoft.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replace-power-supply-get-shaken-down-by-microsoft/709440>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 9, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replace-power-supply-get-shaken-down-by-microsoft/709440 "2015-01-09T21:29:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replace-power-supply-get-shaken-down-by-microsoft/709440/21 "2015-01-10T14:36:15Z")

</div>

The battery is an interesting idea because my battery has been through more then most. After Sandy I had no power for two weeks and I had the power supply unplugged for five days during this incident so maybe there is something to that.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ionizer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5daacb/32.png) [@Ionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ionizer)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replace-power-supply-get-shaken-down-by-microsoft/709440/22 "2015-01-10T15:11:48Z")

</div>

Fwiw, I had to upgrade to a more-powerful power supply around 3-4 yrs ago (purchased from **Drachillix** 🙂 ) and had no isssue with licensing, etc. Put in new video card and more RAM at same time. IIRC, I was still with Win7 if it matters.

Just a ‘data point’, I guess.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replace-power-supply-get-shaken-down-by-microsoft/709440/23 "2015-01-10T15:43:08Z")

</div>

I replace power supplies all the time and have never seen any problem with licensing. That information should be in the BIOS/motherboard. This seems like a case of _post hoc ergo propter hoc._

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replace-power-supply-get-shaken-down-by-microsoft/709440/24 "2015-01-10T17:04:25Z")

</div>

> [@Quimby](#):
>
> The battery is an interesting idea because my battery has been through more then most. After Sandy I had no power for two weeks and I had the power supply unplugged for five days during this incident so maybe there is something to that.

Yes, if your CMOS battery is not keeping the proper date and time, it will [go into “non Genuine”](http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_install/windows-not-genuine-maybe-a-cmos-battery-issue/43c8a1bd-3153-42c8-acd6-2649e52d22b3) mode. So it sounds like that is a possibility.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replace-power-supply-get-shaken-down-by-microsoft/709440/25 "2015-01-10T22:22:19Z")

</div>

If the date is wrong by too much, the computer is unable to use any encripted connection where the certificate/key is too “old” or too “new” – that is, where the certificate date is not valid for the date the computer thinks it is.

Also, if the date is wrong, it can trigger a revalidation request, because the computer date is before the validation date.

“invalid” + “no validation response” = “non genuine”.

It sucks that Dell wouldn’t suggest that you might be able to fix the problem by resetting the date.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replace-power-supply-get-shaken-down-by-microsoft/709440.md?page=1)