Cant upgrade hardware with Vista

[specWB]

I heard today that once you install Vista, it does some sort of optimization or something for the hardware that you have and that after you install vista you cant upgrade your computer or it will sevearly screw everything up. This sounds like total BS to me but i just wanted to check.
Thanks.

 

[n0cmonkey]

If you switch hardware the data-mites won't know where your data is anymore and will get confused;

 

[specWB]

So your saying its BS?

 

[drag]

It's sorta BS.

Vista is probably going to be much touchier about what sort of changes are allowed before it requires re-activation. But a phone call to get permission to install a video card isn't that big of deal.

The EULA allows you to install it on two different computers (one at a time) before your license is used up. With 'two different computer' equalling 'two different motherboards' if there is a dispute on what constitutes a 'new computer', baring any replacement of defective parts.

So that is the change with Vista _retail_ versions. They mellowed it out some compared to what it originally was suppose to be, but the details are iffy.

The other important change is that they added new restrictions on weither or not you can run different versions in a virtual machine.

Most people are going to be using OEM versions, so that is what matters. It's the same as XP, one machine one copy whatever hardware upgrades you want. (most people get around that anyways. The MS people working the phones only seem to care rarely)

So it's not realy any different then what your used to.

 

[stash]

Vista is probably going to be much touchier about what sort of changes are allowed before it requires re-activation

Actually Vista is supposed to be more tolerant than XP in this regard. But the algorithm in Vista has not been made public, so there's no real way to know unless you actually change some of the hardware.

Ars had a piece about it: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061030-8104.html

 

[jedisponge]

Originally posted by: dragThe EULA allows you to install it on two different computers (one at a time) before your license is used up. With 'two different computer' equalling 'two different motherboards' if there is a dispute on what constitutes a 'new computer', baring any replacement of defective parts.

Wasn't that part changed in December?

 

[drag]

Apparently, I mentioned it. But like I said before I am iffy on the details.


Take for example:
http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/26/vist...-as-restrictive-as-initially-reported/
Microsoft said with that paticular pronouncement that you are allowed to active Windows up to 10 times before you risk losing your license. Then after that they may or may not decide to let you keep it. I guess it depends on how nice the other person on the phone is feeling.

They also said that it will only require reactivation if you replace the harddrive + a new peice of hardware. But there was at least a guy here that had to reactivate after having trouble with his RAM, or something like that. So I don't know accurate any of this is.

 

[Don66]

So far I've changed cpu's.
Added a harddrive.
Constantly changing clock speed. I love to test the limits:evil:
Never had to reactivate because of hadware changes.
The only time I've had any problems with activation was after th 4th reinstall.
I was fvcking around and had to find out for myself
But reactivating was a bear, thanks to MS for hiring non-enlish speaking individuals.