Solved Proper removal/withdrawal of OS?

[RVan]

My son accidentally damaged his laptop (Acer V5 Aspire w/touchscreen, Win8.1) screen yesterday. Replacing the screen may be feasible yet, I think unlikely. If memory serves me correctly MS uses the motherboard serial number during registration of their OS to ensure all is legal. However, I think MS also allows owners to "withdraw" and OS license if the OS is a version that permits this. Can someone explain this more thoroughly so, I prepare to save the OS properly to reuse it under the license agreement if we purchase a touchscreen laptop as a replacement.

 

[mrjimphelps]

If you are referring to the Windows that came pre-installed on the laptop when it was new, then you can not legally withdraw the license from that computer and move it to another. It is an "OEM" license, specifically defined to be for that computer only. Your only option to continue with that same license is to repair the computer and continue to use that same computer.

If you move the motherboard and hard drive to another identical laptop case (one in which the monitor works), in my view that would be a "repair" of the same computer, because the motherboard and hard drive are basically the whole computer; whereas the monitor and the case would be "parts" in that situation.

An easier thing to do would be to purchase an identical computer (say, on Ebay), and transfer your hard drive, memory, etc., to it. You are moving out of the "repair" area and into the "replacement" area if you do this. But if you call Microsoft and they activate the license, you are good to go.

No matter what you do, if you can convince Microsoft to activate the license on the computer you finally end up with, you are good to go.

If you do a phone activation, make sure that you write down the activation code that Microsoft gives you, so that you can use it in the future should you ever need to do a clean install of Windows 8.1.

 

[RVan]

mrjimphelps,

Thanks. Your response is right on and captures a fading memory. I need to evaluate this further before taking action but, I had to have this knowledge before proceeding. My son's laptop is the Core i3 version of the Aspire V5 so, nothing to write home about. If it the i5 it would make for a stronger argument for repair.

This response will self destruct in 5 seconds...

 

[mrjimphelps]

mrjimphelps...This response will self destruct in 5 seconds...

I always got 10 seconds on the show!