Re: Moving a hard drive w/ a Gateway-installed OEM Windows XP to a new mobo

A final update to this thread...

Got the PC up and running by reinstalling using the Gateway CD.  That got
rid of the BSOD, but when I tried to logon, XP made me reactivate, but the
online reactivation failed.  I figured that was the Gateway OEM not being
allowed on a new mobo.

While I was out shopping at our local MicroCenter, I was looking for an OEM
XP, per this thread.  Long story made short, the rep helping me suggested
that I follow through on the reactivation by calling the Microsoft number
for activating over the phone, and just tell them that the dog knocked over
the PC and cracked the mobo.  For some reason, they buy that as a valid
excuse.  And that's exactly what I did.  The Microsoft rep asked if that
license for XP was installed on any other system, I said no, and he gave me
a new activation code.  Plugged that in, and voila, we're up and running!

Back at the office, we speculated that blaming it on the dog rather than
admitting that I (actually my friend) fried the mobo when I reinserted the
CPU incorrectly, gave the appearance that I was a hapless home user, and not
a hacker trying to score another XP license.  That doesn't quite jive with
me, but I am at a loss to explain otherwise.

- Dan