Another toasted eMachine

[bonz_dragon]

After following many of the others here with this problem am looking for solutions that work.

The original board was the AM37 that was also taken out by their less than reliable PSU. Have tested all other hardware and it has survived! The beginning symptoms were a none responsive keyboard with the keyboard lights flashing on and off and having to press F1 to get to post.

So the closest replacement I've found is an MSI KM3M-V. All the chipsets seem to be the same as well as the OB video and sound. Will there be any problems with XP recognizing the board and loading? Yes, this has those dreaded restore disc's with the OS on them.

[BipolarBill]

It depends on how long Windows has been on the machine. If XP (I'm assuming here) has been on the machine more than 6 months, you will only have to activate. If you are forced to reinstall for whatever reason, you will need a new OEM CD.

[bonz_dragon]

Thanks Bill,
It's been installed from original with only 1 reinstall about a yr ago. as far as I know. After all this ( with all the posts as of late) I am still uncertain what would cause a reinstall as I personally still am not using XP. Seem some people have to reinstall and others don't. But I gather after a MB change the restore disc's are useless!

[BipolarBill]

That's right - restore won't work with a new motherboard. That's when you need a new OEM CD.

[bonz_dragon]

So then if I have a OEM CD I can still use the product key on the back of the tower to do the reinstall and not use the key that came with the CD? This is were I get a bit confussed with XP.

Is XP reading the BIOS string which causes this?

[BipolarBill]

You have to use the key from the new CD. You cannot use a branded product key to install a standard OEM CD. The problem *is* the product key.

I don't know exactly how the PC makers do this, but suffice it to say that the original product key is somehow matched with a specific range of hardware components that the maker was using at the time that this product key was in use.

I coerced an MS tech once to allow me to use a Dell product key to install my OEM CD onto a customer's PC. It wasn't fun and I won't do it again. From now on, the customer buys a new OEM CD.

[bonz_dragon]

OK, Thanks Bill.
Yea know I tried to tell my son to replace the PSU in that thing awhile ago. Now he's in that same boat with all the other eMachine owners.
I know I'll never buy a machine with the OS on restore disks!