Windows Re-activation after installing new graphics card

By cooky560
in Microsoft (Windows)

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Grand Master

cooky560 Veteran

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Basically I plan on installing a new graphics card in my pc, no other hardware has changed since installing Windows 8. However I'm worried that installing the new card will require WIndows re-activation, if this happens will I need to purchase a new serial key, or anything else surrounding Windows?

Grand Master

Eric Veteran

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If you only change one or two pieces of equipment it should auto-adjust the activation hash without requiring a reactivation. If it does trigger it you can just call them and they will redo it on the phone for you. Takes about 2-5 minutes.

Grand Master

Praetor

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  On 26/05/2014 at 13:51, Eric said:

If you only change one or two pieces of equipment it should auto-adjust the activation hash without requiring a reactivation. If it does trigger it you can just call them and they will redo it on the phone for you. Takes about 2-5 minutes.

 

It depends, really; mainboard swap generaly triggers the WAT, or more components at the same time; it depends if the WAT checks and finds that you have changed so much that it's a new computer (like a mainboard swap).

 

Also cloning a HDD into a newer one triggers the WAT.

 

For a graphics card or RAM swap it's OK.

Grand Master

Dot Matrix

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No. You're fine. I've only ever had to re-activate after installing new critical pieces of hardware, such as the processor or mainboard. And at that point, all I had to do was call Microsoft to have my key re-activated.

Grand Master

The Evil Overlord

Posted
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I'm quite positive changing a card, adding drives and such shouldn't make a difference to your activated status, (in 7 replacing the motherboard doesn't affect it neither but I haven't tried that with 8 so cannot say for sure)

Grand Master

Praetor

Posted
Posted
  On 26/05/2014 at 23:25, Richard C. said:

None of this actually matters now anyway because the card I wanted won't fit in my case (d'oh)

:laugh:  :rofl:

 

sorry for ya.

 

Also please mark the post with the correct awnser as it will help future searches.

Grand Master

spikey_richie

Posted
Posted

Nope, swapped my GPU out a few weeks ago and no re-activation required.

 

  On 26/05/2014 at 14:04, Praetor said:

It depends, really; mainboard swap generaly triggers the WAT, or more components at the same time; it depends if the WAT checks and finds that you have changed so much that it's a new computer (like a mainboard swap).

 

Also cloning a HDD into a newer one triggers the WAT.

 

For a graphics card or RAM swap it's OK.

 

I cloned my OCZ Vertex 2 over the top of my Crucial M500, and didn't have to re-activate.

Experienced

rr_dRock

Posted
Posted
  On 27/05/2014 at 13:48, Richard C. said:

Well I got it to fit in perhaps the jammiest install ever :p

 

attachicon.gifIMG_0519.JPG

 

 

That seems like it would mess up your airflow a tad. =P 

Grand Master

Praetor

Posted
Posted
  On 27/05/2014 at 15:20, sc302 said:

 

the problem is the algorithm Microsoft uses in the WAT isn't public. From what i know Graphics Card and RAM swaps don't trigger the WAT, unless it's part of a major swap (HDD, RAM, graphics card, CPU, etc.). Also HDD cloning DOES trigger the WAT, i just came back from a major XP migration into 7/8 and saw that happening in the few machines i had to clone (from 7 to 7), since the rest was syspreped; SSD cloning into another SSD, on the other hand, i never did so i don't know for sure if it triggers but logic would say it does.

Grand Master

cork1958

Posted
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I have personally had to do the reactivation thing twice simply after updating graphics driver through the windows update site on other people's computers! That was a total WTF moment! POS WAT crap!! Was easily fixed, but shouldn't have had to mess with it to begin with. :angry:

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