Three strikes and I'm out - Microsoft XP

[Rex]

I build IBM-PCs on the side as an extra income. I also love upgrading my system when I have the money to do so. Everytime you upgrade the motherboard in a system you must reintall Windows XP. Well this will be my third mobo upgrade and guess what XP told me on the latest install...that my key has been used to many times and I need to get a new one! They give you a number to call to change the serial number but guess what!?!?! The pre-recorded message tells me that the line will be down for 2 hours (it tells me that no matter when I call) and then HANGS UP ON ME.

I have very little money (teaching will never make me rich) but I SWEAR that what little I have will go to paying someone to sue Microsoft, because guess what, I have proof that I bought the dam OS! How dare they tell me it is no good because I upgraded my system! This has to be illegal (I can't find anything on the MS box saying I can only install/reintall it 3 time) ARGGHHH!!!!

Rant: off

[iconoclastNYC]

1. Yeah this is why I use win2k

The big-brother activation is a joke. There are many ways to get around it if you do not want to pay the MS tax.

Also many studies have proven that WinXP is slower than Win2k.

Just wait for Trusted Computing. Your computer will treat you like a criminal by default.

[InfoMinister]

5. If You Turn Off All of XP's Extras It's About The Same

Windows 2k doesn't have all of the unneeded bells and whistles that XP has. I've turned off a lot of things in XP and it runs pretty fast for games and other applications.

[ET Awful]

2. You can install as many times as you like. However, if there are too

many hardware changes between installs, the anti-piracy protection thinks you are installing it on multiple machines. Seems fine to me.

I have installed XP countless times, and have called for activation at least 50 times, and never had an issue.

When it tells me that the copy I'm using has been activated too many times, it never takes me more than 10 minutes to call and re-activate.

They didn't tell you it was no good, they told you that activation wouldn't work. You can run a system for 60 days without activating it.

There's nothing illegal about it. Is it a perfect system? No. But it's not illegal.

[Deja Q]

13. 30 days without activation and a little history lesson that will anger U:

and there are stories of people who have been told they're re-activated too many times too...

Microsoft is not benevolant by any measure, their ENTIRE business history, from day 0.1, is replete with examples. The $300 Altair hobby computer was one M$ programmed for; selling a BASIC compiler for the Altair to people... the cost? $300. Same price as the hardware. This caused people to write and freely distribute their own compilers. This enraged billy boy and he started making a huff.

When he saw IBM's whining about wanting an OS, damn straight M$ came in. For one reason it would be an easy street to fame and fortune. And from that would be a massive user base. One to exploit and put tight reigns on.

The 1994 lawsuit they lost (due to vicious and immoral licensing deals with computer makers - you had to buy M$ licenses for EVERY PC, even if that PC would have a different OS on it. So microsoft was STEALING... and the fine? Didn't make a dent.)

I've been migrating from M$ for some time; about 50% done and I can't wait to be free of those filthy fucker$.

[ET Awful]

39. I don't need a history lesson.

As to the 60 days v. 30 days, I just did some quick research, the 60 days is for MSDN versions (of which I have several) 30 days is for commercial versions (which I have used, but infrequently). So, we're both right.

The fact remains that if you can't activate it on day 1, it's not a catastrophe.

I never said MS was benevolent, perhaps you should re-read. In fact, I didn't defend them even, I just pointed out that not being able to activate immediately had little to no effect and that there is nothing illegal about requiring activation (which is why other companies such as Adobe have followed MS in requiring activation). Odds are that if there hadn't been literally millions of unlicensed copies of prior versiosn of Windows, the idea of activation probably never would have come up.

[ET Awful]

40. Delete - dupe

[DS1]

41. I just snagged me an institutional license that bypasses all the

activation bullshit ;-)

[ET Awful]

45. Corporate/Enterprise editions will do that too :)

I have one for Office 2003, but the boss won't spring for the XP one since all the machines come with XP Pro licenses already.

[Lannes]

3. Ive already switched to firefox

XP might be next.Everything that they put out seems to be worse than the last one.Hope firefox works with linux.

[fujiyama]

43. Don't worry

There is a Linux version of Firefox.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

4. And Microsoft wonders why

people are constantly pirating their software. $300 for a fresh version of XP Pro? That's fucking ridiculous when I only pay Dell $300 for an entire computer with XP Home installed on it.

I do Microsoft development, and I pay many thousands of $$$ every year to maintain my software with the latest and greatest.

[Deja Q]

15. See my other post; it's not a first M$ sells sw the ame price as the hw.

:wow:

[Tux]

6. Not illegal

And you agreed to it. Remember that license everyone agrees to yet never reads? I agreed that MS can not activate WinXP if the hardware has chanaged 3 to 5 times. MS does this to help prevent piracy and make them more money by over charging customers.

You have an option to be free. Go to Best Buy or some place like that and get Linux. I recomend Suse or Red Hat. Cost around $100 to $120 for Pro editions but you'll get a ton of software and books (not manuals nor a paper) on how to install and use Linux. If you are really brave, try Ubuntu for free (http://shipit.ubuntulinux.org/).

[Deja Q]

9. Best buy and all often don't get the new versions in for 2+ months:

SuSE 9.2 is still being sold yet 9.3 has been out since April 18th. Beein using it for a month and it's great overall; I'm about to format my winbloat boxes for good. Even my video capture one as the WinTV PVR is Linux-compatible.

[Tux]

19. I prefer

Ubuntu and Fedora Core for now. I didn't like Suse's YaST. Mandrake had problems with the boot CDs (didn't work) so I dropped them after that and after X wouldn't load.

http://www.distrowatch.com

[longship]

27. Ubuntu!

I use Debian and Gentoo (both a bit techie for the newbie).

But I have tried Slackware, SuSE, and Red Hat, all for extended periods.
Of all the distributions I have tried Ubuntu is the best I've seen for newbies. First, it uses Debian package management (the software installer) which is far, far superior to Red Hat package management (Red Hat, SuSE, Mandrake, Fedora). For the newbie this means a cleaner, more trouble free installation process.

Ubuntu has everything the newbie needs. It's a very highly polished product. Impressive work from South Africa. Plus, it's free in both senses of the word (as in liberty and as in beer--yummy!).

[Tux]

33. And Debian based

I tried Mandrake, Red Hat, Suse, Fedora, and some others. Debian is a good base for a distro but when I try it, it always tells me it can't write to the hard drive. No other distro does that. I have a feeling it's too old but Ubuntu can be as techie once you hit the command line (only place on my system to do anything as root).

[longship]

37. What!? Cannot write to hard drive?

What were you trying to do?
How were you trying to do it?
How were you logged in?

[Tux]

47. Answers

What were you trying to do?
Partition the hard drive.

How were you trying to do it?
Automagic and manual partitioning.

How were you logged in?
Typical base root for installtion purposes.

[longship]

56. Two possible solutions

Linux fdisk can have a problem with hard drives which have been misconfigured in the BIOS. If the CHS (cylinder/head/sector) count on fdisk doesn't match the BIOS, there can be issues. You can tell LILO/Grub to ignore the BIOS (See LILO/Grub HowTo) or you can set the BIOS to a more compatible format.

Another possible issue is interrupt collisions. Moving PCI card around in your box may resolve this. Look at the display during bootup and look for IRQ collisions between the PCI IDE devices and others. Linux handles these collisions fairly well, but if the onboard code is buggy, it may cause problems. Shuttling the cards to minimize collisions should be standard procedure anyway, even in Windows.

[Deja Q]

7. the protection scheme wastes our time and does nothing about Asian piracy.

India's software base is 74% pirated and China's is 90% pirated.

And the price we pay here in America is bullshit set-up schemes and losing our jobs to those very countries. If stealing is such a bad crime, how come those countries' economies are being boosted by our corporations who whine and rant and bitch about piracy?

Those fuckers have lost ALL respect with me. NOBODY should be giving them any respect at all. They've lost it. Their respect AND credibility.


So sing my lead: "Suse Linux 9.3, doo-dah, doo-dah..."

[longship]

8. Is Linux next for you?

I've been using Linux about ten years now. If you're tired of Microsloth's rubbish, maybe it's time to make a switch.

I can recommend two distributions for the newbie, Ubuntu and Knoppix.

Ubuntu Linux is fairly cutting edge (read that, has the latest stuff). It's one of the better newbie Linux distributions. You can download an ISO image off the Ubuntu Web site. Just burn the image to a CD and boot it. You'll be up and running Linux in no time.

Or, if you're timid about making permanent changes to your disk partition table, you might want to snag Knoppix. Knoppix is a bootable Live CD which runs totally off the CD. Slower, but it gives you an idea what it's all about without touching your hard drive(s).

There's assistance available all over the Net. If you want to trade e-mail addresses, that's okay, too.

By the way, in ten years, I can count the number of times my Linux boxes have hung up on one hand. It just never happens. Out of my six--soon to be seven--Linux boxen four are never shut down or rebooted unless I have to maintain hardware, a very rare occurence. They just run and run and run and run. Linux is all about stability and reliability, the antithesis of Windows.

[Deja Q]

11. I just read up on Ubuntu...

I say GO FOR IT.

I love ly SuSE, but I'm increasingly disturbed by corporations hijacking the work of VOLUNTEERS to sell it at a personal profit. This too is unethical and immoral, though it sure is legal.

Of course, SuSE is one of the fastest Linux distros and while it costs money, it's a lot easier to configure and use. (I've yet to try Ubuntu and chances are it's going to be as good.)

of course, SuSE has the Ximian GUI embedded into GNOME; and Ximian in its day was pretty pricey too. Having used GNOME (KDE stinks and looks like the XP interface, though for 8 year olds instead of 6 year olds.

I will have to do some testing. :9

[Tux]

22. Maybe

DU should have a Linux forum to help people with Linux, let people sharpen their skills, and learn Linux. Afterall, F/OSS is a progressive concept.

[longship]

23. Well, let's do that!

I think this is a stellar idea.

As a ten year Linux professional, I'll volunteer to help out.

What's the first step?

[Tux]

25. Admins of DU

Need to make a forum in Non-political groups called Linux and Open Source and people can start from there.

We'll hold the emacs vs vi debates for later.

[longship]

28. Why wait?

Emacs! ;-)

[Tux]

29. Silly DUer

Vi is the best.

Why do you hate America?

[longship]

30. ROTFL

"Don't mode on me."

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

31. Way ahead of ya

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=240

[QC]

26. Ubuntu rocks!

Just installed it yesterday. Took only about 20 minutes and it recognized all my hardware. It has an elegant, useful interface, and since it uses Debian's packaging system, installing new software is a breeze. I am by no means a Linux geek and yet I had no trouble setting this one up and using it.

[Rex]

38. If I can't get them to activate my dam OS, then yes it is!

Their server that runs the phone msg is now down (been down for two days now) and should be up in 2 hours (been saying the same thing for 2 days now). I have a few copies of different Linux flavors laying around the house...I might just have to get serious and use Linux.

[billyskank]

10. You did not buy the OS

You bought a licence to use it, which Microsoft reserve the right to revoke any time they like. Few people ever read the end user licence agreement (EULA) that you must "accept" before you can use the software. EULAs themselves are of dubious legality, but AFAIK no-one has tried to contest one in court yet.

It's shit like this that makes some people use Linux.

[Occulus]

35. "I will pay you for your lemonade stand in my yard.

I will let you charge anyone, even me, any price you wish. Furthermore, I will not alter the substantive properties of your lemonade stand itself, but reserve the right to mow and weed the property upon which your lemonade stand sits.

If you, periodically, wish to add on to your lemonade stand, you are within your rights to do so without notifying me, and without regard for any opinion of any neighbor.

I understand your lemonade stand may burst into flames and/or make portions of my property (or the whole of the property) inaccessible at any time, for any reason, also without prior notification. I also understand that I may not alter your lemonade stand in any way to prevent this from occuring.

I understand I may not sell, lease, exhibit for profit, disassemble, reverse engineer, inhibit, inhabit, license, or otherwise use for personal gain for any reason your lemonade stand without your express written permission. I understand these terms may change at any time, without prior notification.

I hereby agree to be bound by the terms and conditions stated herein."

/snark

[Poiuyt]

12. Mad as hell

good article:

http://www.networkworld.com/columnists/2005/052305schwartau.html

[Deja Q]

16. The company whose CEO proudly said he'd be like Gates if given the chance.

Their prices gouge people enough for one thing...

http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=101000023SK4

MS and Apple are more and more the same; their business practices mean more to me than which political party they support and if Gates made the cure to AIDS and gave it away, I wouldn't take it. His MO suggests the initial product would hook people in it being forced to take more and more of the stuff while he continually ramps up the price.

The system needs to change. Ditching the wrestler in the red tights for the one in the blue tights is asinine. It's the same ring, one will win, and the winner eventually spits on us all. That's corporate life.





edit: Spelling

[Occulus]

36. Someone needs to be able to manufacture Apple hardware besides Apple. n/t

[alfredo]

46. Apple is a hardware company. The OS adds value, and so does

the tight integration between hardware and software. Licensing would be a bad idea for them.

[formercia]

48. OSX=FreeBSD without the hassle

It's nice, costs money. Try Darwin, OSX for the PC

[formercia]

49. get Darwin here:

http://developer.apple.com/darwin/

Apple's open source projects allow developers to customize and enhance key Apple software. Through the open source model, Apple engineers and the open source community collaborate to create better, faster and more reliable products for our users.

Beneath the appealing, easy-to-use interface of Mac OS X is a rock-solid foundation that is engineered for stability, reliability, and performance. This foundation is a core operating system commonly known as Darwin. Darwin integrates a number of technologies, most importantly Mach 3.0, operating-system services based on 4.4BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution), high-performance networking facilities, and support for multiple integrated file systems.
News and Updates
Darwin 8.1 Source Code Posted
The sources for Darwin 8.1, which correspond to Mac OS X 10.4.1, are available for download.
Darwin 8.0.1 Installer CD
The Darwin 8.0.1 Installer CD is available. Darwin 8.0.1 corresponds to the open source core of Mac OS X 10.4 and is available at the following URLs:
For PowerPC:
http://www.opensource.apple.com/darwinsource/images/darwinppc-801.cdr.gz
http://www.opendarwin.org/downloads/8.0.1/darwinppc-801.cdr.gz
MD5 (darwinppc-801.cdr.gz) = fe85def148896f76b00a753687d99144

For x86:
http://www.opensource.apple.com/darwinsource/images/darwinx86-801.iso.gz
http://www.opendarwin.org/downloads/8.0.1/darwinx86-801.iso.gz
MD5 (darwinx86-801.iso.gz) = dbd260dda994093a11c31afbe624aa34

[alfredo]

50. Of course if a person is not good with the CLI,

Darwin might not be good for them.

Has there been much development of a UI for DarwinX86?

[formercia]

54. Don't know

but a commercial version of OSX for the X86 would probably sell. It would be a great improvement on what's available now. Most people are used to beig able to run Windows applications and have the eye candy. I'm happy to live with the limitation of not being able to run the latest game or other time waster.

[alfredo]

55. first they should go with the standard UNIX/Linux packages.

I guess if I was a gamer, I would be more interested in Windows, but I'd rather have something where I can surf in relative safety, and not be bothered by an intrusive and paranoid corporate culture like you see in Redmond.

[bvar22]

14. Linux is ready for you.

If you know what a Hard Disk partition is, you can successfully install and operate Linux.

One of the biggest problems for the Novice (me) Is that there are
So many different flavors of Linux to choose from.

Last month, I installed 11 different flavors of Linux, looking for the best fit.

You can go here and download ISO's of all these versions and try them out FOR FREE!!

http://www.linuxiso.org /


For my rather generic box, only three versions recognized almost all my hardware, and installed without hassles.

SuSE 9.1
Knoppix...Kanotix
Ubuntu

The sole hardware exception common to all versions was my scanner (HPScanjet 4470C on USB). Most versions correctly identified the scanner, but the software interface failed to initialize. In Linux defense, my scanner is NOT on the hardware compatibility lists.

I really like Mandrake, and worked hard to get it installed, but was unable to get my Net Card working. I even bought and installed a NetCard that was on the Mandrake Hardware Compatibility list and no luck. During BOOT always the same error message {NET CARD eth0....FAILED}. I spent several late nights trying to "build a kernal with a tarball"..lots of fun, but no success yet. Someone with more Linux experience could get this working.



I also downloaded and installed :

Mandrake 10,,,10.1...10.2(peek)

Debian 3r4 (install options confusing for me)

Fedora Core 3 (would like to try again)

Slackware 10.0 (over my head)

Lycoris (almost a partition disaster...maybe a bad install disk)

Knoppix...cool and easy

Kanotix Bug Hunter(a Knoppix knock off update)

SuSE 9.1 (smooth and easy)

Ubuntu 4.1 (Warty) (elegant, my favorite)

Many of these have released a "LIVE" disk that you can run from the CD. Simply boot your box from the CD and get a look at the fully functional distro. Of course, it is slow, but you can get an idea if your hardware is compatible.

Distros known to have a "LIVE disk:
Knoppix
Kanotix
SuSE
Ubuntu


My suggestions for playing with Linux without trashing WinDoze.
I am migrating from WinXP, and will be using WinXP as my primary OS until I am comfortable with Linux.

Partition Magic 8.0 has a tool to partition the HardDrive for Linux installations.
Partition Magic 8.0 is available for download over the Net for about $32.00. I used it without problems.
AVOID LETTING THE LINUX INSTALL PROGRAM PARTITION YOUR HARD DRIVE.
Windows utilities or Partition Magic may not be able to undo partioning performed by Linux install programs.

PartitionMagic doesn't run well from within WinXP, so you will probably have to boot from the PMagic floppy to create the Linux Partitions. To avoid any confusion with Drive Letters, put the experimental Linux partitions at the end of your HardDrive (or at the end of a 2nd HardDrive). I am using about 7 Gigs for the Linux partitions and that is way more than enough.

(I have a small hidden partition with a bare bones WinME. I can boot to WinME and use PartitionMagic8.0 to set up the Linux Partitions without ANY problems)


Almost all of the Linux Installs recognized the pre-partitioned Linux Partitions and asked if this is where I wanted to Install. Say YES.
(Note: Fedora Core was vague at this point in the install, so I backed out, not willing to risk my Windows partitions).

Linux will automatically install a boot loader (Grub or Lilo) that will let you choose either Windows or Linux at boot.
Both worked on my system without problems.
You can edit the boot loader to make Windows the default boot until you are confident to default to Linux.



Removing Linux from your Box without trashing Windows
Easy.

Step 1) Use LILO (or Grub) to boot to your Windoze System and use PartitionMagic to delete the Linux Partitions. If you are using XP, you will probably need to boot from the PMagic floppy (since XP seems to hate PartitionMagic).

Step 2) Boot from a floppy that contains the Dos partition utility FDISK, and type "FDISK /MBR" (without the quotes). This will remove the Linux boot loader (Lilo or Grub).
My system was ALWAYS restored to the regular Windows configuration after these two steps.

Caution Note: My DOS boot floppy is from WinME and contains the latest preXP FDISK command. I don't believe XP comes with an FDISK utility, so make sure you have a BOOT Floppy that has a functional FDISK utility that can work with large Hard Drives. I KNOW the FDISK in ME will work. I believe that Win98se DOS Floppy will work, but cannot vouch for it. FDISK was unable to read or delete the Linux Partitions, PMagic was necessary.

I have read online that you can use the XP BOOT CONSOLE to restore the MBR (master boot record), but I have never used that method.


Summary: After looking at the versions listed above, I preferred UBUNTU. UBUNTU diverges a little from traditional Linux in the methods of logging on as SU, but is conceptually consistent. SuSE was equally as functional, my choice was subjective. I currently use Ubuntu to browse the Internet and play with the Linux system. I am still using XP for my Graphics Software and Games.


Linux has a HUGE online community that is very helpful.
I have bought a How To book on the nuts and bolts of Linux (Inside Linux, Tobler) and am working my way through, learning to work from the command line. The Learning Curve is steep and a little frustrating at times, and I have background in Command Line Dos. But overall, it is fun. I am learning the system of the future and can always boot to WinXP when necessary.

Good Luck.
Remember to have FUN!

[longship]

17. NIC card no function?

I really like Mandrake, and worked hard to get it installed, but was unable to get my Net Card working. I even bought and installed a NetCard that was on the Mandrake Hardware Compatibility list and no luck. During BOOT always the same error message {NET CARD eth0....FAILED}. I spent several late nights trying to "build a kernal with a tarball"..lots of fun, but no success yet. Someone with more Linux experience could get this working.

Kernel compile should not be necessary. Without exception all standard distribution kernels should have all the hooks for ethernet compiled in. To bind the hardware to the kernel all you have to do is modprobe the correct kernel module for your network interface card (NIC). What modules are listed in /etc/modules?

Maybe you don't have a kernel or module problem, though. Try switching PCI slots. Put the NIC in a slot towards the right (looking from the front) so it's more likely to have its own interrupt. Put audio cards toward the left--they share interrupts more readily than NICs.

Which kernel version are you using? What is the manufacturer and model of your NIC?

Ubuntu 4.1 (Warty) (elegant, my favorite)

I agree. Ubuntu has the best installation for newbies. Also, it is Debian based, and everybody knows that Debian has the best package management tools.

[longship]

34. Excellent advice here.

Partition Magic 8.0 has a tool to partition the HardDrive for Linux installations.
Partition Magic 8.0 is available for download over the Net for about $32.00. I used it without problems.
AVOID LETTING THE LINUX INSTALL PROGRAM PARTITION YOUR HARD DRIVE.
Windows utilities or Partition Magic may not be able to undo partioning performed by Linux install programs.

PM is an inexpensive solution to a real newbie problem. How do I best partion my hard drive(s)?

I have to echo bvar22's recommendation here.

[formercia]

18. I use FreeBSD

Yes, free.

[longship]

20. Not to start a flamewar...

All the BSD distributions (NetBSD, FreeBSD, OpenBSD) are ultra stable, secure and an altogether wonderful.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with them, but they just don't have the widespread support that Linux enjoys. The BSDs are great for running servers and stuff like that but they are not for newbies.

Will they work for a workstation? You bet. Would you be better off with a Linux distribution? You bet.

[Tux]

24. BSD?

Would you have a stable server? You bet. It doesn't work on all PCs (never got any to see the hard drive) but if it gets on, all reports indicate it is a very good, pro-business OS. Unlike Windows which is anti-business (steal money from companies for low quality software which much is now made in India).

[formercia]

42. Easy to install

You can download the .iso (CD image), burn it on to a cd and load it.

Once you try it once or twice, the installation is very straight forward. Any applications that aren't on the installation CD can be installed over the net. I always set up the firewall before going online. It has a very good firewall that you can lock down so nothing comes in that isn't requested. Linux is ok but it installs too many things by default. I like to start out with a system that has a minimum of processes running and add things as I need them.
FreeBSD will also run Linux binaries if you want it to but I have found that a pure UNIX environment does everything for me and is very stable. I will never go back to Windoze, never.

http://www.freebsd.org/


P.S. Unix printing is tricky with a widows printer, so I keep a clunky old off the net win 95 machine as a printer server. There, I confessed.

It works fine with a postscript (MAC) printer but i'm to cheap to go out and buy one.

[Tux]

52. Been there, done that

BSDs and Debian hate my PCs. None will either find the hard drive or write to it. Other Linux distros have no trouble. Not sure what happened.

[ohio_liberal]

21. Yep

Same thing happened to me when I did a clean install. I had to pay a computer shop to redo it all.

[rndmprsn]

32. been using "illegal" copies of windows...

since 2000, windows 2k and more recently XP...f*ck em, i'm about to go the apple route soon.

[high density]

44. The new hard drive controller/motherboard thing is a serious problem in XP

In Windows 98 it was so easy to install new hardware, including motherboards. I found out late last year that replacing the motherboard in a Windows XP computer is a fairly painful process. It completely freaks out and acts like it can't find which drive to boot from, which leaves the user with no other options than to try to re-install or to perform a completely new install. For what is supposed to be an advanced operating system, I can't believe how bad it chokes when the hard drive controller is changed. It's just beyond pitiful. I think Windows XP also needs a tool in the recovery console that would allow the user to change the drive letter assignments. That would have saved me some headaches as well.

[Rex]

51. That is exactly how I feel about it!

That asshole has 80 billion dollars and can't make his shitty OS auto-detect new mobos. A real weakness IMO. I see all the shit in NT haunting XP and I know they don't give a rats ass...they are to busy making a new OS instead of improving XP.

Fuck them.

[JohnyCanuck]

53. Tip of the day: How to reinstall XP after a MOBO swapout.

I subscribe to a free "tip of the day" feature from www.pcmech.com One of their past tips was how to get XP up and running after a new mother board installation without doing a complete install of XP. They suggest booting off the installation CD and doing a repair installation to replace all the system files which should (theoretically at any rate) leave your user settings and registry information etc. intact. Then once you are finished you'd have to go do the update thing to download all the patches and service packs and reactivate XP with Microsoft again.

I've never have never changed a motherboard while running XP so I can't verify how well this procedure works, but I thought I would just post this in case anyone was interested.

Step by step instructions are here:
http://www.pcmech.com/newsletter/viewtip.php?tipid=180