New Motherboard=Activation key error

I bought an EI system with vista from pc world in jan & registered then.
I've recently had to change my motherboard, got an error message today
saying that my product key is invalid and that i'd need to buy another one.

screen shot: http://saeleyjnr.com/images/vista.jpg

I dont want to re-buy vista.
I've searched this forum and dont get the options other people do. I'm not
given the option to activate online, only to buy an extra key online.
I've not been given the opportunity to fail registration and thus given a
number to call.

I either give a new key or buy an additional key.

Can anyone help.
Vista was a pre-install from pc world (as all pc's from pc world are)

S_jnr wrote:

> I bought an EI system with vista from pc world in jan & registered then.
> I've recently had to change my motherboard, got an error message today
> saying that my product key is invalid and that i'd need to buy another
> one.
>
> screen shot: http://saeleyjnr.com/images/vista.jpg
>
> I dont want to re-buy vista.
> I've searched this forum and dont get the options other people do. I'm not
> given the option to activate online, only to buy an extra key online.
> I've not been given the opportunity to fail registration and thus given a
> number to call.
>
> I either give a new key or buy an additional key.
>
> Can anyone help.
> Vista was a pre-install from pc world (as all pc's from pc world are)

You didn't give a description of the Vista installation media, but I'm
guessing it's the disk that came with your computer. In that case, you have
an OEM version that was tied to the original motherboard. In order to use
it, you would have needed to replace the motherboard with the exact same
model the machine came with, purchased from the OEM (PC World). Since the
original motherboard is gone, the OEM installation media is only good for
the trash. You will need to purchase a full retail version of Vista, or use
another operating system such as Linux (free) or an older MS operating
system (not free but less expensive than Vista) if you don't want to do
that.

Further questions about this should be addressed to PC World since support
for an OEM machine comes from the OEM.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
Don't Panic!

if the system was only purchased in january,why did you not take it back to
pc world for new or replacement motherboard as it was under warranty.they
would have sorted it all out.Unless you just did it yourself to upgrade
motherboard to another spec,which if you have then you have invalidated the
warranty and they have no responsibility to do anything at all.
Why did you not wait until warranty expired to change things?.

"Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:u03$oFkxIHA.6096@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
> S_jnr wrote:
>
>> I bought an EI system with vista from pc world in jan & registered then.
>> I've recently had to change my motherboard, got an error message today
>> saying that my product key is invalid and that i'd need to buy another
>> one.
>>
>> screen shot: http://saeleyjnr.com/images/vista.jpg
>>
>> I dont want to re-buy vista.
>> I've searched this forum and dont get the options other people do. I'm
>> not
>> given the option to activate online, only to buy an extra key online.
>> I've not been given the opportunity to fail registration and thus given a
>> number to call.
>>
>> I either give a new key or buy an additional key.
>>
>> Can anyone help.
>> Vista was a pre-install from pc world (as all pc's from pc world are)
>
> You didn't give a description of the Vista installation media, but I'm
> guessing it's the disk that came with your computer. In that case, you
> have
> an OEM version that was tied to the original motherboard. In order to use
> it, you would have needed to replace the motherboard with the exact same
> model the machine came with, purchased from the OEM (PC World). Since the
> original motherboard is gone, the OEM installation media is only good for
> the trash. You will need to purchase a full retail version of Vista, or
> use
> another operating system such as Linux (free) or an older MS operating
> system (not free but less expensive than Vista) if you don't want to do
> that.
>
> Further questions about this should be addressed to PC World since support
> for an OEM machine comes from the OEM.
>
> Malke
> --
> MS-MVP
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> Don't Panic!

I have the exact same problem except i purchased my PC through Mesh - EXCEPT
mine is under warrenty and Mesh replaced my motherboard - i've send them a
mail but they take a while to get back in touch - so just in case they say
it's a microsoft related problem thought i'd check it out - are you telling
me that if i want Vista i've got to purchase another key and if so how much
are they?

"Malke" wrote:

> S_jnr wrote:
>
> > I bought an EI system with vista from pc world in jan & registered then.
> > I've recently had to change my motherboard, got an error message today
> > saying that my product key is invalid and that i'd need to buy another
> > one.
> >
> > screen shot: http://saeleyjnr.com/images/vista.jpg
> >
> > I dont want to re-buy vista.
> > I've searched this forum and dont get the options other people do. I'm not
> > given the option to activate online, only to buy an extra key online.
> > I've not been given the opportunity to fail registration and thus given a
> > number to call.
> >
> > I either give a new key or buy an additional key.
> >
> > Can anyone help.
> > Vista was a pre-install from pc world (as all pc's from pc world are)
>
> You didn't give a description of the Vista installation media, but I'm
> guessing it's the disk that came with your computer. In that case, you have
> an OEM version that was tied to the original motherboard. In order to use
> it, you would have needed to replace the motherboard with the exact same
> model the machine came with, purchased from the OEM (PC World). Since the
> original motherboard is gone, the OEM installation media is only good for
> the trash. You will need to purchase a full retail version of Vista, or use
> another operating system such as Linux (free) or an older MS operating
> system (not free but less expensive than Vista) if you don't want to do
> that.
>
> Further questions about this should be addressed to PC World since support
> for an OEM machine comes from the OEM.
>
> Malke
> --
> MS-MVP
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> Don't Panic!
>