D630 needs new MB on Vista

Hi guy's

looks like my d630 Mb has gone wrong. Luckily enough for me the machine is still under warranty ;-) Unluckily for me I don't know where product key etc is:-( The machine was upgraded to vista ultimate before I bought it s/h from a dealer.

Would a straight swap out (by the Dell Eng) require this information as he's coming on Tuesday and I can't find it and now worried he will change the MB and the thing will hang on activation

Cheers

Richard

 

As long as you reinstall Windows with a DELL disc, then it will never ask you for a cd-key.

 

Thanks for that but

Would we need to re-install windows if it's just a mb change (I don't have a dell disk either!)

 

No you wouldn't as all your information is on a HDD. A motherboard swap will not cause you to lose anything and the computer, "software wise" will see the exact same thing when it starts and runs with the replacement motherboard.

See if you can contact Dell for a Windows disc, or a friend, or eBay...

 

I could maybe download one but unlikely I can source one by Tuesday?

also the machine was upgraded from XP to Vista Ultimate before i got it.would that make a difference??

 

The new motherboard, granted that its similar or identical to the old one, will not necessitate a re-install of the OS, even if the machine was previously upgraded from XP to Vista. You may need to change some BIOS settings (big one being ATA and SATA modes). The only time at which the upgrade may be an issue is when you have to contact Dell with regards to a software problem.

In theory your dealer should have stuck a fatty sticker with your Vista license on the machine before he or she sold it to you. If he or she didn't give you the key or the sticker, I think that's actually illegal...

 

Firstly many thanks for that. I am having the dell eng attend on Tuesday so hopefully he will normally carry copies of any Dell disks he may need.

I shall contact the company I bought it and ask about the ID tag..

Thanks again.

Richard

 

had the dell guy's out and they replaced the MB and keyboard ;-)

However still have the KSOD. As Vista was put on over XP Dell can't sup[port this.

So presently I have a good laptop but I'm unable to get the thing to work and with no serial number looks like I have to buy it again then re-install :-(

 

there are tools out there that will pull the windows product key from the registry. I'm not sure they work for Vista, but one I use for XP and Server OS's is called 'The Magic Jelly Bean'. Something like this should work as long as you can get it to boot for a minute or two.

 

As it won't boot to a reconisable point jellybean is of no use. I have caddied the hd to another pc but again JB fails to find it. Nor can anyother serial finders nirsoft etc

I would like to know how to edit files from the C: as one of the work arounds is

“Go to C:\Windows\System32\Winevt\ and rename your Logs folder to ‘Logs_Bad’, and make a new Logs folder”

But \although I can get to the C: via the recovery disk I don't know how to edit and create files ;-(