[Discussion] OS Refresh after Hardware Upgrade

[Carl Gehr]

On Tue, 29 May 2007 07:32:58 -0400 (EDT), Stanley Sidlov wrote:

>On Mon, 28 May 2007 09:11:09 -0600, Don Burch wrote:
>
>>One of my IT tech guys always advocated reinstalling the last windows 
>>service pack after making any hardware changes.
>
>Windows, especially XP and Vista generates an ID code that is partly based on the hardware 
>configuration when installed and it is matched at each boot. It's a part of the 
>'authenticated windows' authorization. Windows allows some hardware changes to happen, 
>video, sound cards, new printers and it will generate a new code when these 
>happen-sometimes, but there are lot's of stories where it did not happen and people have 
>had to call MS and convince them that they did nothing wrong and to give them a new key to 
>run windows. But changing a MB or changing a boot hard drive can cause XP/Vista to think 
>that you've cloned it to another system and it wants you to get a new key from MS. Windows 
>Repair Install is a way around this. I don't know what reinstalling the last fix for 
>windows would do....
> 
>OS/2-eCS is much more generic as Derek said, and it doesn't call home to tattle about 
>upgrades. 

Sorry to muddy up Don's question, but this is very closely related.

I was told by someone who knows a lot more about PCs and installing
than I do that you cannot clone an OS/2 boot drive, replace the HD with
a *different* brand/model HD and then just restore the cloned backup. 
His rationale was that, during the OS/2 install, there is something
unique to the HD that is placed in the kernel [I think that's where he
said it went.] that would not match the new HD.

I did not think this is true, but as I said, he is far more of an
expert than I.

Who is correct?

TIA,
Carl