Greetings, I hope I posted in the right place !

 

I am considering a BIOS update on my XFX 790i Ultra. I have a new chip flashed with the latest BIOS and the tool to pull the chip out.

I want to change my CMOS battery anyway so an ideal time to do both.

 

Heres the problem, I have Win 7, 64 bit Home edition installed and it is a OEM version which I understand it permanently links to the board.

If I go ahead with my BIOS upgrade, am I going to have headaches getting the OS re licenced as I suspect the OS will see my upgrade as a

new board or computer ?

 

Would appreciate any advice on a workaround for this.

 

Thanks, Buster.

Buster

I would be surprised if you were asked to re-activate windows following a BIOS update that would happen to all of us whether or not we had/use OEM or retail versions of Windows and I've never seen that happen. Reactivation is usually pretty easy and can be done via the internet.

Regards

pH

No they look at the MB and maybe some other hardware but not the BIOS. They know that's being updated occasionally.

 

Best regards,

Jim

Right Jim but updating the BIOS usual way by flashing with a retail OS installed is not a problem because the BIOS already has an existing windows entry.

 

We all know that flashing BIOS can be a potential nightmare and after a lot of research I have learned that the established safest way to do it is to

replace the chip with a later one . I have the new chip ready to go in. My old BIOS is V6 and I want the latest V9 just to be satisfied that my BIOS is

up to date.

 

Keep in mind that the new chip has never seen a windows install so I am worried that the OEM OS will see it as a new board. I am just trying to avoid

the strife of a bad flash with my existing BIOS and reactivation with the new one.

 

Remember that OEM operating systems are a one shot deal, they embedd into the board but not sure if they embedd into the BIOS ?

Just got this from the BIOS specialist I bought the chip from, it looks like my suspicions are correct so I copied and pasted it here exacly as I got it for the benefit of anyone else that may run into this

problem.

 

So it seems the definitive answer on this is that anyone not wanting to risk a bad flash in the normal manner and opting to replace the chip on a board while running a OEM OS is safe to do so but a OS reactivation WILL be required !

 

"The only work around for this issue is to copy the header from your original bios and transpose it into the new BIOS file before programming the new bios file to the chip.

 

OEM windows validation/activation is the issue, as the bios has changed completely it thinks the hard drive containing the windows installation has been moved to a new machine, and therefore throws a paddy asking you to revalidate.

 

If you update in the normal manner, then the content that windows expects to see will still be there in the header. In case you haven’t noticed, windows systems will often ask you to re activate your installation if you change memory, CPU or other hardware.

 

Changing the bios will set of windows alarm bells resulting in the above scenario. This is specifically a windows issue. Consequently windows re activation is required if you change any main hardware components.

 

Reflashing in the normal fashion does not result in the system asking you to re activate, as the header is undisturbed.

 

Regards

 

Paul"

I wouldn't be worried about having to re-activate windows. I've had to do it so many times so I lost count. The result of upgrading/re-installing a lot of computers for myself and others.

 

It's normally done online but occationally you have to phone up an automated service at Microsoft. Only once have I actually had to speak to a physical person. That time I accidentally pressed 1 on the keypad on the question "how many computers is this copy of windows installed on? Press 1 for more than one computer, press 2 for one computer". But it was no problem to get it re-activated when I explained what had happened to the actual person at MS support. You are allowed to upgrade the BIOS even with an OEM copy of Windows. Even when it requires a reactivation.

Well well well, its my lucky day, I triumphed !! I thought I would take a shot at a flash, dowloaded the BIOS update from the XFX site 4 times, each time Win Zip told me it was an invalid archive so gave up on that !

Swapped out the BIOS chip and CMOS battery, booted up expecting to have to re configure the CMOS and BIOS but all my settings were undisturbed ! How bizzare !

Went into "System" and noted that I had 3 days to activate, clicked on "Activate now" expecting problems but no .... bosh ... job done. Well pleased.

Thanks for your input guys. At least it has been proved that you can put a fresh BIOS chip in a system with OEM OS. The whole job took about 10 mins !

 

Thanks again, Buster.