Hardware has changed significantly, need to re-activate windows?

Need some help here,

I've been having a few issues lately with my sig setup. Been getting occasional hangups on startup the past few days and and been acting glitchy. Today I turned on my computer and the found new hardware popped up over and over and it continued for about 10 minutes or so. It is my fire wire port that giving me trouble, even after disabling it in the bios. Then I get a message telling me my "hardware has changed significantly and need to re-activate windows." I restarted again and now it won't let me logon until I re-activate, I have to call to do that with my copy of windows. I am going to re-install anyway but I want to backup some stuff before I do so and I don't want to have to call microsoft twice in one day. I know I can put my hard drive in another computer and backup some data but is there anyway to logon without activation? Everytime I try it just logs me off and brings me back to the activation screen?

Call the reactivation number and explain what you are doing...it might help you solve your problem.

i had the same thing happen to me, the only way i found i could login was in safe mode without networking

I had the same thing after installing a new motherboard. I just reactivated it and it was fine. I doubt theres any legal issues, since it is the same computer.

HaTE said:

i had the same thing happen to me, the only way i found i could login was in safe mode without networking

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Yup that worked, I kept on trying it with networking.Thanks for the replies.

freakdiablo said:

I doubt theres any legal issues, since it is the same computer.

Click to expand...

Sorry, but the following is true:

different motherboard=different computer!

Everybody shall know this already. Especially if you have a DIY PC.

Thats not the case here though, just another microsuck glitch. I never changed any hardware, same setup for months. I'll be doing a re-install incase it's software related.

doesn't necessarily have to be a new motherboard. I was told by the MS rep from work, and I can confirm it, because it happened to me last week, that something as little as installing a wireless network card will necessitate a reactivation.