Yeah, that's the only option left and I'll try if that still works tomorrow. Stupid that even if you put the old hardware back it won't work anymore.
Oh well, a whole day thrown at taking apart computers and rebuilding them.

Edit: I could of course sell 0.03 bitcoin (I have 0.1405) and use that money to buy a new license, but no...

Edit: changing the motherboard has deactivated Windows. Any way around that besides having to buy a new copy? I already used my previous Windows 7 Ultimate key
I'm certainly not forking out €259,- just because I changed my motherboard, Microsoft!

I usually have to contact an automated service via Microsoft that in turn gives me a really long code to enter to allow the PC to be verified again.

Or you could try Zorin OS. It is supposed to look/feel like Windows but its Linux. Ubuntu even. With "wine" and other tricks so you can still run native windows apps.

Tom

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A proud member of the OFA (Old Farts Association).

Microsoft used to just let you call them and you tell them you changed only a bit of hardware on the same computer. Then they reauthorized the new hardware signature.

Still does as far as I know.

You can get "authentic" Win10 for $35 or less on eBay. I have bought 2 and not had them die (yet).

Tom

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A proud member of the OFA (Old Farts Association).

Just had a Microsoft helper try everything for the past 30 minutes, it doesn't matter. My license has expired. I need to buy a new one.
So lesson learned, even if you hate Microsoft, if you do not want to get extra costs because you change hardware, link your device to your Microsoft account! Make an account if you don't have one.

Hmmm, bought a new Windows key. Can't activate with that one either.
I'll be reinstalling Windows then.

Just had a Microsoft helper try everything for the past 30 minutes, it doesn't matter. My license has expired. I need to buy a new one.
So lesson learned, even if you hate Microsoft, if you do not want to get extra costs because you change hardware, link your device to your Microsoft account! Make an account if you don't have one.

Hmmm, bought a new Windows key. Can't activate with that one either.
I'll be reinstalling Windows then.

That just sounds like coercion to waste more of your time entering your details into their Marketing money-grabbing machine...

If you're installing from scratch on a new clean machine (or a new clean disk), you may as well give a recommended Linux distro a try. The install and setup time may well be less than that for Windows.

And no silliness with licensing and subscriptions and losing any licensing!


Good luck?

Happy crunchin',
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

The second license had the Microsoft techs completely stumped, until one found out that I had a bulk Dreambox license for schools and universities only. And it was Windows 8.1 Pro. The store I bought that license from got a yelling at, although they're looking into it and maybe perhaps they manage to get me a license I can use. But that'll be tomorrow.

In the mean time I did buy a license from my own store, but will leave it packaged and boxed until I know for sure the other option doesn't work out. Will also go to that store tomorrow morning as the water cooling was 'damaged' and they couldn't take it back anymore, so they will now install it for me. Fine, also an option.

Sigh, just change a motherboard... a full 30 hours later I still sit with Activate Windows in the lower right corner.

Edit at least the stuttering problem, and the weird crashes, seem to be solved. So probably a bad Gigabyte mobo anyway

Or. Just use it without activating. Win 10 basically free these days. There’s no real downside to not activating. Unless changing your wallpaper is that important to you. In which case there’s plenty of registry tweaks available to get around that.

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Seti@Home classic workunits: 29,492 CPU time: 134,419 hours

The website got back to me with a new license that did work.
Without an activated Windows I can't change anything in Windows. Not sound (just basic sound, not the 5.1 system I have), not personalize my Windows, nothing. Plus the Activate Windows watermark is constantly in the lower corner, sitting over everything I start. Maybe you can live with that, but I cannot.

There are ways around all of that with the help of some targeted Google-fu ;).

But glad they go you sorted, a working key certainly makes things easier.

(I haven’t ever paid for a copy of Windows, I was given maybe 3-4 Win7 keys from previous work relationships and those have lasted me through upgrades to Windows 10)

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Seti@Home classic workunits: 29,492 CPU time: 134,419 hours

If you're installing from scratch on a new clean machine (or a new clean disk), you may as well give a recommended Linux distro a try.

(whispers) Shh... it's called Windows 12 Lite now. 😊

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(I haven’t ever paid for a copy of Windows, I was given maybe 3-4 Win7 keys from previous work relationships and those have lasted me through upgrades to Windows 10)

Something both the help desk people said this afternoon is that apparently, but don't hold it against me if it isn't so, any Windows 7 key not yet used by the 26th of June 2020 is going to become invalid, and that at this time already valid Windows 7 keys are becoming invalid.

If you're installing from scratch on a new clean machine (or a new clean disk), you may as well give a recommended Linux distro a try.

(whispers) Shh... it's called Windows 12 Lite now. 😊

Ouch!!!

No, Microsoft has not released a new or slimmed-down operating system. Instead, Windows 12 Lite is a Linux distribution that, according to its developers, is superior to Windows 10 "in every respect". Someone is even selling physical install discs...

Well... There are multiple distros that have been crafted to 'look' like Windows, including having to pay for features...

All a good giggle!

There is a good question as to how soon until Microsoft fully embraces LINUX and adds their support for Marketing and malware and viruses...

(And therein is the power of Linux in that we have multiple clean distros that exclude such silliness as Marketing and viruses...)


IT is what we make it...
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

If you're installing from scratch on a new clean machine (or a new clean disk), you may as well give a recommended Linux distro a try.

(whispers) Shh... it's called Windows 12 Lite now. 😊

Ouch!!!

No, Microsoft has not released a new or slimmed-down operating system. Instead, Windows 12 Lite is a Linux distribution that, according to its developers, is superior to Windows 10 "in every respect". Someone is even selling physical install discs...

Well... There are multiple distros that have been crafted to 'look' like Windows, including having to pay for features...

Then there is the question of copyright/patient infringement. The review I read basically said the dev "didn't care" if they infringed.

Several Windows look-a-like under Linux have risen and fallen on hardtimes. Anyone remember "Lwindows" that was forced to change its name and apparently "Lindows" wasn't acceptable to Microsoft either (or at least their Lawyers).

If you want a good old boy..... Zorin OS apparently hearkens back to the Windows 7 look and feel. Sitting on top of Ubuntu LTS no less.

Tom

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A proud member of the OFA (Old Farts Association).

Hmmmm - interesting, but can one run a recent version of Autocad on it? I doubt that as WINE and Autocad have given each other headaches for many years :-(
(Which reminds me - I must check the current WINE gold list to see if they've managed to get Autocad out of "junk" into at least silver status)

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

Hmmmm - interesting, but can one run a recent version of Autocad on it? I doubt that as WINE and Autocad have given each other headaches for many years :-(
(Which reminds me - I must check the current WINE gold list to see if they've managed to get Autocad out of "junk" into at least silver status)

+1

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A proud member of the OFA (Old Farts Association).

My AMD 3950x continues to munch along day after day whether it is nearly all World Community Grid or Seti@Home. It is really nice to have 32 threads (running 28) and not be paying an arm and a leg for the electricity :)

Tom

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A proud member of the OFA (Old Farts Association).

Went back to the physical store this morning. They put in the Cooler Master water cooling for me - free of charge. Also took in the Gigabyte motherboard for RMA and the Windows 10 Pro key I bought from them yesterday - still neatly in its package, undamaged. So my present key cost me 15 euros.
The water cooling keeps my 2700X at a neat 54C under load with SMT off. Ran the Furmark CPU burn in test for 30 minutes, waited 15, then ran one of the OpenGL tests in CPU-Z for half an hour. Both maxed out at 54C, so yep, happy.

And since it is merely serving the TV with streams from the NAS, Netflix, Ziggo Go and Youtube, it doesn't need SMT on. Even 8 cores is already overkill. :P

Great to hear you got the CM AIO on. Yes, the mounting clips can be a little fiddly. The custom cooling cpu block manufactures are waiting and wishing for AMD to abandon the AM4 socket and go to a proper threaded mount socket like Intel or AMD Threadripper. There is no reason for PGA sockets anymore.

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Seti@Home classic workunits:20,676 CPU time:74,226 hours

A proud member of the OFA (Old Farts Association)

Herebe some surprising Threadripper benchmarking between Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Enterprise, and Linux:


Windows vs. Linux Scaling Performance From 16 To 128 Threads With AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
wrote:

... In this article are benchmarks of Windows 10 Professional and Windows 10 Enterprise against Linux on the Threadripper 3990X when going from 16 cores to 128 threads for seeing how the three operating systems are scaling...

Quite an interesting surprise!


Possibly (in part) explained by?:

'Windows processor groups'
wrote:

... looks like there are 3 Windows options when it comes to high core count, not 2:

• Home - 64 threads max
  
• Pro - 128 threads max
  
• Ent - 256 threads max
  

Still, that is still a surprising performance gap for the consequences...

Happy cool fast crunchin'!
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

I have been following this on my news feed. AMD swears there is no difference when using Win/Pro vs. Win/Pro for Enterprise and is now trying to "find" the bug.....

Toms Hardware (no relation) didn't find a difference. But the highly respected phoronix.com and anandtech.com did.

Tom

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A proud member of the OFA (Old Farts Association).