Windows XP and Swapping hardware?

[vincevega]

I know XP locks into your hardware to keep you honest but what if I want to mix and match and swap out hardware occasionally? Can I swap out my motherboard and keep all the same hardware and expect XP to run without expecting me to call Microsoft?

Thanks,

Vince

[Blakhart]

I recently replaced a mobo, though with the same ver and make, and xp was cool with it. I think nics and different-than-installed mobos are the main things activation is needed for.
Not sure, just guessing.

[ssahl]

The only time you can change motherboards and still use the same hdd, is if the new motherboard has the same chipset and cpu, I've done it when they were not, but ran into to many problems to ever keep it like that. when you boot from the old drive and new motherboard for the first time it will hopefully install any new drivers you need, like sound card, video if there onboard, ide, usb controlers, ect... it may just lockup and then not even boot with old motherboard in it anymore. Personaly I would not ever want to do that anymore unless it was the same motherboard (brand, chipset, cpu) not cause I couldnt get it to work, because it will never work right.