I'm pretty sure a Dell would use a BIOS locked activation
and in one sense would be less of an issue than normal.
Having the OOBE (out of box experience) of an OEM machine
properly electronically re-sealed is not the same as activating.

BUT, at the "core" of that same subject, an OEM licensee is
NEVER allowed to be moved to *different* hardware.
(From a legal perspective.) You could call this a "like kind"
mother board replacement, and likely get permission for it.

Add that to the differing drivers that might be needed and the
HAL (hardware abstraction layer) the computer is originally
installed under (and if it is different from the new one), and
you have a swamp I would not like to swim through <grin>

The "best" computer set-up starts with a "clean install", and
I think you might trip over too many pitfalls to stay in that framework.

(Or you could be the exception, and everything might go fine, making
these types of warnings look like the ravings of someone paranoid...)

Rick Glazier

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <[log in to unmask]>
>You have quite some time to activate Win7, so you might avoid license
issues by not activating until you get the new box.

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