I have just installed a new mother board, and re-activated windows vista on the 0800 number. When i tried to load the hardware diagnostic tools it comes up saying "this version of hardware diagnostics tools is not registered for this system", also will i still be able to put my pc back to factory setting as this option (F12) has gone from my startup screen.

Any help would be very much apreciated.

Thanks in advance
Seansnr

Hello Seansnr, your F12 is an option which is programmed into your old motherboard. The diagnostic tools are normally specific to a particular PC, depending on the make and model of your PC?

After a motherboard change, you would normally require a re-install of Windows due to the differences in hardware between makes and model of motherboard, I'm suprised it's still working. You old and new motherboard couldn't have been too different from each other.

As for reloading your OS at a later date, you should have been supplied with either a Recovery or Windows Setup CD? Preferably a Setup CD.

Hi, I bought this Foxconn 945g7md-8ekrs2h motherboard after buying a compaq sr5109uk pc and finding out that the onboard graphics was rubbish and it didnt have a pcie x16 slot only a pcie x1on the original, it was the closest one i could see that had a pcie x16 slot so i could upgrade the graphics i am hopefully gonna get a nvidia 8800gt when my budget lets me. When i bought the pc i was asked by the computer to make recovery DVD/cd's (3 in total) there was no OS disks that came with the pc, is there anyway i can get the OS disk from Compaq/HP? or do these disks hold the OS on them (Windows vista home premium) or do i have to buy a new copy?

Thanks
Seansnr

sorry i missed telling you that the D: drive says it is a recovery drive.

Cheers
Seansnr

Oh, HP do love their recovery disks, but they won't supply you with an OS CD. The good thing about recovery disks is that it will reload all the drivers and original software for you, just like it was when you first received the PC. The bad thing about them is, that if you ever change your motherboard, unless the make and model is very very similar or idential, you'll never be able to use them again.

The fact that your PC is still running Vista without any problems, means that you shouldn't have any problems using those recovery CD's. The only thing that would stick in the back of my head, is how much loss in performance and startup time, since most of Windows drivers are motherboard drivers. Similar drivers may load fine, but meant to be used on your old motherboard. Unused drivers may be attempted and failing to load during Windows startup.

I guess if I was in your shoes, I would delete that Recovery partition, which you can no longer use, and reclaim the extra (normally 5gb) space that it's using. The Recovery partition for HP is normally identical to your recovery CD's. HP supply their own motherboards, with startup options that allow you to start from their own recovery partition. If you have the cash to spare, then buy the setup CD for Vista. The setup CD is also handy if you have any problems with your PC, you can fix it via the recovery console, which is made available during the initial setup of Vista, it's handy to have. Otherwise, stick with the recovery CD's for now.

when i was looking for a new motherboard i typed into CCL "Foxconn 945GZ7MC" wich is the model of my old motherboard and it came back with the model i have now so i am hoping it is very similar and the motherboard came with a cd full of drivers, if i ring microsoft and tell them i have changed my motherboard will they reactivate it with my new motherboard??

Cheers
Seansnr

We can't really say what Microsoft will do. Activation issues cant really be answered by us as it is all up to Microsoft. Although if the product key is linked to an OEM version of vista a motherboard upgrade normally requires a new version of vista. Im unsure which version you will have.

A tech member may know more