Rock wrote:

> <eclark@bigfoot.com> wrote
>
>> My original Emachine had a m/b failure. I took the guts/drive, etc
>> and put in a Gateway Computer. At the time I installed the Emachine
>> hard drives in the Gateway, I had to call Microsoft to get
>> validation. I had to give them the serial number and CD Key of the OS
>> from the Emachine.
>>
>> Now I need to fdisk and reformat the hard drives, reinstall the OS
>> etc. I do not think the the restsore disks from the Emachine will
>> work on the Gateway. Therefore, I need to know now to extract the OS
>> from t he Restore Disk. Can anyone help? Any suggestions/information
>> would be greatly appreciated.
>
>
> The copy of XP installed on the eMachines, if preinstalled by the
> computer manufacturer, is an OEM version and can't, by the license, be
> moved to a different computer. You'll need to purchase a copy of XP.
>

This is a very interesting situation in that eMachines is now owned
by Gateway Computers since January, 2004. If the original eMachines
is still under warranty, then Gateway must assume the responsibility
for maintaining it. If Gateway provided the replacement motherboard to
the OP, then the license should remain valid as eMachines and Gateway
are now one and the sme. The OP should obtain the restore disks for
the replacement motherboard from Gateway and, if needed, a new license.