Sound Help Please

[phillpower2]

Reinstalling Windows is problematic. When I built this PC originally, it was on Windows 8. Then when 10 came out, they offered me a free upgrade. So I do not have a disk from which I can reinstall Windows without paying or it again.

As per the above advised by gus but I for one am not so comfortable when it comes to licence keys, because you have upgraded the MB and not replaced a broken one you must purchase a new licence key as is the law + an unlicenced OS means that Windows cannot be updated which in itself causes problems with the risk of malware attack being the most significant but in addition to this troubleshooting computer problems is a complete waste of time when it is known that Windows is out of date as any one of a number of the missing hot fixes could be the solution to any problem that you may be having.

Until a clean install/fully updated Windows 10 and the MB drivers can be seen to have been done no further assistance should be offered here as it goes against the PCHF Terms and rules;

1. Support for, discussion of, or promotion of sites offering cracks, warez, torrents, *********** or any other illegal material or any software created to download any of the above. This includes nulled, copied or any other illegal software or operating systems.

[HunterSmith69]

@phillpower2 Not sure if I am misunderstanding you or the other way around because I didn’t word it properly. I do have a legal and full version of Windows 10. When I replaced hardware components, because I didn’t delete the OS, I just re-entered the key on my PC and it re-activated Windows 10. What I was saying about not being able to reinstall Windows was that I cannot delete the OS and then re-install as I do not have a Windows 10 disk due to my version of Windows 10 being a free upgrade offered by Microsoft to replace Windows 8 a couple years ago. My build is legal though in terms of OS.

[phillpower2]

When I built this PC originally, it was on Windows 8. Then when 10 came out, they offered me a free upgrade. So I do not have a disk from which I can reinstall Windows without paying or it again.

If you were still using the MB that Windows 8 was installed on and to which you then upgraded to Windows 10 you could just reinstall Windows 10 by doing an in place upgrade via a direct download from Microsoft, because you have upgraded the MB you do not have this option because the Microsoft database will not have the new MB details stored there and if you were to try using the original Windows 8 key with your new MB the MS servers would detect that the product key had been used to activate a Windows 8 OS and with a different board than what you are using now, you would then get you are using an unlicenced copy of Windows and be locked out of updates.

As long as you use the “create for use on another computer” option there is nothing to stop you from downloading a free Windows 10 ISO from here which you can use as many times as like as long as the product key is not tied to a previous MB.

How was the original Windows 8 installed and what type of product key was used, OEM or system builder etc, post a link for us if you have one.

Fwiw, we have to be so careful when it comes to software licences because there are so many people out there that think that it is ok to use cracked or illegally obtained software and don`t seem to care that the forum owner can be prosecuted if deemed to be allowing support for illegal software to be offered on his forum.

[HunterSmith69]

@phillpower2

I completely hear and respect what you are saying about people and licenses. I personally have no desire to get myself screwed over with the law for not wanting to buy something.

To answer what you asked: The original Windows 8 was installed on my PC when I had it built back in November 2013. A sticker with the product key was placed on the side of the PC (hence how I have the legally purchased product key still now). Shortly after Windows 10 was released, I received an offer from Microsoft to upgrade to Windows 10 for free. Went ahead and did that. When I rebuilt the PC a couple months ago, I kept my Hard drive where the OS was installed. As mentioned earlier, I replaced the MB, CPU, GPU, added another HDD, and added a UHD blu-ray disc drive. When I booted up the PC, as one would imagine, the OS was not validated. However, I went into the activation page under settings and re-activated Windows 10 using the product key that came with the original Windows 8 build. Microsoft had no issue with this. I did the same exact thing with my daughter’s PC when I installed my old MB, GPU, CPU, and blu ray drive. Re-activated using the original Windows 8 key (both my kids computers were also upgraded to Windows 10 for free from Microsoft when Windows 10 came out).

Edited to add: Worth noting possibly; had PC built by a company in Lancaster, CA called Tiger Tech Inc (happy to say left that state and live in the great state of Texas )

Attached is a pic of my activation page showing a legal copy.[ATTACH type=“full” alt=“Windows 10 Active.png”]6464[/ATTACH]

[phillpower2]

You have been fortunate with the product key then and fwiw below is my canned info for folk that get the activation warning after swapping MBs, you are already aware of the info but by reading it you will see that the issue is so common that rather than typing the same advice every time the issue occurs I have a canned response saved.

Just a cautionary note, unless your present product key is the full retail version you cannot use it with a new MB as an OEM product key is tied to the original MB it was paired with, to use an OEM key with a new MB is detected by the Microsoft servers as software piracy and therefore you get on screen warnings etc..

Exceptions to the above are 1: If your MB is replaced under warranty and 2: If your MB is replaced out of warranty with an alternative type but same brand due to the original model no longer being available, an upgraded MB however will require the purchase of a new OS licence.

If you have a full retail disk and a product key that is not in use on another computer the OEM restriction/s is/are not the same.

[HunterSmith69]

@phillpower2 Not sure why they worked for my two computers then. Maybe it is an exception because of them originally being Windows 8 which were upgraded by Microsoft to Windows 10. Or maybe it is because the key is linked to my Microsoft account. Either way though, Microsoft has had no issue allowing updates and everything. I was expecting issues because I know just changing your GPU can cause Windows to no authenticate. It’ll be interesting to see if once I install and m2 and migrate my OS to that if Microsoft is still okay with me or will force me to buy a new copy. Either way though, I wouldn’t risk for me pirating a copy. Just isn’t worth the risk.

With all that out of the way though, any idea as to how I can get both my TVs to give me sound at the same time instead of choosing from just one?

[phillpower2]

I would clean install Windows 10 and the MB drivers starting with the chipset drivers first and then address the issue if it is still present, the bonus of clean installing everything now is that when you get the M2 device you will be able to clone the contents of the present HDD to the new SSD, the crux of it is that the present Windows install does not belong alongside the new MB, a new MB requires a clean install else you will always get trouble.

[HunterSmith69]

@gus
Appreciate the clarification. I figured that is what you meant but I can certainly understand you wanting to make it clear you weren’t advocating using the OS illegally or improperly.

[phillpower2]

Glad that you understood what gus meant but just to clarify what was meant by myself, the reuse of a product key with a new MB is what I was saying I was not so comfortable with and I apologise to you both if it came across any other way.

[phillpower2]

Any update HunterSmith69?

[HunterSmith69]

No

[phillpower2]

Thanks for getting back to us, we cannot leave threads open indefinitely and for the following reason/s, forum procedure is to ask for an update when a thread remains unanswered for three days, if still no answer after a further two days a second update request is post along with notice that the thread will be closed if not replied to within 48hrs, we have to have such a procedure to keep the forums in order as some folk will start threads on five or six forums and then abandon all but one of them.

Rather than us keep asking you for an update all the time we will close the thread and reopen it when you are ready, PM a member of staff when you are able to afford the issue some of your time.

Thank you for your understanding.