Activation problem when updating sound card driver

Hi,

Now that Windows Vista can detect your sound card, it thinks that the
hardware has changed. Well, your hardware has changed :-) but it makes Vista
think it is actually running on a whole new PC; not just the same PC with a
new sound card. So, it is asking you to re-activate Windows. It sees that
your "old" PC (ie without the sound card) was already activated, so it
throws up the error message.

It is easily fixed - you ring Microsoft and get an activation code, over the
phone. Then you plug the activation code they give you into Vista, and
you're activated. It usually takes 3 to 5 minutes. When you get the "already
activated" error message, there should have been a link to the phone number
to ring, for your region. If not, run this command at a command prompt "slui
4" - it will bring up the dialogue box with phone numbers.

The algorithm Vista uses to detect whether it is running on the same PC, or
has been copied to a new PC, is pretty complex and completely undocumented,
publically. It takes into account various component serial numbers etc.
Unfortunately it seems to be a bit over-sensitive sometimes; very minor
hardware changes like adding a second hard disk, or, oh, installing a sound
driver, makes it think it is running on a new PC. But other times, you can
make big changes and Vista hardly notices. I hope they will refine the
algorithm (or better, totally abandon it) in future releases.

Hope this helps,
--
Andrew McLaren
amclar (at) optusnet dot com dot au