Vista Won't Run After Optical Drive Replacement

f1turbo

Just got my two month old MacBook back from the Apple Store at the Mall of Millenia in Orlando. Optical drive wouldn't eject a CD. Apple replaced it under warranty, although it took them 13 days to fix it when they told me it would take 3-5 days, but that's another story.



When I tried to use Vista, under Boot Camp, to do my various updates one must do with Windows, I ran into a problem I'd forgotten about. Because my MacBook now has a different SuperDrive, Microsoft thinks it's a different computer, and makes you go through initialization again. I put in my Product Key, and it basically locked up. I took out the battery for a while and tried again, unsuccessfully, to go back in to Vista.



So I'm guessing my next step is to erase the Windows partition and start over. If I do this, will that take care of the problem? Or does the Microsoft Update process track this stuff, making my purchased copy of Vista worthless?



Any insight is appreciated!





Ray

gwoodpecker

You have to activate Vista again, it's done best via the anonymous telephone system. The activation error message will tell you which phone number to call and then an automated system will take care of the activation procedure. Just press the appropriate button for "major hardware change".



Reinstalling Windows also requires a new activation, so you better try activating the existing version again.

f1turbo

Thanks, that worked. Seems like overkill for just changing out the superdrive.