Ever since Microsoft introduced its anti-piracy activation scheme with Windows XP all those years ago, it has been a thorn in the side of hardware enthusiasts. To put it simply, Microsoft’s Windows Activation scheme uses a unique identifier, generated by the specific components in a computer system, along with a personalized serial number for the OS, to activate and tie a license to said system.  Performing minor upgrades usually didn’t cause any issues, but if you performed a major upgrade – like replacing a motherboard and processor, for example — the OS would assume it was installed on another system and de-activate automatically, and force a call into Microsoft’s activation support line.

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