After you update a storage driver, you may be prompted to reactivate Windows Vista

After you update a storage device driver on a computer that is running Windows Vista, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms:

• You are prompted to reactivate Windows Vista.
• You experience reduced functionality in some components, such as Windows Media Player or Windows Media Center.

After you update a storage driver and then restart the computer, the updated driver may present a changed logical hard disk drive signature to Windows Vista. This behavior causes Windows Vista to prompt for reactivation or to reduce functionality in components.

Note These symptoms may also occur if you replace hardware on the computer and if the hardware is significantly different from the original configuration. For example, these symptoms may occur if you change the motherboard on the computer.

To resolve this issue you must reactivate Windows Vista. Typically, you can use the method that you originally used to activate Windows Vista. For example, to reactivate Windows Vista on individual systems, you must use one of these methods:

• Activate Windows Vista by using the Internet
• Activate Windows Vista by using a telephone

For more information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Windows Media Center-based computers

The prompt to reactivate Windows Vista may not appear on computers that are configured to autostart Windows Media Center at startup. However, Media Center will run in reduced functionality mode. Close the Windows Media Center program, and then reactivate Windows Vista as described previously. After activation, you can use Media Center in the usual manner.

For more information about Microsoft Product Activation, visit the following Microsoft Web site: