new mobo + new cpu + old xp oem = new OS???
As I understand it, oem copies of xp are licensed only for a single computer. Microshaft interprets "single computer" to mean the mainboard first and the cpu second. You can replace a dead mainboard with the same board and be ok. I think, but don't know, that you can change mainboards and not have an activation problem if you don't change the cpu. However, I have read that if you replace both the mainboard and the cpu, you have gone past the definition of single computer and will not get an activation code from Microsoft. Has anybody had experience with this? I am upgrading from AMD to Intel and will obviously be replacing both my mainboard and my CPU. If I have to replace my operating system, I'd like to know now before I start throwing parts together. Thanks in advance for any assistance that anybody can offer.

You won't have a problem, especially with XP. With Vista you would almost certainly have to talk to a human being because each license is locked to a specific machine, but XP will do multiple activations as long as you don't do them too often. Microsoft lightened up their OEM policy. You probably will be able to do an Internet activation. At worst you may have to do a phone activation. Probably won't even talk to a human being but if you do just say that your mobo took a lightning strike and you had to replace it and re-install Windows. Trust me, you won't have any problems.