Changing motherboards

[Alpha_geek]

If I change my motherboard and processor do I have to
reload my harddrive.
I am currently running XP Pro SP1.

 

[Zoltan Fekete]

By my experience, mostly depending on the chipset, and processor type. E.g.,
if you change from VIA chipset motherboard to a VIA chipset motherboard (new
version), there is a good chance that XP will survive.

If the boot fails, you can always boot from the XP cd, and let the setup ask
you to repair the windows version found on you hdd. After the repair, the
system will boot, and you will need to reinstall all of the service packs
that you had installed before, but most of the system settings and
application will be intact (reinstallation of service pack for XP and Office
is mandatory).

Best regards,

 

[Nick Le Lievre]

most probably

Won`t work unless you boot from Windows XP cd and choose the option to
repair (after setup has searched your hard drive for previous installations
just after licence agreement) and even then may not work in some cases;

I balked the install of the nvidia display drivers a few times and now if
the system is running the Microsoft compatible driver I just get a blank
screen at login/desktop all the system services have started - I have had to
log in via remote desktop a few times to complete driver change and a few
times have got into the BAD_POOL_CALLER bluescreen trying to fix it.

My recommendation is to always follow the correct procedure for changing
your graphics drivers the nvidia ones need to be removed via add/remove
programs if you have always done this then there is a good chance you won`t
get a blank screen at the graphic stage of the repair process when the
system loads a Microsoft compatible driver.

Despite all this I did manage to repair a system with Gigabyte 7VTXH &
Geforce 2 GTS to a ABIT AT7 and TI4200 despite having balked the nvidia
drivers a few times - but I won`t be able to do it again - next time its a
re-install.

 

[Guest]

This makes sense and perhaps I will get lucky, I am
upgrading from an intel motherboard and 2.53 processor to
another intel motherboard 3.0 processor... I will let you
know how it turns out. Thanks for the reply, I do
APPRECIATE it....

 

[Nick Le Lievre]

By my experience, mostly depending on the chipset, and processor type. E.g.,
if you change from VIA chipset motherboard to a VIA chipset motherboard (new
version), there is a good chance that XP will survive.

If the boot fails, you can always boot from the XP cd, and let the setup ask
you to repair the windows version found on you hdd. After the repair, the
system will boot, and you will need to reinstall all of the service packs
that you had installed before, but most of the system settings and
application will be intact (reinstallation of service pack for XP and Office
is mandatory).

Best regards,

In my expierience I`ve never seen a system with a motherboard change boot -
it always stops at the bit where the grey bar shoots across so now I just
think if I can repair it and just re-install the updates thats as good as
the same thing - however this in itself is not always successfull (due to
balked graphics driver installs/removals as I mention in my other post).

Maybe I`m just doing it wrong.

 

[Zoltan Fekete]

My experience is mostly based on a VIA chipset and AMD processors. When
you upgrade a motherboard and processor, but to a new VIA chipset (e.g. from
KT333 to KT400), the system will boot. I did not run into any problems with
the graphic cards (one like you described in one of the posts upper). I
guess the best thing is to remove the drivers for the card before system
upgrade, so the generic vga drivers will be used on next boot.

One of the reasons for VIA chipset easy upgrade is probably due to the fact
that VIA 4in1 drivers pack contain driver for all VIA chipsets...

Best regards,

 

[Nick Le Lievre]

My experience is mostly based on a VIA chipset and AMD processors. When
you upgrade a motherboard and processor, but to a new VIA chipset (e.g. from
KT333 to KT400), the system will boot. I did not run into any problems with
the graphic cards (one like you described in one of the posts upper). I
guess the best thing is to remove the drivers for the card before system
upgrade, so the generic vga drivers will be used on next boot.

One of the reasons for VIA chipset easy upgrade is probably due to the fact
that VIA 4in1 drivers pack contain driver for all VIA chipsets...

Thanks - yes I`ve never swapped to a motherboard which had the same chipset
but it does make sense all chipsets are based off a reference design so its
almost the same board - I have however made changes to BIOS settings which
has caused the same problem ie grey bar freezes with no motherboard change -
I guess that option (can`t think of it atm) is altering the way the chipset
operate.

I guess a balked video driver install wouldn`t stand in your way if you were
swapping to the same chipset but only when you repair.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Normally, unless the new motherboard is virtually identical to the
old one (same chipset, same IDE controllers, same BIOS version, etc.),
you'll need to perform a repair (a.k.a. in-place upgrade)
installation, at the very least:

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q315341

As always when undertaking such a significant change, back up any
important data before starting.

This will probably also require re-activation. If it's been more
than 120 days since you last activated that specific Product Key,
you'll most likely be able to activate via the internet without
problem. If it's been less, you might have to make a 5 minute phone
call.


Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH

 

[Nick Le Lievre]

Thanks - yes I`ve never swapped to a motherboard which had the same chipset
but it does make sense all chipsets are based off a reference design so its
almost the same board - I have however made changes to BIOS settings which
has caused the same problem ie grey bar freezes with no motherboard change -
I guess that option (can`t think of it atm) is altering the way the chipset
operate.

I guess a balked video driver install wouldn`t stand in your way if you were
swapping to the same chipset but only when you repair.

I just went into the BIOS of my ABIT AT7 to check which option causes the
grey bar freeze and it happens if I disable APIC mode (which is supposed to
increase performance according to ABIT) if I wanted to have that option
disabled I`d have to repair or re-install the system with it disabled in the
BIOS.

I don`t even know what APIC does.

 

[Nick Le Lievre]

Thanks - yes I`ve never swapped to a motherboard which had the same chipset
but it does make sense all chipsets are based off a reference design so its
almost the same board - I have however made changes to BIOS settings which
has caused the same problem ie grey bar freezes with no motherboard change -
I guess that option (can`t think of it atm) is altering the way the chipset
operate.

I guess a balked video driver install wouldn`t stand in your way if you were
swapping to the same chipset but only when you repair.

I just went into the BIOS of my ABIT AT7 to check which option causes the
grey bar freeze and it happens if I disable APIC mode (which is supposed to
increase performance according to ABIT) if I wanted to have that option
disabled I`d have to repair or re-install the system with it disabled in the
BIOS.

I don`t even know what APIC does.

 

[Nick Le Lievre]

I just went into the BIOS of my ABIT AT7 to check which option causes the
grey bar freeze and it happens if I disable APIC mode (which is supposed to
increase performance according to ABIT) if I wanted to have that option
disabled I`d have to repair or re-install the system with it disabled in the
BIOS.

I don`t even know what APIC does.

Heh imagine if some motherboards has APIC mode enabled and some disabled by
default this could explain why the grey bar freeze happens using same or
similar chipset - because your XP was installed with it enabled or disabled.
Just my extra 2 cents.

 

[Nick Le Lievre]

upper).

Heh imagine if some motherboards has APIC mode enabled and some disabled by
default this could explain why the grey bar freeze happens using same or
similar chipset - because your XP was installed with it enabled or disabled.
Just my extra 2 cents.

If you change chipset from eg Intel to VIA it looks as though you just get a
bluescreen when XP begins to load - the grey bar load then freeze is the
problem I`ve seen even when changing from KT266a to KT333 I think this is
because depends on the APIC mode setting in the BIOS and whether it was
enabled or disabled when XP was installed.

So when changing from VIA to VIA eg KT333 to KT400 if you get the grey bar
stuck on screen it may be possible to change APIC setting from enabled to
disabled or vice versa and it may then boot up ok - otherwise its a repair
install and that sucess of that is dependant on having never balked the
video driver install/remover esp applies to nvidia.