If replacing motherboard, does XP need reinstalling

  • Thread starter Thread starter TOM
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T

TOM

My new PC is having intermitent disk errors so the person
who built it is suggesting a new motherboard. He said
disks are so reliable nowadays that it is probably the MB.
OK I said, let's try it.
So does windows have to be reinstalled. He said no it
does not, but I am not sure.
 
Well usually you can do a system repair or
something Tom. Chuck the CD in to boot from
and press R I've read. Usually if you replace
a mobo without doing this. It'll bring up BSOD's.

Due to the change.
 
If you replace the motherboard with one identical to the old one you should
have no problem. If the MB is not identical follow these steps:

Read this all the way thru before starting.

You will need to do a repair install. Follow these steps:

Set your BIOS to have the CD drive as the first boot device.

Start the operating system from the CD-ROM,

When the computer starts from the CD, the system checks your hardware

and then prompts you to select one of the following options:

To set up Windows XP now, press ENTER.

To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R.

To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3.


Press ENTER.


Press F8 to accept the Licensing Agreement.

A box lists your current Windows XP installation, and then the system

prompts you to select one of the following options:

To repair the selected Windows XP installation, press R.

To continue installing a fresh copy of Windows XP without repairing, press
ESC.

Press R to start the automatic repair process. After repairing Windows XP,
set your BIOS back to have the hard drive as the first boot device.

Have your Product Key at hand as you will probably have to re-activate.

You will probably need re-download all updates, starting with SP1. You can
go to the Windows site and download the XP Rollup 1 package, which will make
the reinstalling of the updates much easier and quicker.

The repair installation should leave all your data and settings intact, but
you may want to backup critical data.
 
Here's the KB article that discusses this:

315341 - How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP
(http://support.microsoft.com/?id=315341).

--
J.C. Hornbeck, MCSE
Microsoft Product Support

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This posting is provided "AS IS" without warranty either expressed or
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merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
 
Greetings --

Normally, and assuming a retail license (many OEM licenses are not
transferable to a new motherboard), unless your motherboard is
virtually identical (same chipset, same IDE controllers, same BIOS
version, etc.) to the one on which the other WinXP installation was
originally performed, 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 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

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