Motherboard replaced.. doesnt like my WIndows XP from old MB.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Scott
  • Start date Start date
S

Scott

Hello:

I am running Windows XP Home Edition.. it has been running
flawlessly on my computer (an AMD XP 1600+ with an ECS
K7S6A Motherboard. I decided to upgrade my system to an
Athlon-64 3000+ CPU and an Microstar (MSI) motherboard.
I wanted to keep all my curent components on my old system
with my new MB/CPU... which includes my hard drives, which
has all my programs on them - including Windows XP.

When I plugged everything in, the system would boot thru
the CMOS perfectly without incident.. but when it started
to load Windows XP, the system would stop, reboot and
start back at the BIOS screen and repeat this process. I
initially thought it was a defective motherboard.. but a
computer techie at work said he figured my difficulties
stemmed from the fact that Windows XP was
configured/installed on my old motherboard, which is why
it was cutting out and rebooting on my new one -
incompatibilities in the XP setup between the old MB and
the new one were causing the constant reboots...he figured
the only way to get it to work was to do a complete re-
install of Windows XP. I wasnt too thrilled about that..
but since I have 2 hard drives, and I'm using 1 as a
backup.. I decided to test his theory out.. I did a
complete full re-install of Windows XP on the backup hard
drive, and voila, the system has booted up correctly with
no apparent problems... So, I think I can safely say that
both the Athlon-64 CPU and motherboard are not defective.

Unfortunately, this leaves me in a bit of a quandry with
what to do with my primary Hard drive... it has all my
programs and settings, and I have no desire to lose all of
them to a re-format/re-install (I'm obviously currently
using that HD on my old MB/CPU to write this to you).

It was suggested to me that I could possibly use a disk
copy program like Norton Ghost or PartitionMagic (or the
program I use, Casper XP) to copy over the programs only
from my current hard drive to a partition on the "backup"
HD, and in that way save them from being erased.. but I'm
not sure that would let my programs correctly work since
the Windows XP on that drive technically didnt install
them or put them into the registry.

I did notice during my Windows re-install on the backup
drive that at the start of that process.. the setup CD
detected the current version of Windows XP on it, and
asked me if I merely wanted to repair/recover the current
Windows XP version rather then do a complete re-install.
I didnt follow thru on that option.. but I wondered if
anyone here thought that if I chose that option for this
HD, whether it would modify Windows XP to be able to run
on the new MB without it erasing/deleting all my
programs... or if there were some alternate method to try.

Thanks
 
Changing a Motherboard or Moving a Hard Drive with XP Installed
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

[Courtesy of MS-MVP Michael Stevens]

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------


| Hello:
|
| I am running Windows XP Home Edition.. it has been running
| flawlessly on my computer (an AMD XP 1600+ with an ECS
| K7S6A Motherboard. I decided to upgrade my system to an
| Athlon-64 3000+ CPU and an Microstar (MSI) motherboard.
| I wanted to keep all my curent components on my old system
| with my new MB/CPU... which includes my hard drives, which
| has all my programs on them - including Windows XP.
|
| When I plugged everything in, the system would boot thru
| the CMOS perfectly without incident.. but when it started
| to load Windows XP, the system would stop, reboot and
| start back at the BIOS screen and repeat this process. I
| initially thought it was a defective motherboard.. but a
| computer techie at work said he figured my difficulties
| stemmed from the fact that Windows XP was
| configured/installed on my old motherboard, which is why
| it was cutting out and rebooting on my new one -
| incompatibilities in the XP setup between the old MB and
| the new one were causing the constant reboots...he figured
| the only way to get it to work was to do a complete re-
| install of Windows XP. I wasnt too thrilled about that..
| but since I have 2 hard drives, and I'm using 1 as a
| backup.. I decided to test his theory out.. I did a
| complete full re-install of Windows XP on the backup hard
| drive, and voila, the system has booted up correctly with
| no apparent problems... So, I think I can safely say that
| both the Athlon-64 CPU and motherboard are not defective.
|
| Unfortunately, this leaves me in a bit of a quandry with
| what to do with my primary Hard drive... it has all my
| programs and settings, and I have no desire to lose all of
| them to a re-format/re-install (I'm obviously currently
| using that HD on my old MB/CPU to write this to you).
|
| It was suggested to me that I could possibly use a disk
| copy program like Norton Ghost or PartitionMagic (or the
| program I use, Casper XP) to copy over the programs only
| from my current hard drive to a partition on the "backup"
| HD, and in that way save them from being erased.. but I'm
| not sure that would let my programs correctly work since
| the Windows XP on that drive technically didnt install
| them or put them into the registry.
|
| I did notice during my Windows re-install on the backup
| drive that at the start of that process.. the setup CD
| detected the current version of Windows XP on it, and
| asked me if I merely wanted to repair/recover the current
| Windows XP version rather then do a complete re-install.
| I didnt follow thru on that option.. but I wondered if
| anyone here thought that if I chose that option for this
| HD, whether it would modify Windows XP to be able to run
| on the new MB without it erasing/deleting all my
| programs... or if there were some alternate method to try.
|
| Thanks
|
 
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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