new mobo requires XP 'upgrade'?

[shegeek72]

I will be upgrading a computer from a gigabyte GA-K8NS MB/AMD 3000+ to
a Biostar 6100-M9 939/AMD A64 X2 4200+. According to MS I will need to
do a WinXP HE "upgrade":
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;824125

I've never seen the upgrade option on the XP install disk, just
install, repair and the typical safe modes, etc. Am I missing
something?

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

I will be upgrading a computer from a gigabyte GA-K8NS MB/AMD 3000+ to
a Biostar 6100-M9 939/AMD A64 X2 4200+. According to MS I will need to
do a WinXP HE "upgrade":
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;824125

I've never seen the upgrade option on the XP install disk, just
install, repair and the typical safe modes, etc. Am I missing
something?

You're dreaming something. It says you need to do a "repair" install.

 

[Curt Christianson]

Hi,

Contrary to what Uncle Grumpy says, the article *does* call for an upgrade
in scenario 1.

I too have never heard of an "upgrade" option, but depending on which method
you use to do the XP install, select "upgrade" if it's offered as in example
1, or select "repair" if you follow example 2 in the article.

Either way, you're essentially installing XP on top of itself, retaining
your settings, data, etc. It is supposed to change the affected hardware
settings to reflect the new motherboard only. Also bear in mind you will
have to visit Windows Update, as all of the updates prior to SP2 will be
history with a "Repair" install.

Good luck.

--
HTH,
Curt

Windows Support Center
www.aumha.org
Practically Nerded,...
http://dundats.mvps.org/Index.htm

|I will be upgrading a computer from a gigabyte GA-K8NS MB/AMD 3000+ to
| a Biostar 6100-M9 939/AMD A64 X2 4200+. According to MS I will need to
| do a WinXP HE "upgrade":
| http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;824125
|
| I've never seen the upgrade option on the XP install disk, just
| install, repair and the typical safe modes, etc. Am I missing
| something?
|

 

[Anna]

|I will be upgrading a computer from a gigabyte GA-K8NS MB/AMD 3000+ to
| a Biostar 6100-M9 939/AMD A64 X2 4200+. According to MS I will need to
| do a WinXP HE "upgrade":
| http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;824125
|
| I've never seen the upgrade option on the XP install disk, just
| install, repair and the typical safe modes, etc. Am I missing
| something?

Hi,

Contrary to what Uncle Grumpy says, the article *does* call for an upgrade
in scenario 1.

I too have never heard of an "upgrade" option, but depending on which
method
you use to do the XP install, select "upgrade" if it's offered as in
example
1, or select "repair" if you follow example 2 in the article.

Either way, you're essentially installing XP on top of itself, retaining
your settings, data, etc. It is supposed to change the affected hardware
settings to reflect the new motherboard only. Also bear in mind you will
have to visit Windows Update, as all of the updates prior to SP2 will be
history with a "Repair" install.

Good luck.

shegeek72:
The information you received from Curt is correct. Either one of the two
procedures cited in that MS article will, in effect, be equivalent to a
Repair installation of the operating system in your situation. Actually
we've encountered a number of instances where a change in motherboards -
even extending to a different make & model of motherboard as in your case -
did *not* require a Repair installation of the XP OS. The system booted
straightaway after the new motherboard was installed without further ado.
Obviously the necessary drivers for the new motherboard would need to be
installed from the new motherboard's installation CD. Needless to say this
is not the common scenario - in nearly every case a Repair (or upgrade)
install of the OS would be necessary.

I just wanted to add...

While there is little likelihood that this upgrade/repair type of process
will result in the loss or corruption of existing data, it *is* a
possibility. So if there is any data currently on your hard drive that is
important enough to you that you could not tolerate its loss, I would
strongly advise you to backup that data (assuming it hasn't previously been
backed up) before you undertake the motherboard change.
Anna

 

[sillyputty]

shegeek72:
The information you received from Curt is correct. Either one of the two
procedures cited in that MS article will, in effect, be equivalent to a
Repair installation of the operating system in your situation. Actually
we've encountered a number of instances where a change in motherboards -
even extending to a different make & model of motherboard as in your case -
did *not* require a Repair installation of the XP OS.

That happened with a previous MB upgrade (from an Intel-compatible MB/
2.4 ghz CPU to the current gigabyte MB/AMD 3000). The computer booted
and didn't require a repair/reinstall. So I was a bit disheartened
when I read the MS article. I just did a XP repair and spent hours
installing updates, reinstalling software, etc.

Your advice about backing up important data is a good one. On a
previous XP reinstall a folder I'd named "Backup" on a secondary HD
with important games files, some I'd spent hours creating, was gone
after the reinstall.

 

[sillyputty]

Note: I changed my nick from shegeek72 to sillyputty. Sorry about the
confusion.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I will be upgrading a computer from a gigabyte GA-K8NS MB/AMD 3000+ to
a Biostar 6100-M9 939/AMD A64 X2 4200+. According to MS I will need to
do a WinXP HE "upgrade":
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;824125

I've never seen the upgrade option on the XP install disk, just
install, repair and the typical safe modes, etc. Am I missing
something?

Normally, and assuming a retail license (many factory-installed OEM
installations are BIOS-locked to a specific chipset and therefore are
*not* transferable to a new motherboard - check yours before starting),
unless the new motherboard is virtually identical (same chipset, same
IDE controllers, same BIOS version, etc.) to the one on which the 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

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

The "why" is quite simple, really, and has nothing to do with
licensing issues, per se; it's a purely technical matter, at this point.
You've pulled the proverbial hardware rug out from under the OS. (If
you don't like -- or get -- the rug analogy, think of it as picking up a
Cape Cod style home and then setting it down onto a Ranch style
foundation. It just isn't going to fit.) WinXP, like Win2K before it,
is not nearly as "promiscuous" as Win9x when it comes to accepting any
old hardware configuration you throw at it. On installation it
"tailors" itself to the specific hardware found. This is one of the
reasons that the entire WinNT/2K/XP OS family is so much more stable
than the Win9x group.

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

This will also probably require re-activation, unless you have a
Volume Licensed version of WinXP Pro installed. 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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