Old HD new motherboard

[teldave]

Hi,
It looks like the computers MB has failed, no video, power comes on but
nothing happens. Tried pulling cards, installed different ram and tried
new power supply.
I want to install a new MB and put the old HD back so all programs work
how they used to.
It looks like the computer won't boot on the HD but if I put the HD in
another computer I can see all the files. It looks like the OS sees the
computer as different and so won't boot.
Is there any clean way around this?

Thanks Dave

 

[David Webb]

This article covers the procedure you need to follow:

How to replace the motherboard on a computer that is running Windows Server
2003, Windows XP, or Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;824125

One note of caution, be sure that your OS setup CD contains the same SP version
as the installed OS on the HDD. If not, create a new CD with the latest SP
slipstreamed.

Also, here's an excellent utility for service pack slipstreaming:

Autostreamer
http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=223562

| Hi,
| It looks like the computers MB has failed, no video, power comes on but
| nothing happens. Tried pulling cards, installed different ram and tried
| new power supply.
| I want to install a new MB and put the old HD back so all programs work
| how they used to.
| It looks like the computer won't boot on the HD but if I put the HD in
| another computer I can see all the files. It looks like the OS sees the
| computer as different and so won't boot.
| Is there any clean way around this?
|
| Thanks Dave
|

 

[Codswallop]

Hi,
It looks like the computers MB has failed, no video, power comes on but
nothing happens. Tried pulling cards, installed different ram and tried
new power supply.
I want to install a new MB and put the old HD back so all programs work
how they used to.
It looks like the computer won't boot on the HD but if I put the HD in
another computer I can see all the files. It looks like the OS sees the
computer as different and so won't boot.
Is there any clean way around this?

Thanks Dave

Sounds like it is the BIOS that is 'seeing' the hard drive as different. The
BIOS on the new MB will need to detect the old HD (which is NEW to the new
MB). If this is the problem you need to go into setup, so press delete to do
this early on during boot up. The BIOS may have an autodetect hard drive
feature. Good luck. Let us know how you get on or if you need more help.

 

[Jonny]

;

Sounds like it is the BIOS that is 'seeing' the hard drive as different.
The BIOS on the new MB will need to detect the old HD (which is NEW to the
new MB). If this is the problem you need to go into setup, so press delete
to do this early on during boot up. The BIOS may have an autodetect hard
drive feature. Good luck. Let us know how you get on or if you need more
help.

In hindsight, imaging to media independent of the PC's onboard bios usually
works best. Examples are CD, DVD, USB/Firewire hard drives, hard drives
connected to an ide or scsi card having their own implemented bios and the
ide or scsi card moved to the new PC.

Its possible for a new PC to boot from other media, and view filenames from
such a moved hard drive. The PC may be unable to boot in that condition as
well.

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

Sounds like it is the BIOS that is 'seeing' the hard drive as different.

You're a moron.

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

I want to install a new MB and put the old HD back so all programs work
how they used to.

Install that new MB and whatever else you want to install, put your old
HD into the system, make sure the BIOS accepts it, then boot to your
Windows CD and run a repair install.

When it's all done, you will have to re-activate your XP license -
probably by phone - which won't take but a few minutes.

I just built a new machine and cloned my old drive to the new one and
had to do all of the above.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Hi,
It looks like the computers MB has failed, no video, power comes on but
nothing happens. Tried pulling cards, installed different ram and tried
new power supply.
I want to install a new MB and put the old HD back so all programs work
how they used to.
It looks like the computer won't boot on the HD but if I put the HD in
another computer I can see all the files. It looks like the OS sees the
computer as different and so won't boot.
Is there any clean way around this?

Thanks Dave

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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Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[teldave]

Hi,

To everyone who posted a reply, thanks

The answer was to do a windows repair install, although I haven't
tested everything the computer boots up now and I can see the previous
programs and the settings seem the same.
So again thanks for pointing me in the correct direction.

For those interested in the reason the MB was changed.
No Video (onboard)
Long Beep gap long beep (indicated faulty ram) replaced ram and system
booted, lasted 5mins and computer would'nt boot on restart and no
video.
Pulled modem, tried new power pack etc no go.
Installed new MB but would'nt reboot.
Applied the windows repair to fix.

Dave