Options when replacing a motherboard

[Alex]

My motherboard failed suddenly and I'm now in the process of assembling a
new system. I plan to use the original HD with contains a retail copy of XP
Pro plus all my applications.

My question is:
Shall I just try to boot up the new system and see what happens or should I
first insert my Windows CD and attempt a "repair?

If all else fails I guess I'm stuck with a full install.

Comments appreciated.

 

[JS]

Unless the new motherboard is the same as the old one I think you will need
to at least try a repair install.

JS

 

[PD43]

My question is:
Shall I just try to boot up the new system and see what happens or should I
first insert my Windows CD and attempt a "repair?

If all else fails I guess I'm stuck with a full install.

A repair install is not only recommended... it's REQUIRED. And it
will work... relieving you of the pain of having to reinstall all of
your programs, etc.

If you just try to boot up, get ready for the dreaded BSOD... or just
a black screen.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

My motherboard failed suddenly and I'm now in the process of assembling a
new system. I plan to use the original HD with contains a retail copy of
XP Pro plus all my applications.

My question is:
Shall I just try to boot up the new system and see what happens or should
I first insert my Windows CD and attempt a "repair?

If all else fails I guess I'm stuck with a full install.

Comments appreciated.

Apparently the real determining factor in whether the system will boot at
all is the drive controller on the motherboard.

However, even if it does boot, if the motherboard isn't exactly the same,
you *will* run into problems where other hardware, such as embedded video,
audio, network, USB, firewire, etc does not work because the wrong drivers
are loaded. The system will appear to hang for some time while it tries to
decide what to do.

A repair install will fix this, but you will then have to download and
reinstall all updates.

HTH
-pk

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Not necessarily. If the same hal.dll file works with the new mobo the OS
may just work. It may need other drivers but that is no big deal since the
mobo undoubtedly comes with a cd.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

If the same hal.dll is required on the new mobo as the old then he may only
have the usual Windows detection of new devices and it won't be a big deal
to provide drivers from the cd that comes with a new mobo.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Despite the gloomy responses here, just try it. It depends on many factors
but if it boots OK you will go through a few new device detections and will
need to supply the cd that comes with your mobo as Windows looks for the
drivers. If not, then do a Repair Install. If performance is not what you
think you should be getting (with or without the repair install) then
consider saving your files and settings and do a clean install. But all is
speculation until you try.

 

[Anna]

My motherboard failed suddenly and I'm now in the process of assembling a
new system. I plan to use the original HD with contains a retail copy of
XP Pro plus all my applications.

My question is:
Shall I just try to boot up the new system and see what happens or should
I first insert my Windows CD and attempt a "repair?

If all else fails I guess I'm stuck with a full install.

Comments appreciated.

Alex:
The info you rec'd from Colin is absolutely correct. Period.

It's true that the likelihood is that you will need to run a Repair install
of the XP OS following the motherboard change in that the system will
probably not directly boot after the change.

But it may very well boot to a Desktop with no problem...

There is absolutely no subsequent problem you will run into as a result of a
failed initial boot following a motherboard change. Simply try it.

Just one other thing...

Prior to installing the new motherboard, try to copy to some other media,
e.g., another HDD, CD, DVD etc., whatever files are important to you from
the HDD; then install the motherboard. Assuming the system does not boot
straightaway and you have to undertake a Repair install of the OS it's
possible (although unlikely) that the Repair install *may* cause some file
corruption and/or loss should the Repair install fail as well. So give this
some consideration.
Anna

 

[Anna]

ADDENDUM...
Whoops! I see that your motherboard failed so obviously you can't use that
machine to copy any files as I suggested. However, after you install the new
motherboard and assuming there *is* a need to undertake the Repair process,
if you could install your HDD as a secondary drive (temporarily) in another
machine before undertaking the Repair install or install it as a external
HDD - try to do so if there are files that are important to and which you
could copy to some other media. As I indicated, even a failed Repair install
*should* cause no problems with respect to corrupting/deleting data, but we
have experienced that problem from time-to-time.
Anna

 

[Bruce Chambers]

My motherboard failed suddenly and I'm now in the process of assembling a
new system. I plan to use the original HD with contains a retail copy of XP
Pro plus all my applications.

My question is:
Shall I just try to boot up the new system and see what happens or should I
first insert my Windows CD and attempt a "repair?

If all else fails I guess I'm stuck with a full install.

Comments appreciated.

Normally, and assuming a retail license (many factory-installed OEM
installations are BIOS-locked to a specific motherboard 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

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

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

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[Alex]

Many thanks to all who responded.

Alex

Normally, and assuming a retail license (many factory-installed OEM
installations are BIOS-locked to a specific motherboard 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

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

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

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[Ken Blake]

My motherboard failed suddenly and I'm now in the process of assembling a
new system. I plan to use the original HD with contains a retail copy of
XP Pro plus all my applications.

My question is:
Shall I just try to boot up the new system and see what happens or should
I first insert my Windows CD and attempt a "repair?

If all else fails I guess I'm stuck with a full install.

Unless the new motherboard is identical to the old one, at the very least
you'll need to do a repair installation.

That usually works, but opccasionally it's not sufficient, and a clean
reinstallation is required. So be prepared for that possibility.