Niteowl said:
Hi all,
I am planning to change my mobo and pwr supply this weekend. A couple of
questions:
1. Will XP simply see the new board and adapt, i.e. install automatically
the drivers needed for it? (or call for them like when it discovers a new
device)
Not unless the two motherboards are very much alike.
I'm thinking a new MB might be a bit more major than just a simple
new device. ??
Correct.
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.
2. Should I copy the manufacturers "drivers CD" to the hard drive before
making the change? (That way the software would be available is case the
CD/DVD isn't recognized)
You could, as a general precaution, but it'll likely prove unnecessary.
WinXP includes generice optical devices drivers that rarely fail to
work. In fact, it's more likely that the new motherboard's IDE or SATA
controller drivers won't be included with WinXP, so you'll want those
available on a floppy disk to install early in the repair process. When
the screen displays the words to the effect: "Setup is examining your
system," Press <F6> and have the *motherboard manufacturer's*
WinXP-specific drivers for your IDE/SATA controller available on a
floppy disk.
3. Anything else I should do in prepartation? (I'm thinking maybe to
remove items from the Device Manager so there won't be any conflicts with
then new devices?????)
Back up any important data, just in case the repair installation fails
(happens in a very, very small number of cases) and you end up needing
to perform a clean installation.
--
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
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Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell
