Replacing Motherboard...

[Mike]

I have an e machine with a dead motherboard.

I have an MSI PM8M-V that I'm planning on replacing it with.

Is there a painless way I can just pop the new MB in, replace some drivers &
go?

Both old & new boards have everything onboard.

Since I have extra HDs laying around, my next choice was to install
everything new on another HD & copy Docs & Settings from old HD.

I am open to any other suggestions!

 

[R. McCarty]

Image the System Partition ( & Verify ). Make the hardware cut over
and do a Repair Installation of XP. You can swap MBs if the Chipset
vendor is the same, but the end result will be lots and lots of phantom
devices in Device Manager. Better to take the Repair install path.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

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

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

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:

| I have an e machine with a dead motherboard.
|
| I have an MSI PM8M-V that I'm planning on replacing it with.
|
| Is there a painless way I can just pop the new MB in, replace some drivers &
| go?
|
| Both old & new boards have everything onboard.
|
| Since I have extra HDs laying around, my next choice was to install
| everything new on another HD & copy Docs & Settings from old HD.
|
| I am open to any other suggestions!

 

[Og]

1. After replacing a motherboard have to perform a repair install of the
operating system.
2. If eMachines, as does Compaq and HP, has a BIOS lock on the OS, the
repair install will stop dead with an error message that you can not install
an eMachines operating system on a non-eMachines computer.
3. At that point you will have to purchase either (1) a full retail or
(2) OEM version of Windows XP.

Steve

 

[Richard in AZ]

Og is correct. The eMachine Windows XP is locked to the motherboard BIOS. When you change mb's,
you have to buy a new copy of Windows and install it. Best to use the drivers that came with the
new mb.

Use the new hard drive, and keep the old HD to get your personal data files, You will have to
reinstall all the software again, and if it came with the eMachine, you will have to buy new copies.

Now the low cost of that eMachine does not look so low. Further, most eMachines that I have worked
on are a pile of cheap parts which are often proprietary and cost twice the normal rate for
replacement.

: 1. After replacing a motherboard have to perform a repair install of the
: operating system.
: 2. If eMachines, as does Compaq and HP, has a BIOS lock on the OS, the
: repair install will stop dead with an error message that you can not install
: an eMachines operating system on a non-eMachines computer.
: 3. At that point you will have to purchase either (1) a full retail or
: (2) OEM version of Windows XP.
:
: Steve
:
: : >I have an e machine with a dead motherboard.
: >
: > I have an MSI PM8M-V that I'm planning on replacing it with.
: >
: > Is there a painless way I can just pop the new MB in, replace some drivers
: > & go?
: >
: > Both old & new boards have everything onboard.
: >
: > Since I have extra HDs laying around, my next choice was to install
: > everything new on another HD & copy Docs & Settings from old HD.
: >
: > I am open to any other suggestions!
: >
: >
:
:

 

[Jonny]

Its humorous reading some of the other replies. The new motherboard's bios
may not interpret the same HD the same. Can be minor or major differences.
Total lack of data available, some, or all. Save your data to removable
media like a CD/DVD, or similar.

 

[Jared Foster]

Proprietary parts aren't just tied to eMachines...pretty much any retail box
will have some (Dell anyone?)...shows that you are at the mercy of whoever
you buy your system from.

 

[NoStop]

Proprietary parts aren't just tied to eMachines...pretty much any retail
box will have some (Dell anyone?)...shows that you are at the mercy of
whoever you buy your system from.

Thanks to the real culprit in this case - Microsoft that allows (and
promotes) such licensing of it toy operating system.

If a major upgrade is going to force one to purchase XP again, it's
definitely time to look at a FREE alternative. Not only will you get a much
robust, stable and powerful operating system, but you'll finally be FREE of
the MickeyMouse jauggernaut.

 

[jonah]

Thanks to the real culprit in this case - Microsoft that allows (and
promotes) such licensing of it toy operating system.

If a major upgrade is going to force one to purchase XP again, it's
definitely time to look at a FREE alternative. Not only will you get a much
robust, stable and powerful operating system, but you'll finally be FREE of
the MickeyMouse jauggernaut.

Bit OTT there man M$ is only the supplier of software they don't build
the machines and fill them full of crappy third party apps and BIOS
locks etc.

Pay peanuts get monkeys is whats going on.

I have done lots of upgrades on various machines and never yet had a
problem re-activating by phone if necessary, granted it can be a pain
in the arse but I always buy full windows cds for this very reason. I
still have a first version XP Home Upgrade running on one PC that has
been upgraded many times, I have lost count of the number of times I
have had that copy re-activated.

Tied versions of XP - "cheap" systems - pay peanuts get monkeys again.

Nah the real culprit is the culture of wanting it NOW for next to
nothing with every imaginable gizmo included, blended with slick
advertising and ignorance. Experience usually fixes the problem sooner
or later.

I am using SUSE 10.1 for a lot of stuff these days and dabbling with
Mandriva - I am with you all the way on free OS's - I am not upgrading
to Vista but thats not because I don't like M$ software its because I
don't like the gradual erosion of control over my equipment via
unwanted hardware & software "fixes". I do think Vista will lose a
fair proportion of experienced users to Linux / BSD / MAC etc but I
won't be flogging my M$ shares any time soon.



Jonah