Reset hardware state in XP?

[Rob R. Ainscough]

My situation is this:

I have XP SP2 installed on a 160GB hard drive and plan to upgrade the
motherboard, CPU, memory, video card, nic, sound (basically a new PC but
keeping the HD). I don't want to have to go thru the process of
re-registering, exporting my outlook address book, contacts, development
tools licenses (in some case I'd have to pay for a new license) etc. etc.
etc. (this can be a good 1-2 week project and may cost me a lot more money
if the license policy with certain software companies doesn't allow for
this -- many of the licenses I have go thru a machine check process and
register with the software companies database -- some of these licenses are
well in the $1000+ range).

I heard a rumor that there is a reg entry that I can set which will
effectively reset XP and tell it to search for ALL new hardware. Is this
true??

There must be an easier way for me to upgrade my hardware components
(motherboard, CPU, etc.) without re-installing the OS and the numerous
updates that go with that?

I know this was possible with Windows 2000, but how about XP?

Thanks, Rob.

 

[Richard Urban]

Windows XP can search all it wants for new hardware. If YOU haven't
installed the necessary drivers Windows will NOT be able to do anything
with, or for, the new hardware.

Time for you to work! You are in for a repair install. Then you have to load
all necessary drivers. Then you have to get many Windows Updates "again".

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[T. Waters]

Windows XP can search all it wants for new hardware. If YOU haven't
installed the necessary drivers Windows will NOT be able to do anything
with, or for, the new hardware.

Time for you to work! You are in for a repair install. Then you have to load
all necessary drivers. Then you have to get many Windows Updates "again".

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[T. Waters]

The good news, Rob, is that your applications and settings will remain as
they were.
Only your relevant drivers and Updates need to be reinstalled. This is
obviously much less traumatic than a clean-install.
See this page:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I have XP SP2 installed on a 160GB hard drive and plan to upgrade the
motherboard, CPU, memory, video card, nic, sound (basically a new PC
but keeping the HD). I don't want to have to go thru the process of
re-registering, exporting my outlook address book, contacts,
development tools licenses (in some case I'd have to pay for a new
license) etc. etc. etc. (this can be a good 1-2 week project and may
cost me a lot more money if the license policy with certain software
companies doesn't allow for this -- many of the licenses I have go
thru a machine check process and register with the software companies
database -- some of these licenses are well in the $1000+ range).

Repair installation should not require any of this. You should be up and
going rather quickly.

However, if you have all this expensive software, surely you invested in
Symantec Ghost or Acronis TrueImage or something similar by now - right?
Couldn't you back up the entire system to be safe in a short period of time
(likely less than an hour.) Ghosting would also give you other options -
like using SYSPREP and then applying the image to the new machine.. Of
course, in your case I would make a non-sysprepped image first - in case the
syspreped one did not work out the way you expected.

I heard a rumor that there is a reg entry that I can set which will
effectively reset XP and tell it to search for ALL new hardware. Is
this true??

No. There is no one magical registry key. You can romove whole registry
hives and hope it rebuilds.. Seen it done. Don't recommend it.
Either way - have I mentioned that repair installs are usually quite
harmless and work? Also did I mention that an investment in Symantec Ghost
or Acronis TrueImage might be a good idea for your situation? (Maybe an
external hard drive too.. They are fairly cheap now.)

There must be an easier way for me to upgrade my hardware components
(motherboard, CPU, etc.) without re-installing the OS and the numerous
updates that go with that?

Repair install. It is not a full reinstall.

Create a SP2 Slipstreamed Windows XP CD with Autostreamer
http://www.autopatcher.com/autostreamer.html

Perform a Repair installation
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341

I know this was possible with Windows 2000, but how about XP?

It was? What was?

 

[Richard Urban]

He is going to need, at minimum, M/B drivers, audio drivers (if onboard
audio) IDE drivers to match his chipset, video drivers (if he goes for a new
video board) etc. He said that the only thing he is bringing forward is his
hard drive. There is nothing on it now for his new hardware and what Windows
supplies is "basic", not optimized.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Shenan Stanley]

He is going to need, at minimum, M/B drivers, audio drivers (if
onboard audio) IDE drivers to match his chipset, video drivers (if he
goes for a new video board) etc. He said that the only thing he is
bringing forward is his hard drive. There is nothing on it now for
his new hardware and what Windows supplies is "basic", not optimized.

Very true, but if you have basic functionality (in other words, it boots and
allows you to log on without blue screening...) - then everything else is
repairable.

They should definitely get the latest drivers for their chipset, network
card and video card ready.. They should definitely backup their important
data and make a disk image if possible.. They should preferrably use a
repair install method to fix things and be prepared to insure all the latest
drivers and patches are installed afterwards (as well as application related
patches.)

 

[Richard Urban]

Which is basically what I said, starting with a repair install!

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Which is basically what I said, starting with a repair install!

No doubt.. We did say the same thing. heh

 

[Leif Nordmand Andersen]

Hi Rob,

There must be an easier way for me to upgrade my hardware components
(motherboard, CPU, etc.) without re-installing the OS and the numerous
updates that go with that?

You have already got a lot of good advice!!

However I have done this several times and this way has never failed
me:

If you have a full XP CD (for convenience, but it's not neccesary,
preferable with SP2), put it into your present computer and start the
install process ..... Choose UPGRADE,

It will do some short checks and then reboot. On THIS reboot shut down
the computer. Change the motherboard and all other components and add
the harddisk. Start up and Windows XP will install.

It will NOT disrupt any of your other software installed.

Once XP is installed it is time to go to windows update and reinstall
all the updates available and then also the drivers for the new
hardware

Regards Leif.

 

[T. Waters]

Right!
Repair Install = "In-place Upgrade"

Hi Rob,


You have already got a lot of good advice!!

However I have done this several times and this way has never failed
me:

If you have a full XP CD (for convenience, but it's not neccesary,
preferable with SP2), put it into your present computer and start the
install process ..... Choose UPGRADE,

It will do some short checks and then reboot. On THIS reboot shut down
the computer. Change the motherboard and all other components and add
the harddisk. Start up and Windows XP will install.

It will NOT disrupt any of your other software installed.

Once XP is installed it is time to go to windows update and reinstall
all the updates available and then also the drivers for the new
hardware

Regards Leif.