Will changing CPU or mobo mess up XP installation

[Paul]

I have an AMD Athlon 1700+ on an ECS K7S5A motherboard running Windows
XP Pro. The K7S5A has the SiS 735 chipset. It is maxed at 1GB of
RAM. I would like to speed this machine up without having to
re-install Windows. I am thinking about upgrading CPU or CPU and
motherboard but I'm wondering what effect it will have on my Windows
XP installation? Will my installation still run?

If I upgrade I'm planning to stay with the 32 bit AMD platform.
Probably Athlon 2800+ or higher with potentially Gigabyte motherboard.
I'm a little out of touch with current chipsets but maybe nForce2
chipset or higher.

Thanks,
Paul

 

[Bobby Boulder]

I have an AMD Athlon 1700+ on an ECS K7S5A motherboard running Windows
XP Pro. The K7S5A has the SiS 735 chipset. It is maxed at 1GB of
RAM. I would like to speed this machine up without having to
re-install Windows. I am thinking about upgrading CPU or CPU and
motherboard but I'm wondering what effect it will have on my Windows
XP installation? Will my installation still run?

Would be okay changing the processor, but I've had nothing but bad
experiences when the motherboard is changed as well. I always end up
reinstalling Windows.

 

[DaveW]

If you change the motherboard in an XP computer, you MUST reformat the
harddrive and do a clean install of XP. Otherwise you can look forward to
ongoing nasty Registry errors.

 

[Bob Day]

If you change the motherboard in an XP computer, you MUST reformat the
harddrive and do a clean install of XP. Otherwise you can look forward to
ongoing nasty Registry errors.

Nonsense. You can do a repair install. See, for example:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
Just be sure to do the repair install *before* you try to
boot your new system. I've done it several times and
have never had a problem.

-- Bob Day

 

[I of the Storm]

Nonsense. You can do a repair install. See, for example:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
Just be sure to do the repair install *before* you try to
boot your new system. I've done it several times and
have never had a problem.

-- Bob Day

What he said. Also, you'll probably have to call and get a new key. It's
painless. Just tell them that it was a hardware upgrade.

 

[Mike]

I agree, processor change is fine, but going on the mobo part, you are
looking at big time trouble. And will end up formating anyway later.

Save yourself the trouble, and start fresh install

Mike

 

[JAD]

repair install BEFORE you boot into windows after the mainboard
change. You will most likely need a call into MS as the mainboard is a
major component.

 

[Michael Thomas]

I have an AMD Athlon 1700+ on an ECS K7S5A motherboard running Windows
XP Pro. The K7S5A has the SiS 735 chipset. It is maxed at 1GB of
RAM. I would like to speed this machine up without having to
re-install Windows. I am thinking about upgrading CPU or CPU and
motherboard but I'm wondering what effect it will have on my Windows
XP installation? Will my installation still run?

If I upgrade I'm planning to stay with the 32 bit AMD platform.
Probably Athlon 2800+ or higher with potentially Gigabyte motherboard.
I'm a little out of touch with current chipsets but maybe nForce2
chipset or higher.

Thanks,
Paul

The processor changeout won't be a problem unless the bios is too old
and there isn't a current one that recognizes a 2800+. The mobo
changeout will either require a complete OS reinstall, or, the trick I
have used to upgrade my WinXP system through 3 different motherboard
installs. I use a Promise Ultra100tx2 PCI IDE controller for my hard
disks. In your case simply install it into the system before you
remove the K7S5A but you don't connect the hard disk to it just yet.
Let WindowsXP detect it, install drivers, etc.. Try rebooting with
the hard drive cable moved over to the Promise controller to make sure
it's working. If it boots OK then you can swap the motherboard and
WinXP will boot fine and plug and play all the new hardware on the new
motherboard. This has worked flawlessly for me each time. I get no
problems at all (no BSOD, reboots, errors, etc...).

MT

 

[kony]

I agree, processor change is fine, but going on the mobo part, you are
looking at big time trouble. And will end up formating anyway later.

Save yourself the trouble, and start fresh install

Mike

"Big time trouble" is relative. As always, you either put in the time and
learn how to do it or give up and do the clean install. Which method is
better can depend on the user's motivation and the overall state of the OS
without even considering the motherboard swap... if it were loaded with
spyware, viri, bloated with unused files, etc, the clean install might be
easiest method of *fixing* regardless of whether a motherboard is being
swapped or not.

 

[S.Heenan]

Nonsense. You can do a repair install. See, for example:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
Just be sure to do the repair install *before* you try to
boot your new system. I've done it several times and
have never had a problem.

Agreed. I prefer a clean install when possible, but a repair install, as
detailed on the Michael Stevens site, does work.

 

[Cuzman]

" I have an AMD Athlon 1700+ on an ECS K7S5A motherboard running Windows XP
Pro. The K7S5A has the SiS 735 chipset. It is maxed at 1GB of RAM. I
would like to speed this machine up without having to re-install Windows. "


Speed the machine up in what way? What do you use it for? If you listed
your entire system, explaining what you use it for, then people could help
you a lot better.

Upgrading the motherboard and CPU could well give you problems that may, at
the very least, need a repair-installation of XP. Even that could give you
problems down the line which would need a full re-installation of XP.

You could upgrade your K7S5A with a 266FSB Athlon XP 2600+, assuming that
your 1GB of RAM is already at least PC2100 to suit a 266FSB CPU. The
K7S5A's AGP4x can still get 98% of full performance from any AGP8x card.

It's highly recommended to replace the chipset heatsink, as all K7S5A models
suffer from poor heat-transfer through the thermal pad (which acts more like
an insulator). Buy some thermal adhesive, and either put the original
heatsink back on, or use a slightly larger heatsink. I used an old socket 7
CPU heatsink, and the occasional game stuttering disappeared once I did
that.

 

[~A_Sammy]

I use a Promise Ultra100tx2 PCI IDE controller for my hard

disks. In your case simply install it into the system before you
remove the K7S5A but you don't connect the hard disk to it just yet.
Let WindowsXP detect it, install drivers, etc.. Try rebooting with
the hard drive cable moved over to the Promise controller to make sure
it's working. If it boots OK then you can swap the motherboard and
WinXP will boot fine and plug and play all the new hardware on the new
motherboard. This has worked flawlessly for me each time.

MT,

please confirm I understand what you said.
1. install controller card
2. have xp detect, etc.
3. boot a few times to be sure card is installed right.
4. connect the boot drive to the new card.
5. xp comes up via the new controller card.
6. boot a couple times to be sure system is stable.
7. swap out mobo and cpu
8. put all the old hardware in the new mobo/cpu.
9. that's it, you will boot now from the controller card
in the system, just like you did in the old one.

Do I have it straight?

Now, can you then loose the controller card
and plug the drive into the ide channel and be
back in business? Or do you have to forever
work through the controller card?

Thanks,

Sammy

 

[Larc]

On 4 May 2004 15:21:11 -0700, (e-mail address removed) (Paul) wrote:

| I have an AMD Athlon 1700+ on an ECS K7S5A motherboard running Windows
| XP Pro. The K7S5A has the SiS 735 chipset. It is maxed at 1GB of
| RAM. I would like to speed this machine up without having to
| re-install Windows. I am thinking about upgrading CPU or CPU and
| motherboard but I'm wondering what effect it will have on my Windows
| XP installation? Will my installation still run?

In spite of claims that a repair install of XP will work when a
motherboard is changed, it has failed miserably in the six or so times
I've tried it. It seemed to work last time, but one severe problem
after another kept popping up over the next few weeks. I finally had
no choice except to resort to a clean install.

Not only do new drivers and settings have to be put in place with a
new motherboard, many OLD ones have to be removed or they'll cause
problems. In my experience, a repair install often fails to remove
things it should.

Try a repair install if you decide on a new motherboard. By some
magic stroke, it just might work for you. But have all your
irreplaceable data backed up first and be ready for — I'm tempted to
say EXPECT — a clean install.

Larc



§§§ - Change planet to earth to reply by email - §§§

 

[Don Burnette]

Agreed. I prefer a clean install when possible, but a repair install,
as detailed on the Michael Stevens site, does work.

Yes it does, and very well. I have changed motherboards 3 times since
originally getting XP, I reformatted one time, the other two I used the
repair install, and it worked great. Key is, to do it immediately, do not
let the system boot into windows after the mb swap. Boot from the XP cd,
and do the repair install immediately.

 

[Jim]

You will most likely need a call into MS as the mainboard is a
major component.

Depends on how long it has been since he last installed the OS. If
more than 120 days the automatic online registration will do fine. If
less expect to talk to someone.

 

[JAD]

that's assuming if he will have internet access with his new system.

 

[John Donson]

: that's assuming if he will have internet access with his new system.
:
:

That's not a very strange assumption, is it? He has access to the net now.
In what way will changing your mobo inhibit your existing access to the net?

That's assuming his computer is still a computer with his new system.
That's assuming he still will be able to type with his new system.

 

[Michael Thomas]

MT,

please confirm I understand what you said.
1. install controller card
2. have xp detect, etc.
3. boot a few times to be sure card is installed right.
4. connect the boot drive to the new card.
5. xp comes up via the new controller card.
6. boot a couple times to be sure system is stable.
7. swap out mobo and cpu
8. put all the old hardware in the new mobo/cpu.
9. that's it, you will boot now from the controller card
in the system, just like you did in the old one.

Do I have it straight?

Now, can you then loose the controller card
and plug the drive into the ide channel and be
back in business? Or do you have to forever
work through the controller card?

Thanks,

Sammy

May have already been answered but yes all is correct. Once XP has
detected the new motherboard controller you can pull the PCI
controller if you wish and use it instead.

MT

 

[Bob Adkins]

I have an AMD Athlon 1700+ on an ECS K7S5A motherboard running Windows
XP Pro. The K7S5A has the SiS 735 chipset. It is maxed at 1GB of
RAM. I would like to speed this machine up without having to
re-install Windows. I am thinking about upgrading CPU or CPU and
motherboard but I'm wondering what effect it will have on my Windows
XP installation? Will my installation still run?

If I upgrade I'm planning to stay with the 32 bit AMD platform.
Probably Athlon 2800+ or higher with potentially Gigabyte motherboard.
I'm a little out of touch with current chipsets but maybe nForce2
chipset or higher.

No problem. I've done this dozens of times, and a "repair" installation of
XP brings everything right back. Nothing is lost, not even your icon layout.
Back up your photographs, music, and documents, and do the upgrade without
fear.

Bob

Remove "kins" to reply by e-mail.

 

[JAD]

Well just as I sit here with 3 systems this is the ONLY one that has
internet access.