Topic: Replacing the motherboard

[Axelvold]

I'm going to replace my motherboard and now I'm wondering if i have to reinstall windows and all the other software that i have on that PC?

[Cienega32]

Windows will probably balk at the mobo change and not boot.

[mackbig]

I alway hated that "feature".  Its too bad that it was never changed to be like DVD's or something (you can change the region code x times).   I know its to prevent piracy, but the honest folks who just want a little more horse power, or have a fatal MB event get screwed.  The stupid thing is that the bad guys can still install the bootleg, it just takes them a little longer.

Andrew

[ncpilot]

I transferred Windows XP to another machine (I called it my "total hardware upgrade"), and at the time, my research showed that Windows will allow a certain number of reinstalls when you haven't changed too much hardware. I think it has a point system, and each hardware change gets assigned some value. MB is pretty big though.

Anyway, I didn't have any problem... you will probably need your license # though. And if you still can't fully install, a call to Microsoft will usually fix it.

Also, I'm pretty sure it will successfully reboot, but you'll get a warning message about your license, and will have a limited number of reboots before it will lock you out...

(all from memory from when I did it many years back...)

[Axelvold]

It seems that there is a way around this, after you have changed the motherboard so do you have to reboot with the windows CD and then choose to do an installation and when the program finds the old installation choose repair and that should do it.

I did find this when i did a search "Replacing motherboard" on Google.

I will see if this works and i will let you all know id it's does. 

[Garth Bock]

How different is the motherboard ? Windows XP I have found it somewhat forgiving. You boot up and it says "found new hardware" and you have the drivers ready for each item. Or just let it go through and fail each item and then take the driver cd that came with the new mobo and run the installs. If this copy of XP has been registered on 2 motherboards then you will have to call to get a new reg key. At home I have 3 Dell GX 620's with 2 of them being 3.8's and one a 3.0. To ease the upgrade to Win 7 I used the 3.0 box and loaded a spare O/S drive. When I stuffed it in the 3.8 I got a few differences and just downloaded and ran the correct driver. One thing might want to think about though.....a clean install. Yeah you can put the drive in and boot up and correct any driver issues but do you really want to bring things across from the old computer (fragmentation, garbage files, etc...) ? Why not just get another drive and load up a fresh copy of XP and then slave your old O/S drive and copy across only the data you need.

[Bushman]

If you go fresh load, slipstream a copy of XP SP3.  Otherwise it takes HOURS.

[Axelvold]

Then it's done, I did not have to install anything.

So it was nice and easy.