Switching motherboards and keeping harddrive.

[ap673]

Ok there are 2 computers I have that i'm upgrading the platform(mobo,cpu,memory). Both computers use Windows XP Pro, Athlon XP's and nforce2 chipsets. I don't want to hafta erase the harddrives and reinstall everything to upgrade the mobo. If both computers are using nforce2 chipsets can I just upgrade it without having to do anything to the harddrive?
These are the setups that i'm updating-

Computer 1) A7N8X(nforce2 SPP), XP2500, PC2700 ---> NF7-S(nforce2 SPP), XP2500-mobile, PC3700.

Computer 2) Albatron KM18G PRO 2.0(nforce2 IGP), XP1800, PC2100---> A7N8X(nforce2 SPP), XP2500, PC2700

So can I just put in the new motherboards, and not worry about anything?

 

[ChampsElysees]

you should be able to, just remember that you have to install all the drivers for the new mobo once you boot up, otherwise you shouldn't have to worry about much. I did this same thing about a month ago with no problems

 

[Sjaak]

If you have XP, put in all the hardware, bootup with the CD in the drive and perform a system repair. / upgrade. That will reset all drivers so that it will work properly. Just booting windows on a new mobo fails with BSOD 90% of the time due to differents in chipsets.

 

[ap673]

If you have XP, put in all the hardware, bootup with the CD in the drive and perform a system repair. / upgrade. That will reset all drivers so that it will work properly. Just booting windows on a new mobo fails with BSOD 90% of the time due to differents in chipsets.

The new mobo im getting has the same nforce2 SPP chipset, but the other one had the nforce2 IGP chipset. I know IGP only stands for Integrated graphics processor, but are the actual drivers for the chipset different?


So to be safe should I just repair windows? What does that exactly do, and will all my files still be there. I'm pretty sure repairing just reinstalls all the windows files, and you hafta reinstall drivers again.

 

[Sjaak]

yes, repairing is the way to go. Just bootup the windows, and if it goes wrong you need to do that.

 

[ChampsElysees]

Just to state, I've never gotten a BSOD when booting on a new motherboard. In fact, my windows OS that I'm running currently has the drivers for 3 different motherboards. Just me though, could be different for others

 

[Sjaak]

Just to state, I've never gotten a BSOD when booting on a new motherboard. In fact, my windows OS that I'm running currently has the drivers for 3 different motherboards. Just me though, could be different for others

What OS do you have? If you install the drivers before you make a switch, you have the chance that it will take it.

 

[newbienerd]

I think that dev manager just keeps certain things in memory and knows which is the best for which device... and yo ucan always do that manually... i switch hardware all the time with no problem. you can always remove all items from the dev manager, reboot and let it reinstall all the drivers without actually having to reinstall the OS... or at least the is IMO..

 

[Sjaak]

I think that dev manager just keeps certain things in memory and knows which is the best for which device... and yo ucan always do that manually... i switch hardware all the time with no problem. you can always remove all items from the dev manager, reboot and let it reinstall all the drivers without actually having to reinstall the OS... or at least the is IMO..

The motherboard contains somuch peripherals, that switching it nearly almost goes wrong. The way windows handles the memory in the PC is dependant on the chipset, and when that is radically changed, it always BSODs

 

[newbienerd]

BTW What does BSOD mean???

 

[Sjaak]

BTW What does BSOD mean???

Blue Screen Of Death

PAGE_FILED_IN_NON_PAGED_AREA & IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

are the most infamous ones

 

[ChampsElysees]

I have Windows XP Pro SP1a, and I switched from an ECS k7s5a pro to an MSI k7n2-v flawlessly