Windows XP and a new motherboard

[ABe]

I had to install a new motherboard and now when I restart
I guess Windows XP does not recognize it as the old
computer so I have to reinstall Windows--Which is fine but
my question is this--Will I lose all the data on my hard
drive if I reinstall Windows XP? If so is there away that
I can get Windows XP back on my machine witghout losing
the data on my harddrive?--Thanks for any input!

[Nicholas]

Please read the following:

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

[Courtesy of Michael Stevens, MS-MVP]


--=20
Nicholas

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"ABe" > wrote in message:
...

| I had to install a new motherboard and now when I restart=20
| I guess Windows XP does not recognize it as the old=20
| computer so I have to reinstall Windows--Which is fine but=20
| my question is this--Will I lose all the data on my hard=20
| drive if I reinstall Windows XP? If so is there away that=20
| I can get Windows XP back on my machine witghout losing=20
| the data on my harddrive?--Thanks for any input!

[R. C. White]

Hi, ABe.

Installing a new motherboard is about like a heart/brain transplant. When
WinXP was first installed on your computer, it was customized for the
hardware it detected then. Now, you need to run WinXP Setup again so that
it can detect the new configuration and re-customize WinXP to fit that.

What you need to do now is a repair reinstallation, also known as an
in-place upgrade of WinXP. For instructions, see this KB article:
How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q315341

As it says, this is not intended as a time-saver on reinstalling WinXP
itself, but it should preserve all your installed applications and data. As
soon as you get back online (Be sure to activate your firewall and antivirus
first!), go to Windows Update to be sure you have SP1 and all other critical
fixes. Better plan on a half-day to be up and running again.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX

Microsoft Windows MVP

"ABe" > wrote in message
...
> I had to install a new motherboard and now when I restart
> I guess Windows XP does not recognize it as the old
> computer so I have to reinstall Windows--Which is fine but
> my question is this--Will I lose all the data on my hard
> drive if I reinstall Windows XP? If so is there away that
> I can get Windows XP back on my machine witghout losing
> the data on my harddrive?--Thanks for any input!