New Motherboard

Is it true that if I replace my 3 year old motherboard with a higher-end
current model motherboard and use my existing hard disk which contains WinXP
Pro with the new motherboard, it will not boot?

In other words, I will have to format the disk and load XP Pro from scratch?
Thanks in advance.

Frank wrote:

Is it true that if I replace my 3 year old motherboard with a
higher-end current model motherboard and use my existing hard disk
which contains WinXP Pro with the new motherboard, it will not boot?

In other words, I will have to format the disk and load XP Pro from
scratch?
Thanks in advance.

At the very least you will need to do a Repair Install. Here are links
to help you:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

Or this:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...22120121120120


"Frank" wrote in message
...
Is it true that if I replace my 3 year old motherboard with a higher-end
current model motherboard and use my existing hard disk which contains
WinXP
Pro with the new motherboard, it will not boot?

In other words, I will have to format the disk and load XP Pro from
scratch?
Thanks in advance.

Thanks a lot! Now I'll be prepared before making the change.

"just me" wrote:

Or this:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...22120121120120


"Frank" wrote in message
...
Is it true that if I replace my 3 year old motherboard with a higher-end
current model motherboard and use my existing hard disk which contains
WinXP
Pro with the new motherboard, it will not boot?

In other words, I will have to format the disk and load XP Pro from
scratch?
Thanks in advance.

"Frank" wrote:

Is it true that if I replace my 3 year old motherboard with a higher-end
current model motherboard and use my existing hard disk which contains WinXP
Pro with the new motherboard, it will not boot?

In other words, I will have to format the disk and load XP Pro from scratch?
Thanks in advance.

Make certain that you are aware of the limitations on motherboard
replacements for system that have "BIOS Locked" OEM versions of
Windows XP, as described at
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

I am sure you got some great tips on those links.

Most important, when you boot for the first time with the new motherboard,
do NOT let it boot up into windows. Immediately go into the bios, set it to
boot from cd-rom, and boot wtih the XP cd, followed by your repair install
( in place upgrade).

It wouldn't hurt to remove the old motherboard's drivers in device manager,
just prior to shutting down the system with the old motherboard for the last
time either.

I have successfully replaced 3 motherboards in my system, and this procedure
works beautifully...

Don Burnette



Frank wrote:
Thanks a lot! Now I'll be prepared before making the change.

"just me" wrote:

Or this:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...22120121120120


"Frank" wrote in message
...
Is it true that if I replace my 3 year old motherboard with a
higher-end current model motherboard and use my existing hard disk
which contains WinXP
Pro with the new motherboard, it will not boot?

In other words, I will have to format the disk and load XP Pro from
scratch?
Thanks in advance.

Frank wrote:
Is it true that if I replace my 3 year old motherboard with a higher-end
current model motherboard and use my existing hard disk which contains WinXP
Pro with the new motherboard, it will not boot?



That would be the general expectation.

Normally, and assuming a retail license (many OEM installations are
not transferable to a new motherboard - check yours before starting),
unless the new motherboard is virtually identical (same chipset, same
IDE controllers, same BIOS version, etc.) to the one on which the WinXP
installation was originally performed, you'll need to perform a repair
(a.k.a. in-place upgrade) installation, at the very least:

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/directo...;EN-US;Q315341

The "why" is quite simple, really, and has nothing to do with
licensing issues, per se; it's a purely technical matter, at this point.
You've pulled the proverbial hardware rug out from under the OS. (If
you don't like -- or get -- the rug analogy, think of it as picking up a
Cape Cod style home and then setting it down onto a Ranch style
foundation. It just isn't going to fit.) WinXP, like Win2K before it,
is not nearly as "promiscuous" as Win9x when it comes to accepting any
old hardware configuration you throw at it. On installation it
"tailors" itself to the specific hardware found. This is one of the
reasons that the entire WinNT/2K/XP OS family is so much more stable
than the Win9x group.

As always when undertaking such a significant change, back up any
important data before starting.

This will also probably require re-activation, unless you have a
Volume Licensed version of WinXP Pro installed. If it's been more than
120 days since you last activated that specific Product Key, you'll most
likely be able to activate via the Internet without problem. If it's
been less, you might have to make a 5 minute phone call.


In other words, I will have to format the disk and load XP Pro from scratch?
Thanks in advance.


Not normally. In most cases, the repair installation is sufficient.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

Beautifully written, Bruce, and clear as a bell. I like the part which says
XP is not nearly as promiscuous as Win9x. Thanks a lot!

"Bruce Chambers" wrote:

Frank wrote:
Is it true that if I replace my 3 year old motherboard with a higher-end
current model motherboard and use my existing hard disk which contains WinXP
Pro with the new motherboard, it will not boot?



That would be the general expectation.

Normally, and assuming a retail license (many OEM installations are
not transferable to a new motherboard - check yours before starting),
unless the new motherboard is virtually identical (same chipset, same
IDE controllers, same BIOS version, etc.) to the one on which the WinXP
installation was originally performed, you'll need to perform a repair
(a.k.a. in-place upgrade) installation, at the very least:

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/directo...;EN-US;Q315341

The "why" is quite simple, really, and has nothing to do with
licensing issues, per se; it's a purely technical matter, at this point.
You've pulled the proverbial hardware rug out from under the OS. (If
you don't like -- or get -- the rug analogy, think of it as picking up a
Cape Cod style home and then setting it down onto a Ranch style
foundation. It just isn't going to fit.) WinXP, like Win2K before it,
is not nearly as "promiscuous" as Win9x when it comes to accepting any
old hardware configuration you throw at it. On installation it
"tailors" itself to the specific hardware found. This is one of the
reasons that the entire WinNT/2K/XP OS family is so much more stable
than the Win9x group.

As always when undertaking such a significant change, back up any
important data before starting.

This will also probably require re-activation, unless you have a
Volume Licensed version of WinXP Pro installed. If it's been more than
120 days since you last activated that specific Product Key, you'll most
likely be able to activate via the Internet without problem. If it's
been less, you might have to make a 5 minute phone call.


In other words, I will have to format the disk and load XP Pro from scratch?
Thanks in advance.


Not normally. In most cases, the repair installation is sufficient.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH