Hardrives on new motherboard....

[FloppyRod]

I am getting a new MB/processor/case/rdram and I was wondering if I hook up my hardrives with my current OS (98SE) to the new mobo will it read everything fine?

[Kdiddy]

more than likely no...new board is going to cause the most problem, PCI slot IRQs might be all jacked up,...it might work fine, but down the road you might run into other problems because of it.... I would reinstall just to be safe

[FloppyRod]

Aight, so I should reformat the entire hardrive and then reinstall Windows 98SE? Can a full windows install be done with the disc that comes with computers (spec. a Dell circa Pentium 2 400 mhz...)

[Vejita-sama]

Hmm? I've got a HD I've moved to 3 different computers without any problems? All you'r data should be fine? Kiddy, why would you think there would be a problem?

Yes, hardware/drivers problem could occur but all software should be ok?

[resnullius]

the disk that came with your computer should work... if your not sure how to do it though get a friend who does it'll save you lot's of time (took me two days to get it right the first time i did it cause of a small hardware compatibility problem) if you can't get a friend to be there to help in case you need help you should find it too hard most installs are pretty straigh forward
ps.most places where you buy a new computer will install your old os for free or next to nothing...

[resnullius]

softwares should be ok but you might get an unstable os because of the drivers

[Kdiddy]

" Kiddy, why would you think there would be a problem?
Yes, hardware/drivers problem could occur but all software should be ok?"

Its Kdiddy, you miss a "D", ...dude you said the same thing as I did..
I said "PCI slot IRQs might be all jacked up"....this is all "hardware/device" related just you stated....I never said anything about 3rd party software...I say you might have problem, because I have had problems moving a drive from board to board...even in cases when the boards were exactly the same....mostly device related prolems, but it was small problems that I could deal with...but I dont know the extent of his knowledge when it comes to dealing with OS related problems....and truly, it is still better to reinstall....I personally, would NOT reformat, I would re-install 98 over my exiting 98 system folder.

[damnim]

FloppyRod

I agree with Vejita-sama and Kdiddy you may have a problem with the drivers.

Most of the time the OS will reconfigure itself to match your hardware or ask for driver files from a floppy or cd. But sometimes you have to reinstall over top of the OS Like Kdiddy said after you have stuck your drive in.

I would recommend doing the following before you move your drive tho.

First I would partition my drive so that it has more than just a "C:" drive.
I would then put all my data and unrelated OS software on my other partitions. In case of a bad problem and I've had it happen, you can format just the "C:" Drive and not have to loose any data. Although you still have to reinstall some programs. Then you can do a fresh OS install and not have to worry about loosing any of your hardwork.

[bigmicka]

was at a M$ seminar recently. for this type of thing they recomend that you.

format and reload.

infact they emphasised it as "FORMAT, FORMAT, FORMAT"

lol

mic

[d4n13l]

LOL - The classic final resort of tech support guys - "format and reinstall". ALWAYS works, gotta give em that...

A fresh install of Windows is always good anyway.

[FloppyRod]

Thanks for the replies....is all I have to do put in the disc and install it again or do I have to do something with my drive first? I am not worried about backing it up, because its nothing important that would be lost...

[DiViNeLeFT]

if your new mobo has the same or simialar chipset as your old you wont have any problems.... eg.. i have a kt7a-raid now, and just got a kr7a-raid... it uses the same via 4-in-1 drivers... so there wouldnt be any conflicts usin the same OS on my current drives... now if you switch to a completely different chipset i would recommend format and reinstall.

[speedy]

Just because I'm bored I checked. Right now I got 7 hard drives of various sizes totals over 300 GB. I move them around so much I ought to get frequent flyer miles.

Anyone that automatically says format, partition, reisntrall is CLUELESS and has near zero technical knowledge... typical "tech" advice.

The truth is the most likely reasons you'll have trouble moving a hard drive are:

a. you forgot to change from master/slave if neeeded
b. you put the data cable on backwards
c. you forgot to change BIOS/Upgrade if needed
d. all of the above

[DiViNeLeFT]

Just because I'm bored I checked. Right now I got 7 hard drives of various sizes totals over 300 GB. I move them around so much I ought to get frequent flyer miles.

Anyone that automatically says format, partition, reisntrall is CLUELESS and has near zero technical knowledge... typical "tech" advice.

The truth is the most likely reasons you'll have trouble moving a hard drive are:

a. you forgot to change from master/slave if neeeded
b. you put the data cable on backwards
c. you forgot to change BIOS/Upgrade if needed
d. all of the above

whoa... quit flexin the tech muscles and read the original post... it is not about moving harddrives around, it is using the same harddrive configuration, just on a new motherboard.

[tigerwolf]

okay, win98se should be fine switching over to the new MB. 98 is pretty good about updating the drivers and such. Many times when you do a bios update windows will confirm everything again.

But why not make the necessary backups, etc and keep everything on hand in case you'll need to format the drive, but then just pop the puppy in keep your win98 disc accessible cus it will probably want that. And see what happens. As long as you have backups of your stuff and a disc for a fresh install. There won't be any damage to just poppin the HD in and see what happens. worst case scenario, you have to format and reinstall. big deal. You can also try just before moving the drive going into device manager and deleting the profiles for everything related to the old motherboard.

though I have to agree the biggest wall you'll hit is hardware issues. I would have to agree with kdiddy just reinstall over the existing profile if there are problems.

okay here's for a fresh install:
make a bootdisk with cd-rom support (this is essential, especially since 98 isn't a bootable rom)
then once you have the bootdisk restart the system with the bootdisk in the drive.
once you've booted to a: drive, then what I would recommend is put in the following command line "format c: /u" and say yes.
now go to your cd-rom prompt and run the executable for installing win98.
the rest is user friendly.

[vhelp]

Well, for me, I'm with Kdiddy and others on this.

Ya HAVE ta re-instlal windows from scratch!!

In ALL my experiences, I HAD to, else windows would not boot up
right, if it did, partially, I'd always get the
"windows reset. . . you have to restart windows" error message
every time.

Something happens when you move your harddrive to another Motherboard.
If it were a CPU, then I'd say, "A OK", cause in my most current
experience, this worked fine for me. I went from an "Athlon T-Brd 900MHz"
CPU to an "XP 1700+" cpu and had NO problems except for setting the
provier voltage for speed, cause I can't get the xp 1700+ speed w/out
crashing. I'm at 1100MHz. And, this is fine with me cause I have a
lot at steak w/ my current windwos/software/apps/drivers, ect, etc
setup. But, one day, it will come when I have to re install windows
again, and take advantage of my new cpu

If U R moving a hardrive w/ windows on it, from, ie,
MB ASUS TPX4 to MotherBoard ASUS TPX4, I'd say "A OK"
BUT, if from a hardrive w/ windows on it, from, ie,
MB ASUS TPX4 to MotherBoard TYAN S..., I'd say "NO" You must reinstall
windows most likely. Cause the memory address are different, etc. for
starters.

On the harddrive you have, windows has settings and configurations
and is optimized for that particular motherboard, and when you move the
hardrifve to another alltogether motherboard, all those settings/config
and values used that were assocaited with IRQs and whatnots, are no
long there, and windows, pending on it depending on some of those IRQs
or whathave you's are not there, windows may or will throw a big
temptantrum and NOT run!

I say this with full confidence cause I did this just recently on my
2nd pc. Its still sitting behind me crippled!! Cause I switched the
motherboard (ASUS vs TYAN) and now, windows hates me!! I can't
get into it. I've lost all my hard work in settings ect. I can
still use the data files, pic, vids, ect after I reinstall windows,
but I wont have any of my previous layouts, icones, folder placements,
apps that gave me a hard time to set up and configure to work with my
prev. MB. I have to go through all this nonsense all over again with
my new mb. Currently I haven't done it yet, cause it's a big job
for me, and I don't have the patiants for it yet. I will also have
to reinstall all my apps again too now. Cause would have to re install
windows.

I also disagree with DiViNeLeFT!!! If you're so smart (), then please
tell me how to fix my 2nd pc without havgint to resort to re installing
windows from scratch!!!!!!!!!! IMPOSIBLE!!!!!!!!! I MUST reinstall
windows. Currently, if I try to start windows (2nd pc) it will not
run. I did NOT make ANY different changes to cards, cords, drives, drive
cables, jumpers, etc. I just basically swapped my harddrive from one
mb x, to anther mb y, (NOT mb x to mb x) If you motherboard is the
SAME one, then you wont have to reinstall windows in it. it will work
just fine. But, if you motherboard is different, as in my 2nd pc, it
wont work until I reinstall windows on it! Period!!!

The bottom line is this:
* if you're moving HD to SAME brand mother board x, it will work.
no need to reinstall windows

* if you're moving hd to DIFFERENT brand motherboard x, it will NOT work.
reinstall windows.

-vhelp

[bigmicka]

Speedy,

i use that option as last resort. but many drivers for machines 486, PI series, the drivers where crap and most times when you did do a MTH board change or anything else, no matter what you did the existing drivers killed your machine. Being a tech support person for many years i find that the easiest way to get a machine up and running quickly and for it to be stable over a long period of time, you need to format re-install.

not just poor support skills!!!

if we where talking about linux though its a whole different kettle of fish. you can chuck anything on and it will boot usually.

mic

[DiViNeLeFT]

I also disagree with DiViNeLeFT!!! If you're so smart (), then please
tell me how to fix my 2nd pc without havgint to resort to re installing
windows from scratch!!!!!!!!!! IMPOSIBLE!!!!!!!!! I MUST reinstall
windows. Currently, if I try to start windows (2nd pc) it will not
run. I did NOT make ANY different changes to cards, cords, drives, drive
cables, jumpers, etc. I just basically swapped my harddrive from one
mb x, to anther mb y, (NOT mb x to mb x) If you motherboard is the
SAME one, then you wont have to reinstall windows in it. it will work
just fine. But, if you motherboard is different, as in my 2nd pc, it
wont work until I reinstall windows on it! Period!!!

The bottom line is this:
* if you're moving HD to SAME brand mother board x, it will work.
no need to reinstall windows

* if you're moving hd to DIFFERENT brand motherboard x, it will NOT work.
reinstall windows.

-vhelp

i never said i was "so smart"... but anyway, ive seen a ghost image work going from a epox board to an abit board, same senerio as switching the harddrives to a new mobo... they had the same via chipset... DIFFERENT brand, SAME chipset... all i was saying is that it depends on the chipset, not the brand.

[sommersby]

Another approach you can do and not lose a thing, I just did this myself when I put in a new MB and processor with WINXP as my OS was delete or rename the system file in the windows32/config directory then copy over the same file from your install cd to the directory, It basically resets all your hardware drivers to zero and lets windows find every thing again, like doing a fresh install without reinstalling your programs, the only thing I had to reconfigure was my home network and ICS.

[sommersby]

Let me add that I don't know if this would work for 98 or ME but I don't see why not as they both store system info in that file. If it doesn't work then big deal, you were going to re-install anyway, right?

[jasond]

I just successfully added a new board/chip without formatting..

I did delete all my extra devices in device manager and let it redect all the irqs though

[DiViNeLeFT]

I just successfully added a new board/chip without formatting..

I did delete all my extra devices in device manager and let it redect all the irqs though

well no shit... i was told that was imposible.

[Ronin2]

Keep in mind that when installing WIN98SE on a new M/Board is that it won't know the information on the latest chipsets. The CD-ROM that came with the M/Board should have a setup file to be run after Windows is installed in order to update Windows with the latest information.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Ronin2

[jasond]

on mine I had a bunch of things detecting on bootup.. I skipped all.. got into windows,.. deleted all the things in device manager..then rebooted and ran the software cd

worked fine

[jasond]

PS.. I went from an al440lx running a p2 300mmx to a ECS K7S5A SiS 735 running a 1 gig duron.. so anythings possible