Adding a new motherboard

[HRMaddie]

I am going to purchase a new motherboard and video card and was wondering can I just plug everything in, hook-up my current hard drive and power up? Or will I need to boot in safe mode and install the motherboard drivers? Is there anything I might be missing?

Thanks

[flaninacupboard]

what OS do you use? if it's XP home you may need to re-activate.

Generally speaking it's a good idea to backup and format when changing mobo, then doing a clean install.

[thecoalman]

I'm not sure if you can just plug a drive into a new motherboard from another one unless it's just a storge drive. Even if it was possible I'd start from the beggining and reinstall everthing including a full format of your drive and new windows installation. Even installing a new video card over a previous one on the same computer can cause conflicts, especially if it's two different brands.

If the documentation that comes with your new board was as good as mine you should have little to no trouble.

[flaninacupboard]

I'm not sure if you can just plug a drive into a new motherboard from another one unless it's just a storge drive. Even if it was possible I'd start from the beggining and reinstall everthing including a full format of your drive and new windows installation.

It is possible, i do it now and then when i need a certain setup. as long as you have driver cd's to hand it's ok. not ideal though.

[rkr1958]

I did something similar when I built my new computer. I gave my wife my old computer, replacing her current computer. Not to get to confusing I pulled my drives from my "old" computer and used them in my new one and pulled my wife's drive from her "old" computer and used it in the one I gave her. Anyway ...

I didn't want to have to reload her O/S (W2K Pro) and applications so I just plugged her drive in and booted up. It would boot to safe mode but if I tried booting to Normal mode I got the "Blue Screen of Death". So what the heck ... I got myW2K boot disks and CD-ROM out and did a repair (NOT reload but repair) and it worked. I was then able to boot normally. I then loaded the motherboard and video drivers and everything worked great.

I don't know if this really helps you but if it were me I'd replace the motherboard and video card and then:

(1) Try to boot up normally (This will LIKELY NOT work).
(2) Then I'd try to do a Windows repair from my Windows Installation disk (like I did above).
(3) Assuming (2) works then boot up and load your drivers for your motherboard and video card.
(4) If (2) doesn't work I wouldn't give up just yet ... Do some more reseach and only as a last resort when I reload my O/S and applications. If that were the case you might consider doing a reformat and clean install of everything. But only as a last resort.


CAUTION >> MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL YOUR CRITICAL DATA BACKED UP BEFORE DOING ANYTHING.

[HRMaddie]

I do have XP home. I really didn't want to reinstall everything since I did that two months ago when my hard drive crashed.

[makntraks]

I am going to purchase a new motherboard and video card and was wondering can I just plug everything in, hook-up my current hard drive and power up? Or will I need to boot in safe mode and install the motherboard drivers? Is there anything I might be missing?

Thanks

More often than not, you'll find yourself with a limp machine and have to reinstall it all anyway... Save yourself some time and do it right the first time... backup, format and load everything on again......
Better safe than being sorry (down the line)

makntraks

[808smokey]

If it was my computer I'd backup, reformat then reload windows. Just like everyone else has suggested. If you don't know your XP license key, lost the paper or whatever just download the "View XP key" program. It's a little box that pops up with your key in it. Do a search on google and you'll see it about the 3rd or 4th one down.

Can you do what you ask? Yes
...but it will have strange qwerks and hickups and will not run at it's peak perfmance which is why your buying the better video and motherboard.

Save yourself the headaches and start fresh now

Just my .02¢

[DVD_Ripper]

Don't try to use a previously installed OS that was from a different machine in this new machine... to many mobo specific items --- could cause glitches.

Good time to upgrade to XP Pro and do a fresh install.

[HRMaddie]

I think I am just going to do a fresh install, sounds like the best thing to do. Thanks everyone.

[zak_swan]

why not try repair with the xp disc and see how u get on?
it's not the first repair option u come to it's the second