installing new mobo without reinstalling windows...?

[homestarmy]

If I want to install a new mobo, should I go into the device manager, remove certain items, then install new motherboard? If so, what items should I remove? Just items related to the board or... everything?

Thanks!

 

[wseyller]

It really depends on what motherboard your going from and to. Sometimes it works and sometimes it don't and sometimes it works but will not perform as good as if you did a clean install. I would recommend a clean install. It would hurt to try. If it doesn't work good you could go back and do a clean install, just make sure you back up your hard drive if you got valuable data.

 

[shabby]

I believe there was an article on how to do this on ars technica, you have to install a bunch of generic drivers for the ide controller and other stuff. Then swap the board and reinstall the specific drivers for the new mobo.

 

[wseyller]

Originally posted by: shabby
I believe there was an article on how to do this on ars technica, you have to install a bunch of generic drivers for the ide controller and other stuff. Then swap the board and reinstall the specific drivers for the new mobo.

I believe it's possible, but will all that work and confusion, it would think its simplier to just do a clean install, although I would like to read that article, sounds interesting.

 

[23skidoo]

Here's a link that's got the basic instructions for creating the "mergeide.reg" file which of course needs to be done prior to moving the hard drive to the new mobo; I've done this several times with about a 50% success rate. I've also found both W98se and XP to be quite a bit more forgiving and accepting than W2K in just simply swapping the drive in with no preparation at all, especially if both boards have chipsets from the same maker, like Via to Via, Intel to Intel, Nvidia to Nvidia, etc. Good luck either way. As a matter of preference I go with a clean install every time, but sometimes necessity speaks louder than preference.

mergeide.reg

 

[huesmann]

What's your OS? If it's XP, just do a Repair install of XP when you first boot with your new mobo.

 

[BadThad]

What OS? Typically, when I do this I just delete the enum registry key (win 9x), shutdown and swap out the mobo. That will force windows to redetect ALL the system hardware. Make sure you have your new drivers ready.

 

[dbal]

In Anandtech there is a long ago posted article named "Surviving a motherboard upgrade" which decribed a step by step procedure for this case. Do a search and you will find it (sorry I don't have the link, I have converted it into a word doc and kept it so for further use)

 

[peacefulmoi]

I just did a search and didn't get a result. Could you post the article?

My goal is to avoid having to update Windows XP with all the critical updates sinced SP1. I have a very slow modem connection.
Many thanks.

 

[qquizz]

If you do know someone with a fast connection and a cd burner you can download the SP and some critical downloads from here and burn them on one or two cd's.
Just in case you end up doing a re-install.

http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows/

 

[huesmann]

You could always just create a slipstreamed XP install disc.