Switching motherboard with out reinstall of windows

[igloo15]

Is it possible I have had a constant problem with this one motherboard so I am thinking about buying a different one the problem is I can't get on to my computer to back anything up because my current board is dead. If i get a different one and pop it in will I have a really hard time.

 

[LTC8K6]

The consensus seems to be that doing a repair will allow a new board to work. It should redetect all of the hardware when you do the repair.

 

[FNC Jon]

Do you have another computer in the house or a freinds?
You can place your Hard drive in another computer and back up the info there format the drive do a fresh install of windows and then copy the info back again.

You can do as LTC8K6 says as well a repair, but i never trust those, they always cause trouble later down the road or at the moment.

 

[igloo15]

I have seperated my computer into 3 partitions across 2 harddrives 1 partition just has windows on it my second partition has programs and the 3rd files. Is it possible to just clear one partition reinstall windows and then get it to reload all my programs so they appear in like the remove programs thing and their shortcuts reappear on the desktop. Also one of my harddrives has the windows partition and the programs partition. If i erase one partition it won't affect the other partition on the same hard drive will it?

 

[FNC Jon]

This is how i set mine up, if i only have one drive i partition it in 2, one for my system and one form my games and docuemtns and all the stuff i dotn wan to loose so that when i need to reinstall i jsut format the first partition (system) and reinstall windows on the first partion and the second partition stays in tact.

Now with your issue, alot of the porgrams you have installed in your add/remove require regestry keys which go when you re-install windows. So if you format you first partition with windows, your programs go to. You will ahve to re-install all the programs you had installed, it can be annoying. Lucky with me, mainly all my big programs are games and I can usually get away with out haveing to re-install them as there are reg fixes and some dont require acutall regestry keys.

Office and things liek that require regestry keys.

Hope that helps

 

[igloo15]

so I will have to reinstall my programs. Well i guess i can try to do it without total reinstall and hope for the best then if it doesn't at least I will still have my files.

 

[Matthias99]

AT guide to doing this

I recommend the "Repair Install" option described near the bottom. This worked just fine for me.

 

[LTC8K6]

Yeah, just erasing the windows partition should work. You will have to reinstall the programs on the other drives or partitions as FNCJon said, but all of your data should be safe. If you have documents or mpegs or such on the other drives or partitions, they will be fine. Your saved games and data should be okay too.

Most games and software will allow you to do a reinstall without affecting the saved data or games.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Which to boards are involved? I have found that if the board uses the same chipset drivers e.g. 4in1s or forcewares that the swap out under XP is buttery smooth. If they have different chipsets it gets a bit more tricky but there are a number of methods available never-the-less. Always read the AT FAQs first

EDIT: Damn I was slow

 

[FNC Jon]

try the repair first liek you siad or if its the same chipset which most liekly isnt cause there are so many of them and if that doesnt work, do the fresh format.

 

[igloo15]

hmm its pretty close chipset nforce 3 250 to nforce3 250gb.

 

[FNC Jon]

try it out and that soudns liek the smae chipset?? its the nforce3 ultra right???

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: igloo15
hmm its pretty close chipset nforce 3 250 to nforce3 250gb.

Just throw&go, no need for any prep at all.

 

[sandorski]

Repair is your friend.