General Question on Switching Motherboards

[mdcrab]

If I am switching from a motherboard with a VIA chipset or Intel chipset to an nForce chipset motherboard do I need to install the nForce drivers in Windows XP Pro before the last shutdown with the old motherboard. Several times I have tried to switch over without first installing NForce drivers and after new mobo is installed it won't read the old HD (IDE interface). Not sure if there is away to install nForce drivers with new motherboard with other drivers installed. Systems have worked fine after fdisk and reinstalling Windows XP Pro, but lost everything on HD.

mdcrab

 

[Mday]

i recommend reinstalling XP for switching motherboards.

if you're dead set on not reinstalling xp... boot to safe mode, remove all the drivers that pertains to the old mobo and proceed with the hardware isntalltion process after that. and, dood, backup your stuff.

 

[pspada]

Don't load the nforce drivers. Remove all the drivers pertaining to the hardware that is being removed first, particularly NIC drivers. Then make the hardware change, but don't bother even booting into XP. Instead, boot using your XP install CD, and DON'T select the first repair option, but proceed as if you were doing a new install. It will then find your current installation, and offer to repair it. Select this option, which will then replace the HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer) by doing an in-place upgrade. This should get you running properly on the new hardware but with all your old settings and data available. You will then need to go to windowsupdate.micrsoft.com and reload all of the patches, service packs and such, though.

 

[Almighty1]

All you have to do is before shutting down the old motherboard... Update the IDE Controller driver and change it to Standard IDE Bus Master controller and then you can replace the mobo and load the new drivers without issues.

 

[pspada]

You best backup up your data before trying this ^ - because it won't work.

 

[crazy_vag]

Originally posted by: mdcrab
If I am switching from a motherboard with a VIA chipset or Intel chipset to an nForce chipset motherboard do I need to install the nForce drivers in Windows XP Pro before the last shutdown with the old motherboard. Several times I have tried to switch over without first installing NForce drivers and after new mobo is installed it won't read the old HD (IDE interface). Not sure if there is away to install nForce drivers with new motherboard with other drivers installed. Systems have worked fine after fdisk and reinstalling Windows XP Pro, but lost everything on HD.

mdcrab

I went from an Intel BX chipset to a Sis AMD chipset. On the first reboot, it blue screened. I booted up with my XP cd, went to install, but instead of install, do Repair. This will reinstall/repair your install to a working and stable order. Simple and clean.

 

[theAnimal]

Link

 

[pspada]

It is actually to choose the 2nd "repair" option as I indicated above - it tends to be much better at replacing the HAL properly on the first try than the first repair option does.

 

[mdcrab]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

I plan to go with second repair option, but I am concerned that if the IDE Controller driver is not changed to Standard IDE Bus Master controller, I may have trouble reading both CD-ROM & Hard Drive from windows. If I boot from CD-ROM drive I don't believe it will offer repair options based on some other articles I read at http://www.bootdisk.com/. So I plan to change the IDE Driver as well just prior to change over.

mdcrab

 

[Almighty1]

Originally posted by: pspada
You best backup up your data before trying this ^ - because it won't work.

Maybe not for you but it's always worked for me... Have went from a Intel 845MP to a SIS 635... Went from a Intel 440BX to a Intel 875P. You just have to change the IDE controller back to standard IDE prior to using the new motherboard.

 

[pspada]

Well, I've done this hundreds of times, going from any motherboard you can name to any other you can name. Once in a great while it works fine, but in most cases it is necessary to do a repair install to get Windows working properly.

Now I'm also changed hardware many times with Linux - and never had a single problem.

 

[Almighty1]

Originally posted by: pspada
Well, I've done this hundreds of times, going from any motherboard you can name to any other you can name. Once in a great while it works fine, but in most cases it is necessary to do a repair install to get Windows working properly.

Now I'm also changed hardware many times with Linux - and never had a single problem.

It has always worked for me and I've gone through a few hundred systems as well. Linux or FreeBSD is easier as all you have to do is recompile the kernel if new drivers are needed... I've never had it failed once with Windows at all... Ofcourse, I have a Volume License for my Windows too and we do this quite a lot at NASA Ames Research Center where I work so it does work.

 

[mdcrab]

Just swapped mobo's from KG7-RAID over to a Soltek SL-75FRN-L. Changed IDE controller over to Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller just prior to switchover, and switchover went without any problems. Did not have to repair installation. Thanks Almight1 and pspada for your suggestions. I might try to do a repair but I am concerned Windows XP Pro (single user copy) will want me to reregisiter and I don't want to go thru that hassle.

Thanks again,
mdcrab

 

[Almighty1]

Originally posted by: mdcrab
Just swapped mobo's from KG7-RAID over to a Soltek SL-75FRN-L. Changed IDE controller over to Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller just prior to switchover, and switchover went without any problems. Did not have to repair installation. Thanks Almight1 and pspada for your suggestions. I might try to do a repair but I am concerned Windows XP Pro (single user copy) will want me to reregisiter and I don't want to go thru that hassle.

Thanks again,
mdcrab

There is a way around re-activation too.. Just save your C:\Windows\System32\WPA32.DBL file.