Installing a new MB, do I have to clean install Windows?

[gizbug]

Can I get away with not formating/clean installing windows 8.1 if I install a new MB and Ram?

 

[Batmeat]

Generally speaking, no, but you will have your old motherboard drivers cluttering up your system. You also may have some boot issues although I don't think it very likely.

 

[gizbug]

Any suggestions on getting rid of old motherboard drivers?
I guess I could go into uninstall programs and delete anything ASUS

 

[DigDog]

i did; twice.
last time even changed mobo, processor and socket. W7 didn't blink an eye.

but really, you could take the time to do a new install.

 

[*kjm]

Use sysprep.... Kari at Seven forums has a write up on it.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/135077-windows-7-installation-transfer-new-computer.html

 

[red454]

What are you upgrading to?

 

[gizbug]

Upgrading my Asus P8Z68 MB to Gigabyte Z77X mb. Keeping my Processor (i7-2600K) but putting new ram in my system. That is all

 

[gizbug]

Use sysprep.... Kari at Seven forums has a write up on it.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/135077-windows-7-installation-transfer-new-computer.html

Interesting. Never heard of this before. I guess just installing the MB and booting up to windows, and downloading/installing the MB drivers isn't sufficient enough, and maybe this is the way to do it?

 

[ElFenix]

Interesting. Never heard of this before. I guess just installing the MB and booting up to windows, and downloading/installing the MB drivers isn't sufficient enough, and maybe this is the way to do it?

no, booting up and putting in the driver CD generally is sufficient. done it many times when swapping hardware, even with dinosaurs like XP.

 

[piasabird]

Sometimes the drivers they pack in with the motherboard are way out of date. If you can just install the NIC drivers, download new drivers from the motherboard/video card manufacturer. Also select the video card lowest setting for video before switching motherboard or use the Intel HD Video at first.

Somewhere I recall something about doing a repair install.

 

[*kjm]

Interesting. Never heard of this before. I guess just installing the MB and booting up to windows, and downloading/installing the MB drivers isn't sufficient enough, and maybe this is the way to do it?

You can do as ElFenix says and have good results but using sysprep will....
"
What does Sysprep generalizing do to my Windows 7 setup?

• All system specific information is removed or uninstalled
• Security ID (SID) of your hardware setup is reseted
• All system restore points are deleted
• All event logs are deleted
• All personalization is removed (taskbar, toolbars, folder options, start orb etc.)
• Built-in administrator account is disabled (if it was enabled) and needs to be re-enabled if needed

What happens when booting first time after sysprep generalizing?

• First boot configuration is run
• New SID is created
• Re-arm counter is reseted if not already re-armed three times
• Windows 7 is booted using first boot default drivers and settings "

Let me know what you end up doing I've been looking into this for a couple of weeks because I'm doing mine this weekend. I'll be going from a P55 to a Z87 chipset and a I7-870 to a I7 4770k. Main things I'm worried about on my setup are AHCI for my SSD boot drive and my AutoCad install licensing. With AutoCad I may have to release the license and call it back with the hardware change????

 

[red454]

There is also a software package called Paragon Adaptive Restore that will essentially ramrod the necessary drivers into the OS to get you going. I used the 2010 version successfully a couple of years ago.

http://www.paragon-software.com/technologies/components/adaptiverestore/

 

[KingRaptor]

Windows might require reactivating (not sure if Windows 8/8.1 have different activation requirements when hardware changes.)

I migrated from an AMD CPU + AMD board to an i7-2600K + Z68 board. Windows 7 booted fine and I had to uninstall only one AMD driver because it was causing a video driver conflict. There's probably some old drivers cluttering and slowing the boot a little but that's what SSDs are for... =)

 

[Biggu]

Use sysprep.... Kari at Seven forums has a write up on it.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/135077-windows-7-installation-transfer-new-computer.html

that's actually a really good idea.

most times you can do it but its better for the system to re image.

 

[gizbug]

Use sysprep.... Kari at Seven forums has a write up on it.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/135077-windows-7-installation-transfer-new-computer.html

by doing this, will i loose any of my settings/apps/docs etc?

 

[*kjm]

by doing this, will i loose any of my settings/apps/docs etc?

No... make sure you read what she posted in the link though.

"When Windows finally boots up, you will need to enter all information as if this really was a new, fresh installation and it’s because your old user profiles already exist, Windows does not accept your normal username, but instead you have to create a new temporary user. I use username Test for this purpose.
Windows boots now to default OOBE first boot desktop, with default resolution and default theme. All your installed applications are there, as well as your old user profiles and folders. Windows has installed the default drivers for your setup, you can update them if needed.
Install CCBoot client and upload to CCBoot Server.
If you have different client specification you have repeat Method 2 above then run sysprep before upload it to CCBoot Server.
Note:
Windows 7 System Preparation Tool is a powerful, native Windows tool. When for instance used in so called Audit Mode, it lets you to freely configure Windows 7 to be then deployed to other computers as hardware independent image.
In this tutorial we use System Preparation Tool (sysprep) to prepare your Windows 7 installation to be moved to a new computer, keeping all your installed applications, program settings and user profiles. You can use this method for instance when you have bought a new PC and want to transfer your existing setup completely, without need to reinstall everything, or when you want to make major hardware changes like change the motherboard or GPU, which would usually cause Windows to stop booting normally."




It will look like you are instaling windows for the first time. Create an account as test, set up your PC with the new drivers reboot and log into your old account and delete the test account you just made..... done.

 

[gizbug]

Thanks. Tried to run the command line and got Sysprep was not able to validate your Windows installation.

Log file shows

2014-01-08 16:36:10, Info SYSPRP ========================================================
2014-01-08 16:36:10, Info SYSPRP === Beginning of a new sysprep run ===
2014-01-08 16:36:10, Info SYSPRP ========================================================
2014-01-08 16:36:10, Info [0x0f004d] SYSPRP The time is now 2014-01-08 16:36:10
2014-01-08 16:36:10, Info [0x0f004e] SYSPRP Initialized SysPrep log at C:\WINDOWS\System32\Sysprep\Panther
2014-01-08 16:36:10, Info [0x0f0054] SYSPRP ValidateUser:User has required privileges to sysprep machine
2014-01-08 16:36:10, Info [0x0f007e] SYSPRP FCreateTagFile:Tag file C:\WINDOWS\System32\Sysprep\Sysprep_succeeded.tag does not already exist, no need to delete anything
2014-01-08 16:36:10, Warning SYSPRP WinMain: File operations pending
2014-01-08 16:36:10, Info [0x0f003d] SYSPRP WinMainisplaying dialog box for user to choose sysprep mode...
2014-01-08 16:37:25, Info [0x0f00d7] SYSPRP WinMainre-validing 'cleanup' internal providers.
2014-01-08 16:37:25, Info SYSPRP RunExternalDlls:Running platform actions specified in action file for phase 3
2014-01-08 16:37:25, Info [0x0f00ba] SYSPRP SysprepSession::CreateSession: Successfully created instance with mount path C:, action file C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\ActionFiles\Cleanup.xml, and mode <null>
2014-01-08 16:37:25, Info SYSPRP SysprepSession::Validate: Beginning action execution from C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\ActionFiles\Cleanup.xml
2014-01-08 16:37:25, Info SYSPRP ActionPlatform::GetStringValue: Getting REG_SZ value SysprepMode under key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\Sysprep
2014-01-08 16:37:25, Info SYSPRP ActionPlatform::GetValue: Getting value SysprepMode under key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\Sysprep
2014-01-08 16:37:25, Warning SYSPRP ActionPlatform::GetValue: Error from RegQueryValueEx on value SysprepMode under key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\Sysprep; dwRet = 0x2
2014-01-08 16:37:25, Info SYSPRP SysprepSession::CreateXPathForSelection: Sysprep mode in registry is <null>
2014-01-08 16:37:25, Info SYSPRP ActionPlatform::GetStringValue: Getting REG_SZ value PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE under key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment
2014-01-08 16:37:25, Info SYSPRP ActionPlatform::GetValue: Getting value PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE under key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment
2014-01-08 16:37:25, Info SYSPRP SysprepSession::CreateXPathForSelection: Processor architecture in registry is AMD64
2014-01-08 16:37:25, Info [0x0f0080] SYSPRP ActionPlatform::LaunchModule: Found 'Sysprep_Clean_Validate_Opk' in C:\Windows\System32\spopk.dll; executing it
2014-01-08 16:37:25, Error [0x0f0036] SYSPRP spopk.dll:: Sysprep will not run on an upgraded OS. You can only run Sysprep on a custom (clean) install version of Windows.
2014-01-08 16:37:25, Error [0x0f0082] SYSPRP ActionPlatform::LaunchModule: Failure occurred while executing 'Sysprep_Clean_Validate_Opk' from C:\Windows\System32\spopk.dll; dwRet = 0x139f
2014-01-08 16:37:25, Error SYSPRP SysprepSession::Validate: Error in validating actions from C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\ActionFiles\Cleanup.xml; dwRet = 0x139f
2014-01-08 16:37:25, Error SYSPRP RunPlatformActions:Failed while validating SysprepSession actions; dwRet = 0x139f
2014-01-08 16:37:25, Error [0x0f0070] SYSPRP RunExternalDlls:An error occurred while running registry sysprep DLLs, halting sysprep execution. dwRet = 0x139f
2014-01-08 16:37:25, Error [0x0f00d8] SYSPRP WinMain:Hit failure while pre-validate sysprep cleanup internal providers; hr = 0x8007139f

Weird. Seems it says Error [0x0f0036] SYSPRP spopk.dll:: Sysprep will not run on an upgraded OS. You can only run Sysprep on a custom (clean) install version of Windows.

Oh well

 

[*kjm]

Yep that was in the link..... has to be a clean install not from an upgrade.

 

[Raduque]

I've upgraded without doing the reinstall or Sysprep. Went from an older 965 chipset to a p45 chipset without doing anything to Vista. I plan on doing the same with W7 when I finally get a socket 1150 3000 series CPU.

 

[denis280]

or you could try this from Bubbaleone.Open Notepad and copy/paste the following:

set DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1
start devmgmt.msc

Name the file "setdev.bat", and save it to the Desktop as "All files" (not text document [*.txt]). Double-click setdev.bat and it opens an advanced MSC version of Device Manager. Select; View>>Devices by type>>Show hidden devices. You will now be able to see every single device that has ever been installed on your current Windows installation.

This view includes all currently installed devices, and all devices no longer installed or connected (non-existent). All the icons for non-existent devices will be "ghosted" (semi-translucent, pale gray color).

Starting at the top and working your way down the list ( click every + sign to expand each device), right-click each installed device icon, and each ghosted device icon and select "Uninstall".

Ignore any prompts to reboot the PC. When you're completely finished uninstalling all currently installed devices, as well as all non-existent devices, shutdown the computer, then remove the hard drive. It's now ready to install onto new hardware.