Is it necessary to reinstall the OS whenever you do a motherboard swap?

[Salvador]

I'm looking to upgrade my parents system with a new motherboard and cpu, but I'm dreading having to reinstall Windows XP, do all the updates and put all the software back that they use.

Do I have to reinstall the OS or can I get by with just installing chipset drivers for the new motherboard?

 

[ForumMaster]

you're going to have to reinstall windows anyway. all the drivers are different. what you can do is use nlite to create an up to date windows installation that will significantly if not eliminate any need for further updates.

although there might be a way to salvage the windows installation without reinstalling windows, it is not going to be easy and it isn't going to run well. windows needs to detect and optimize itself for your new hardware. just reinstall.

 

[PottedMeat]

Originally posted by: Salvador
I'm looking to upgrade my parents system with a new motherboard and cpu, but I'm dreading having to reinstall Windows XP, do all the updates and put all the software back that they use.

Do I have to reinstall the OS or can I get by with just installing chipset drivers for the new motherboard?

No, you dont really have to - I followed this when I swapped out my brothers' mobo:

Arstechnica: Swapping your board without so much as a reinstall

 

[magomago]

I didn't at all. I just deleted any of the old mobo drivers, and then proceeded with the new ones aftwards and I never had a single problem.

 

[Salvador]

Thanks guys! If it were for one of my pc's, I'd reinstall everything. Since it's for my parents pc, I didn't want to have to go to the trouble since they just use the pc for email and internet (no gaming). Plus, with my pc, I can add back my files over time, but with someone else's pc, I feel like I have to get everything back on the pc right away. Or, I'll get the "where's my ______ program" questions..

 

[JackMDS]

If the OS is XP.

Boot from the original CD, skip the first screen of the Console repair and continue as a New installation.

Accept the EULA, in the next screen you would have a choice to press R for Repair.

Press R, it would take about 35min., at the end you would have a New installation with all the previous configuration, applications, and files.

If the new motherboard is recent, might be that WinXP does not have the drivers, so be ready with the Mobo drivers in case it is needed after the Repair.

 

[Salvador]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
If the OS is XP.

Boot from the original CD, skip the first screen of the Console repair and continue as a New installation.

Accept the EULA, in the next screen you would have a choice to press R for Repair.

Press R, it would take about 35min., at the end you would have a New installation with all the previous configuration, applications, and files.

If the new motherboard is recent, might be that WinXP does not have the drivers, so be ready with the Mobo drivers in case it is needed after the Repair.

Cool! It's Jack "the answer man" to the rescue. It is XP and I will do that.

 

[Salvador]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
If the OS is XP.

Boot from the original CD, skip the first screen of the Console repair and continue as a New installation.

Accept the EULA, in the next screen you would have a choice to press R for Repair.

Press R, it would take about 35min., at the end you would have a New installation with all the previous configuration, applications, and files.

If the new motherboard is recent, might be that WinXP does not have the drivers, so be ready with the Mobo drivers in case it is needed after the Repair.

I just got done trying this and I'm not overly impressed with the results. When I hit to repair it, it seemed like Windows just installed over my previous installation. Sort of like when you do a reinstall or an upgrade. I'm left with some junk from the last install when I look in the device manager. That's not really an issue though. I can live with that.

My current problem is that I can't get any Microsoft updates now. At first I couldn't install the Windows Installer 3.1 or the Authentication tool. I ran google searches on this and finally got those to install, but now the rest of the updates won't install and I can't figure it out. I had something like 75 updates to install, so it seems to me that I lost updates because the system was current before doing the repair.

Any ideas?

 

[Auric]

Generally, it is only required to change the storage controller configuration to "Standard" from Device Manager. Then XP can boot and dynamically configure everything else. Setup -> Repair should not be necessary but remains an option.

In any case, an Environment Variable can be added from System Properties to truly allow showing all hidden devices in DM when that option is selected (goggle it). Then most of the old grayed out crap can be deleted. A registry cleaner or two would likely also be beneficial.

As for updates, ideally a current OS disc would have been used in the first place thereby minimizing their necessity and problems in general. However, given at least SP2 then eschew MS and go directly to getautopatcher.

 

[Salvador]

Originally posted by: Auric
Generally, it is only required to change the storage controller configuration to "Standard" from Device Manager. Then XP can boot and dynamically configure everything else. Setup -> Repair should not be necessary but remains an option.

In any case, an Environment Variable can be added from System Properties to truly allow showing all hidden devices in DM when that option is selected (goggle it). Then most of the old grayed out crap can be deleted. A registry cleaner or two would likely also be beneficial.

As for updates, ideally a current OS disc would have been used in the first place thereby minimizing their necessity and problems in general. However, given at least SP2 then eschew MS and go directly to getautopatcher.

Thanks for the tips. I have XP SP2, but I'll always need updates. I can't keep buying copies of Windows just to get the most up-to-date install disc.

Is there a fix for my update problem without resorting to third party software? I'm asking because it's not my pc and I'd like to keep it on autoupdate.

 

[bruceb]

Try looking or posting on this site for help with Windows Update Issues

http://www.microsoft.com/windo...wsupdate&lang=en&cr=US

Also please see this link and see if it will be of help to you

http://www.castlecops.com/t106...ITS_Newly_Edited..html

 

[dclive]

Originally posted by: Salvador

Originally posted by: Auric
Generally, it is only required to change the storage controller configuration to "Standard" from Device Manager. Then XP can boot and dynamically configure everything else. Setup -> Repair should not be necessary but remains an option.

In any case, an Environment Variable can be added from System Properties to truly allow showing all hidden devices in DM when that option is selected (goggle it). Then most of the old grayed out crap can be deleted. A registry cleaner or two would likely also be beneficial.

As for updates, ideally a current OS disc would have been used in the first place thereby minimizing their necessity and problems in general. However, given at least SP2 then eschew MS and go directly to getautopatcher.

Thanks for the tips. I have XP SP2, but I'll always need updates. I can't keep buying copies of Windows just to get the most up-to-date install disc.

Is there a fix for my update problem without resorting to third party software? I'm asking because it's not my pc and I'd like to keep it on autoupdate.

Research nLite. Also, given that automatic update downloads in the background, is it really an issue if it takes a day or two after an install to get fully current, assuming you're behind a router and not on the public internet?

 

[Salvador]

I got it figured out. I did all kinds of searches and tried all kinds of registry fixes. Nothing worked. I finally gave up and gave Getautopatcher a try. If that didn't work, I resigned myself to reinstalling Windows. I did the updates through Getautopatcher and then just for the heck of it, tried Microsoft Update again. It found that I needed 8 updates instead of the 75 prior to using Getautoupdate. It then downloaded them and installed them. So... Auto Update now works since I used Getautoupdate. Go figure... :roll:

 

[Auric]

Coolsville. Note that it is relatively simple to create a setup disc with the latest patches so it is not necessary to aquire official ones.

As for autopatcher, update releases are generally monthly which I find is frequent 'nuff. I've never allowed Windows to update automatically and was not obsessive about doing it manually either but in any case autopatcher is just easier and does not "validate" MS's control freakery.

 

[21stHermit]

In my case I had to reactivate XP, not reinstall XP. XP saw the new MB as a significant change. The reactivate was denined and I had to go through the telephone beg-a-thon . . . PITA!!!

I used the same S775 CPU, but new memory 512M DDR2 > 2GB DDR, new video card and added a second SATA HDD.

FWIW
Hermit

 

[Salvador]

Originally posted by: 21stHermit
In my case I had to reactivate XP, not reinstall XP. XP saw the new MB as a significant change. The reactivate was denined and I had to go through the telephone beg-a-thon . . . PITA!!!

I used the same S775 CPU, but new memory 512M DDR2 > 2GB DDR, new video card and added a second SATA HDD.

FWIW
Hermit

I had to re-activate as well, but that was a given considering that I changed the heart of the system.

I don't like autoupdate either for my own pc's, but this was for someone else. Some people that I build computers for don't ever bother with maintenance or updates. I just built a system for someone that hadn't updated his AV software in 3 years or done any updates. He wonders why his computer was bogged down with malware. I made sure that Windows Update was set to automatic and the AV software was set to autoupdate and autoscan.