Swapin' MOBO's!!!

[Dimmu]

My sister has an HP computer that recently bit the dust. I have inspected it and found that the mobo is the problem. If I were to replace just the mobo, does anyone know if the Windows XP and all of the HP bundled software would work correctly w/o the original mobo? TY.

 

[The Pentium Guy]

You'll need new drivers (Chipset drivers), but in most cases reinstalling XP should make it work.

 

[suicidalpigeon]

you'll need a fresh install of xp. if you want to save original data just ask someone else to link up the steps or do some searching around the forum. that or just back up your data to a storage hd.

 

[Dimmu]

I figured as much with the chipset drivers and what have you, but keep in mind HP does not give a Windows CD with the comp. All I need it to do is boot, then I can work the updating magic. So you think it will let me boot, or do you think that HP put some kind of mobo recognition software in the OS to make sure you don't swap hardware?

 

[Dimmu]

Anyone know?

 

[Some1ne]

I updated my gf's system from a socket A mainboard to a socket 754 board without reinstalling Windows. The way I did it was before making the switch I went the Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> System -> Hardware -> Device Manager. I then uninstalled every peice of hardware related to the mainboard and chipset (I also nixed the graphics driver as well, just to be thorough). Note that "every peice of hardware related to the mainboard and chipset" includes things like integrated sound and ethernet devices, memory controllers (if your board predates AMD's integrated memory controller), SATA/RAID controllers, etc., and possibly also the CPU if you are swapping that out. I then swapped in the new board, making sure to hook everything up the exact same way as it was on the old board (when applicable)...for example, if a drive was connected to the promary IDE channel on the old board, it went on the primary channel on the new board as well. I then powered on, configured the new board's BIOS, set the correct boot device, and everything magically worked, all I had to do was install all the drivers and it was good to go, no reinstall of Win XP or other programs necessary.

That said, I'm not sure how HP's Win XP distribution will behave. If it is Win XP Home (instead of Pro), then there's already virtually no hope, as I believe that Home monitors for hardware changes and will disable itself if it finds that too many things have changed. If, instead, you have XP Pro then it's possible it will work.

 

[John]

The product key could be bios locked. Be ready to purchase a new copy of Windows if MS won't activate your OS.

 

[Dimmu]

Thanks for the replies and the help. I'll look into all that. I just really want to avoid dropping ~$140 on MS windows. *sigh* But if I have to...oh well.

 

[rustynails]

If you have an OEM license key on the machine, any OEM install disk will work. Better to do a clean install, and reactivate windows. I dont think you'll have a problem, you may need to call the 800 #, and explain.

~nails

 

[Dimmu]

Originally posted by: rustynails
If you have an OEM license key on the machine, any OEM install disk will work. Better to do a clean install, and reactivate windows. I dont think you'll have a problem, you may need to call the 800 #, and explain.

~nails

That's what I was hoping for, considering I can't access the comp. (It doesn't boot b/c the mobo is shot.) We shall see.

 

[furballi]

HP's version of WXP checks for a tattoo on the MB. You probably cannot swap the MB and run WXP. If this is possible, people would buy an HP PC, clone the C partition and install WXP in ANY computer.