Boris Posted February 27, 2004 Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 I'm trying to find an idiot-proof article on replacing your motherboard under XP to send to friend who has problems with his PC and thus lost his internet connection. He lives in the middle of nowhere in mid-wales and rang me up to say that the IDE connector somehow broke off the board :o - it was about 15 months old and he's now bought a new board mail order - ECS L7VTA (VIA KT400A chipset) - to replace what was I think was an Asus with probably SiS chipset ? (he's not 100% sure of the model)Everything else is to stay exactly the same. I find he has only one drive and no external backups. If he can do this with just an overlay install of XP afterwards - will he be OK and not lose anything ?He obviously can't uninstall the board drivers before he starts - any ideas what else might go wrong ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted February 27, 2004 Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 There could be problems here. XP "knows" the motherboard it is connected to and it will require a re-install rather than straight swap over. I doubt that an overlay will be successful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Posted February 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 -pops-I've found this http://www.theeldergeek.com/replace_motherboard.htmwhich seems to imply that it can be done ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurdy Posted February 27, 2004 Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 Against all conventional wisdom I changed my mobo last year and did a 'repair' of XP.Worked OK for me.I had to re-register with M$ though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Posted February 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 Did you bother uninstalling the drivers first ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurdy Posted February 27, 2004 Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 Moi?Nah :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Posted February 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurdy Posted February 27, 2004 Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 From memory.........In my naivete I just unplugged everything, changed over the motherboard, plugged everything back and switched on.I was then confronted by an XP 'blue screen' asking for the CD to be inserted or whatever. I must admit at that stage I was concerned because I hate re-formatting.(I have several years of files and utilities that I've accumulated which have been copied over from HD to HD.)I then read that you could do a 'repair' install so I tried that and it worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted February 27, 2004 Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 I tried it once substituting a RAID board for the non-RAID version of the same board. I was expecting to have to do a complete re-install and, I did!Under those circumstances, it wasn't too bad but I would have been extremely dischuffed otherwise. Like Hurdy, I hate reformating and installing on old machines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Posted February 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 I hate reformating and installing on old machines.We are all of a similar mind - unfortunately it is a necessary evil sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ellas Posted February 27, 2004 Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 try using the search boris http://www.windowsforum.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=3004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Posted February 28, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2004 I just get a teensy weensy bit alarmed when I see the two words "ellas" and "motherboard" in close proximity! :rolleyes: :lol2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ellas Posted February 28, 2004 Report Share Posted February 28, 2004 what do you mean you got it for nowt :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Posted February 28, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2004 With time passing by - I think this is a better link ?http://www.windowsreinstall.com/install/ot...board/winxp.htmTells you all about "SYSPREP" and "RESEAL" for XP mobo changes :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gd2shoe Posted July 19, 2006 Report Share Posted July 19, 2006 ...http://www.windowsreinstall.com/install/ot...board/winxp.htmTells you all about "SYSPREP" and "RESEAL" for XP mobo changes :DWARNING. I learned this the hard way:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/303786/also please reference these sections in the help files packaged with sysprep. The BuildMassStorageSection installs many hardware drivers, which need to be uninstalled once the install is over. The documentation tells you the command and the file you need to put it in.Sysprep can indeed be used, but the repair install mentioned is much easier. I have done this many times. Look at the sticker on the side, find an xp CD that matches. Boot the CD, say install now, agree to the EULA. The installer with then detect your current installation and ask you if you want to repair a current installation (this is different than the 'repair using recovery console that you are first asked). After that, it's as easy as installing windows. It usually asks for the CD key (but not always) and it usually requires being reactivated.If the activation across the internet doesn't work, do the phone activation (it gives you the toll free 1-888 number). The automated phone activation will also not work, but the operator that you then speak with (in India) will quickly help you get activated. The process takes about 10 minutes (there really is no hold time on that number).Good luck. (Note: please use the right CD. If you don't there is a very small chance that it will reject the product key) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-pops- Posted July 19, 2006 Report Share Posted July 19, 2006 gd2shoe: Have you checked the date of this thread?I think the problem may have been solved by now :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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