From IP35 and Q6600 to I7 and Asus P6T without reinstalling Windows 7??

tbz_ck

tbz_ck

tbz_ck

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Hi.

I've just bagged an i7 920 with Asus P6T and 6GB RAM. I've currently got Windows 7 and XP dual boot running very sweetly on my current Abit IP35 Pro with Q6600 and 4GB RAM.

Is there a way of swapping over without having to do a fresh install of Windows 7? With XP you could uninstall various motherboard drivers in device manager (i forgot which ones to be honest) and then switch off, change hardware, and XP would install new drivers.....

Any suggestions??

I'd do a fresh install if necessary, but I'd rather not since I'm really happy with my set up.

Cheers

CK
 
I'm certain you don't need to reinstall windows. I'm also certain it'll be easier to though. You're also in the wrong forum, try the software section.

I imagine the easiest approach is backup data and registry, fresh install, update windows, restore backups. There will probably be some pitfalls I'm unaware of.

Otherwise removing all drivers which look like they might be tied to the replaced hardware in safe mode, then swapping hardware, then installing drivers probably will work.

In each case there may be troubleshooting afterwards.
 
tbz_ck said:
Hi.

I've just bagged an i7 920 with Asus P6T and 6GB RAM. I've currently got Windows 7 and XP dual boot running very sweetly on my current Abit IP35 Pro with Q6600 and 4GB RAM.
Click to expand...

How noticeable is this upgrade? Is it worth it for gaming and video edit?
 
You would also have to re-activate Windows even if you didnt re-install as they changed things so you have to after a major hardware change, even changing graphics card means you've got to re-activate
 
After just moving over from S775 myself the other day to I7, i did'nt bother re-installing.

All i did was turn off, take power off, take out old kit, replace with new, made sure all was connected and what not, and booted up.

Win7 saw all the diff stuff, loaded all the relevant drivers, and was working fine, i then went on to install all the latest drivers and what not from asus's website, again still all going well.

After one reboot though, it asked me to activate again, so i clicked do it, did'nt work, so entered my key again, did'nt like it.

So all i had to do then was call MS free automated number to do the activation that way, and iv been using the comp fine ever since, without the need to do a fresh install, so it is possible. You may even get away without having to do what i did, but its still possible.
 
you wont have to reinstall if you really don't want to, but it is really advised to do so.
the Intel chip set drivers are the same inf's for both the boards you are using so windows will sort it all out for you.
ive just gone from a q6600 p45 board to an x58 i7 setup and not had to reinstall, even though i keep meaning too.
 
bifday2k said:
After just moving over from S775 myself the other day to I7, i did'nt bother re-installing.

All i did was turn off, take power off, take out old kit, replace with new, made sure all was connected and what not, and booted up.

Win7 saw all the diff stuff, loaded all the relevant drivers, and was working fine, i then went on to install all the latest drivers and what not from asus's website, again still all going well.

After one reboot though, it asked me to activate again, so i clicked do it, did'nt work, so entered my key again, did'nt like it.

So all i had to do then was call MS free automated number to do the activation that way, and iv been using the comp fine ever since, without the need to do a fresh install, so it is possible. You may even get away without having to do what i did, but its still possible.
Click to expand...

Excellent

I'll do a backup with Acronis just in case and then go for the "no reinstall" option. If it cocks up I'll reinstall from scratch. I'd just rather not bother since my 7 build is perfect for me and the missus at the moment.
 
mOdO said:
How noticeable is this upgrade? Is it worth it for gaming and video edit?
Click to expand...

I'll let you know once it's done

I really don't give a monkey's for benchmarks though, so I'll use it for a couple of days and give you an impression for what it's like in games and general usage.
 
I did the same. went from a 775 rig to i7. Plugged in new kit and windows did everything for me. Rebooted and worked fine but did ask me to activate windows again. Ive got a retail copy so no hassle but could be an issue with an oem version. Then again an oem version will give hassle even when you re-install w7.
 
I would re-install Windows everytime a major hardware change takes place. You will only run into furture problems if you don't, which you will more than likely miss diagnose as hardware errors. Trust me, re-install will save you a lot of time and effort in the long run. Not to mention the added perfomance of having a fresh, clean install.
 
Thought I'd update this post to say that I tried doing it without reinstalling Windows 7 and it failed miserably. It went into a crash/reboot cycle.

Had to reinstall Windows 7 in the end, and then phone up to get it activated.

PITA but I'm well on the way to getting it set up the way I like it again. Missus has had a good moan though that things are "different" /sigh..... :)
 
Is there maybe any way to transfer programs from old setup to new?
Reinstalling Windows is one thing I can accept, but reinstalling all the different software is painful...
 
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