existing WinVista onto new but identical mobo/cpu

GreatWaves · 11 Jan 2013 at 10:58

Hi,
My mobo and/or cpu have become flaky. The comp shuts down and then restarts randomly. It does it every few days at times, but can go a month without doing it at all. Very strange problem but obviously must be something going flaky on the mobo. I bought the mobo/cpu used, so who knows what kind of OC'ing/use might have eventually lead to the flakiness.

Anyway, I've now bought a new mobo (SAME model mobo) and a upgraded CPU. So I'm wondering if Vista will complain at all about the license on the new mobo even if is identical model mobo as the old one. The mobo is P5K.

Cheers

JonJ678 · 11 Jan 2013 at 11:02

Vista wont even notice the change

zakblood · 11 Jan 2013 at 11:03

unless bios version is different from old one installed that is, then it may, or may not will wait and see your views when you have done it

GreatWaves · 11 Jan 2013 at 11:15

Thanks for replies. The BIOS I think may be newer than previous mobo because the "new" mobo was previously running with a 45nm CPU. I don't recall that my current mobo BIOS supports 45nm.

Cheers

zakblood · 11 Jan 2013 at 11:23

easy way is before you take it out, upgrade it, bios i mean, then will be the same, as new one will or should ship with latest one pre installed.

then you should get no hick ups, not saying either you would either way without it, but has happened in the past to me, that's all i was saying

good luck

GreatWaves · 11 Jan 2013 at 11:34

zakblood said:
easy way is before you take it out, upgrade it, bios i mean, then will be the same, as new one will or should ship with latest one pre installed.

then you should get no hick ups, not saying either you would either way without it, but has happened in the past to me, that's all i was saying

good luck

Hmmm ... yeah I don't know which BIOS the "new" one has exactly. The "new" mobo is also used.

But I guess if Vista complains then it just gives me a number to call MS or something? Is that what happens in that case?

Cheers

zakblood · 11 Jan 2013 at 11:39

no, if Vista complains then it will be with a BSOD

but if the same board 8 or 9 times out of ten it won't.

GreatWaves · 11 Jan 2013 at 11:48

zakblood said:
no, if Vista complains then it will be with a BSOD

but if the same board 8 or 9 times out of ten it won't.

Oh darnit, you're talking about a drivers/system level problem. Oh so the drivers in some cases might be slightly different depending on BIOS level?

Cheers

zakblood · 11 Jan 2013 at 11:52

like i said it doesn't always happen, but a bios change is a major change if going from a no updated one to the latest, there maybe 6 or 7 more versions between them, that's major and will BSOD, one or 2 verisons different might not cause anything other than a minor update in windows once the change has been done, i'd back up either way

GreatWaves · 11 Jan 2013 at 11:57

zakblood said:
like i said it doesn't always happen, but a bios change is a major change if going from a no updated one to the latest, there maybe 6 or 7 more versions between them, that's major and will BSOD, one or 2 verisons different might not cause anything other than a minor update in windows once the change has been done, i'd back up either way

So basically, I could be safer then to update the current mobo to latest and then even if the new mobo is not the latest literally, it will at least not be newer BIOS. And then as you say do windows update before switching.

Good point. Thanks.

Cheers

zakblood · 11 Jan 2013 at 12:09

yes, then if the new one is older but 1 revision etc, it wont matter.

you can always update it before you use it anyway, but i'd still backup stuff just incase

GreatWaves · 11 Jan 2013 at 12:49

zakblood said:
yes, then if the new one is older but 1 revision etc, it wont matter.

you can always update it before you use it anyway, but i'd still backup stuff just incase

Thanks. And of course I could just pop in an install DVD and check BIOS version in post screen or from within BIOS setup before booting with HD. Don't remember now where/how exactly P5K shows BIOS version. On some boards it's a little confusing.

So, if BIOS's are the identical (assuming identical mobo), then I guess it should be fine.

Cheers

GreatWaves · 11 Jan 2013 at 18:51

This is bordering on starting to become a "hardware" topic (mods can move this if necessary), but after the talk about BIOS versions, it occured to me that simply reflashing the BIOS could possibly fix the random shutdown problem.

Other symptoms of this mobo have been things like: 1) a few times at boot, it has reported during post that overclocking settings have failed even though I had no OC settings and then it requires a reset of settings and 2) recently right after uninstalling GFX drivers, it didn't recognize the HD at boot. When I went into BIOS, it showed 35 Ghz for CPU frequency. So I shut off the power completely (unplugged also) and turned it back on and after that it recognized the HD again and CPU frequency was back to normal.

Weird stuff like that has happened with this board. But maybe simply a BIOS reflash could plausibly fix it?

Cheers

zakblood · 11 Jan 2013 at 19:26

i'd always want the latest bios, as that has been bug fixed etc

not only will it see new hardware like cpu and memory etc, but fixes any problems in old version etc, so always worth having

GreatWaves · 11 Jan 2013 at 20:00

zakblood said:
i'd always want the latest bios, as that has been bug fixed etc

not only will it see new hardware like cpu and memory etc, but fixes any problems in old version etc, so always worth having

Yeah I was thinking that as well, BUT I'm also considering that if I need to change the mobo afterall, then again I need to be at a BIOS on this board which is close to or same as the replacement board (which will be a used board as well).

So I guess in that case I can downgrade to the BIOS of the replacement board. I've obviously never considered downgrading BIOS. So if there is no unusual issue with doing that (and in relation to the Vista updates). OR then I would have to temporarily do a Windows install for the replacement board just enough to enable an upgrade to its BIOS.

I recall that some BIOS's can be updated without an OS installed. I have only a few times done BIOS updates. I'll have to look into the options for BIOS update methods on P5K.

Cheers