Possible to change all hardware and keep current install?

B@Th*nG · 29 Dec 2007 at 14:06

I'm changing my mobo, cpu, ram and graphics card and i was wondering if i could keep my age old XP install as i don't wanna go through the nightmare of re-installing everything. What are my chances?

Also, is this even a good idea? will there be problems with performance etc..? i assume i have to strip the drivers out of the current install so that when windows loads up it installs drivers like it would the first time? I've heard of sysprep which does something similar, i think.

B@Th*nG

Fire Wizard · 29 Dec 2007 at 14:11

Hey B@Th*nG, their are guides and probably tools out their to guide you through the process of keeping your Operating System installation when changing your motherboard in your system without having to reinstall. However, I would highly recommend doing a fresh install to avoid potential problems in the future. You could run into quite a few problems further down the line if you don't.

Back-up all of the important data that you have and do a fresh installation of Windows is certainly, without a doubt, the best way to do things when changing a motherboard.

wombraider · 29 Dec 2007 at 14:27

It depends if you are lucky the only the you have to do is to uninstall your
original drivers while still using your original mobo ( chipset , lan , audio - on board )

Then build up your new machine boot into windows and install your new mobo drivers
best order would be chipset , lan , audio.

After this it will then probably find the rest of the drivers needed for the rest
of your hardware.

I moved from an Asus P5W dh Deluxe to a Gigabyte P35C_DS3R without having
to do a reinstall and everything works fine. ( With Xp Pro corporate )

My Sata HD's were in standard mode NOT AHCI mode so no drivers needed for them.

Mikeddavies · 29 Dec 2007 at 14:28

I have just done this again- slightly hairy procedure but kept all my settings and installed programs. You would be facing licensing problems if your install was an OEM!! You need an XP install CD at the same Service Pack level as on your current system disc - I assume you are swapping this over - either the original or a slipstreamed disc! do not try this if you only have an earlier SP disc and have installed a later service pack! Boot off this install disc, at the first screen select install XP - NOT repair!
At the second screen select repair existing installation - windows will search for your installed version - usually C: - select this, use F6 to install any drivers for SATA etc for the new motherboard driver from disc/manufacturers web site- these must be on floppy disc! Archaic! If all goes well will eventually start with VGA display and needing motherboard/graphics card drivers! Windows updates since the service pack you used will need downloading and installing. No guarantee but it's worked for me more than once saving hours digging out original discs, reinstalling/configuring all programs, desktop, e-mail etc.and installing program updates!!
Good luck!

d.chatten · 29 Dec 2007 at 15:38

I have done this on quite a few systems withuot issue, if you follow the instructions below you shouldn't have any issues.

1) Uninstall all drivers possible, GFX, Network, Sound, etc, etc.

2) Install the new mobo, memory, GFX and only the OS hard drive.

3) Power the system on and press F8 to enter safe mode (safe mode is very important) and allow drivers to be installed automatically.

4) Restart the system and boot into Windows normal mode and install the chipset drivers first, then the GFX, sound, network, etc, etc.

5) Now start installing any other hardware starting with the hard drives, then optical drives, etc, etc.

6) Copy and paste the below code into a text document and save it as a .cmd file.

Code:

SET DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1
devmgmt.msc

7) Double click the .cmd file that you created and when the Device Manager appears click on the View tab and select Show hidden devices, this will show all hadware that is no longer connected to the system.

8) In device manager look for and unistall all hardware that belongs to your old system, you can tell which hardware devices are no longer pessent as they will be gayed out.

Thats it, if all goes well you should be up and running without issue and all you need to do is reactivate Windows.

Hope this helps!

Viral · 30 Dec 2007 at 01:43

Does this work ok with Vista d.chatten?

bledd · 30 Dec 2007 at 01:52

*drunk mode

format will be easier

edit
big time going to bed

snowdog · 30 Dec 2007 at 03:33

I've done this a lot to XP, it's my 6th mobo on this xp config, Between nforce&intel any changes in xp it works fine mainly, some VIA (on the nforce-intel install) work too, but a SiS install refuses to transfer as doesn't an ATI install to a diff chipset.
Afaik all Via-via, Sis-Sis, intel-intel, nfore-nforce, ati-ati, uli-uli chipset changes work fine.

Vista on the other hand whined and bsod about a minor change from 945p to 965p, had to reinstall

, ahwell good old xp has continued to work at least.

B@Th*nG · 30 Dec 2007 at 18:02

alright

thanks guys! appreciate it

B@Th*nG

d.chatten · 30 Dec 2007 at 21:16

Viral said:
Does this work ok with Vista d.chatten?

Yes it works with Vista, i've done about six or seven systems that had Vista installed.

d.chatten · 30 Dec 2007 at 21:21

snowdog said:
Vista on the other hand whined and bsod about a minor change from 945p to 965p, had to reinstall , ahwell good old xp has continued to work at least.

This is odd, i have done it with Vista without issue, on my kids system i went from Intel 875P > X955 > 945P > X975 with the above method in post #5 and they all worked fine.