Replacing ITX Motherboard

[alchad]

Hi,

New member looking for advice.

I've got a Cambridge Azur 640H music server, which is basically a glorifed PC based on a Epia 1000M ITX motherboard, and I think runs a cut down version of some Windows operating system. The server froze up over the weekend and when I took the cover of I found that the CPU heatsink fan was loose (one of the pushpins had broken) and also the fan wasn't working. So I guess the CPU must have overheated. I did try refixing the heatsink and got the fan working, but no joy with the server.

I've manage to buy an identical replacement motherboard and am just wondering whether I'll have any issue in getting the server up and running again.

Luckily I have a disc from Cambridge which alows a fresh install of the operating system (which I used last year when the Hard drive failed); this worked fine - BUT I was just wondering if there is anything I'd need to do first with a new motherboard before trying the fresh install process again. I can't imagine I could just replace the MB without needing to do a fresh install, although obviously I'll see what happens first.

Any comments would be appreciated.

Thanks

Alchad

 

[Orcvader]

If it's the exact same motherboard, then you don't need to do a fresh install. Just make sure the BIOS settings are the same as the old one.

 

[alchad]

Thanks for the reply.

Just wondering, I think Cambridge may have slightly modified the BIOS settings (so that some options were hidden even when you entered BIOS), would it be simpler if I just swapped over the BIOS chips from the old to the new MB?

Thanks
Alchad

 

[1LANCS]

I dont think you would have to do that, it should just work doing a straight swap out assuming you made the bios settings match as much as you can to the old board.