Change Mobo and Processor without format ?

[ghost301]

Is it possible to change motherboard and proc without reformat ? Perhaps a repair install ? Possible with windows 7 x64 or not ? Windows 7 x64 7137 BTW.

 

[Zidane24]

Is it possible to change motherboard and proc without reformat ? Perhaps a repair install ? Possible with windows 7 x64 or not ? Windows 7 x64 7137 BTW.

Welcome to Win7Forums Ghost!

It is definately not true that you have to reinstall Windows with a MOBO/Processor change. 7 is smart enough to detect the processor and use it, the only issue might be the MOBO. 7 will more than likely load a default driver for it but you may want to load the manufacture version to make sure you can use all the features of it.

Hope This Helps
Zidane

 

[ghost301]

Thanks for the reply. Ya, I been thinking that 7 has been improved a lot over XP and Vista, suppose it won't have problem in booting up with new mobo and proc. I will try to do it and post the result here.

 

[smarteyeball]

Just make sure you install your mobo chipset/drivers

 

[DJG]

Hell, XP was able to do that. I re-installed my old XP image from an Intel Dual Xeon E5440 Tyan mobo over my current Asus Nehalem single i7 920 mobo. You just have to keep clicking on the gazillion "New Hardware Found" pop-ups. And then you get "WTF??? The hardware seems to have changed significantly since I last woke up (no $%!t, Sherlock!) - you have 3 days to activate" ...

It's all in the HAL. No, not THAT HAL, but the Hardware Abstraction Layer.

 

[Orbital Shark]

Hell, XP was able to do that. I re-installed my old XP image from an Intel Dual Xeon E5440 Tyan mobo over my current Asus Nehalem single i7 920 mobo. You just have to keep clicking on the gazillion "New Hardware Found" pop-ups. And then you get "WTF??? The hardware seems to have changed significantly since I last woke up (no $%!t, Sherlock!) - you have 3 days to activate" ...

LOL, was just gonna say that

 

[Bumpus]

Good question.

I think the standard way to do this on XP is to go into device manager and uninstall everything. Then, turn off the pc and do the hardware swap. This way the old MB drivers should be less likely to "ef" with the new setup. Seems like a reasonable way to do it on Win7 too. (I've never been considered the BRIGHTEST bulb in the pack, though...so..ymmv)

Good luck and let us know how it works.

 

[DJG]

Good question.

I think the standard way to do this on XP is to go into device manager and uninstall everything. Then, turn off the pc and do the hardware swap. This way the old MB drivers should be less likely to "ef" with the new setup. Seems like a reasonable way to do it on Win7 too. (I've never been considered the BRIGHTEST bulb in the pack, though...so..ymmv)

Good luck and let us know how it works.

Naah, you're being too polite to the OS. That's way too many uninstalls for my taste . But undoubtedly safer.

 

[Generator]

Some versions of Vista and Windows 7 (SLP's or OEM's if you prefer) require certain bits of info from the BIOS, if the info doesn't match, Activation will fail. It's an anti-piracy step on MS' behalf to stop you imaging the HDD and passing it on to 'friends'.

This is the cause of the activation problems now happening with certain Vista users dual booting Win 7.

 

[ghost301]

Just a quick update. So far so good. I changed the proc, mobo and add in ram ... First time boot it detects problem and solved it ... Second boot manage to go in and start installing all drivers ... After that everything back to normal AGAIN ! Just cool without needed to format again ... Thanks for all the helps guys !

 

[nabilalk]

Just a quick update. So far so good. I changed the proc, mobo and add in ram ... First time boot it detects problem and solved it ... Second boot manage to go in and start installing all drivers ... After that everything back to normal AGAIN ! Just cool without needed to format again ... Thanks for all the helps guys !

My motherboard failed so I'm about to attempt the swap without a reformat. I'm going to try to use the same processor and RAM so hopefully that won't be an issue.

What was problem after first time boot?

When you say you installed all drivers, did you let Win 7 download and install them automatically, or did you use the manufacturers CD that came with the mobo?

I assume you installed the chipset drivers from the manufactures CD?

Is your new mobo the same OEM as your old one?

Did Win 7 give you an activation error that made you have to call Microsoft to sort things out?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I hope I can get this to work too.

 

[ghost301]

Just a quick update. So far so good. I changed the proc, mobo and add in ram ... First time boot it detects problem and solved it ... Second boot manage to go in and start installing all drivers ... After that everything back to normal AGAIN ! Just cool without needed to format again ... Thanks for all the helps guys !

My motherboard failed so I'm about to attempt the swap without a reformat. I'm going to try to use the same processor and RAM so hopefully that won't be an issue.

What was problem after first time boot?

When you say you installed all drivers, did you let Win 7 download and install them automatically, or did you use the manufacturers CD that came with the mobo?

I assume you installed the chipset drivers from the manufactures CD?

Is your new mobo the same OEM as your old one?

Did Win 7 give you an activation error that made you have to call Microsoft to sort things out?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I hope I can get this to work too.

I wasn't quite remember what is the problem on the first boot, but if not mistaken it was solved before it is booting into the Windows in the second boot. It is an auto fix so you doesn't need to do anything.

If not mistaken, I let the Windows 7 to download the driver itself, as usually the driver CD will contains older revision of the drivers.

I bought a different mobo, though both of them using the same chipset (to have lesser compatibility problem).

Nope, no reactivation needed if not mistaken, as I can't recall that I need to do activation via calling. Probably an online activation is needed, but I can't recall.

I think Windows 7 is really smart enough to detect the changes and do the necessary modification and updates, as opposed to the older XP. Don't worry, there is relatively nothing you can do when the mobo fried, so might as well try it, it might rewards you at the end of the day!

Good luck!

 

[nabilalk]

Thanks for sharing. I will give it a shot and post back with results.