Quick question about changing motherboards

[Napalm 0]

Alright, this has probably been covered before, but I don't know what key word to search for (or just to lazy to do it). But I am upgrading my processor/motherboard from a PIII 505 (Aopen motherboard) to an Athlon 1.06 ghz (266 FSB) Athlon with MSI motherboard. For win2k (or any other OS for that matter), due I have to format/reload the OS since I am switching processor/motherboards or will win2k automatically pick up the detection and adjust accordingly. I am assuming win2k will adjust accordingly (but just making sure) ... if it does, would I still benefit from improved speed if I just format and reload or am I just smoking crack?

 

Thanks

[clutch 1]

I tried up[censored] one of my servers at home using Win2K AS, and it had a fit. It didn't care for the change in IDE controllers, so it would give blue screens (not that it mattered, I was willing to reinstall anyway but I thought I would try it). In addition, when I did that with Win9X systems, the system always performed better with a fresh install rather than a move like that.

[Brian Frank 0]

Well you can just remove all the devices on your old board, but I'd really recommend against it. In the long run it is much better to do a clean install of any MS OS when upgrading to a new mobo. I didnt have any luck when I switched boards under Win2k. It would boot into Windows. Win2k is very touchy about hardware, but it is kind of a good thing, especially where RAM is concerned. You will know pretty quickly if Win2k doesnt like something.

Unless you dont have the time right now to do a clean istall, just remove all the devices. But doing a clean install is the best in the long run. If you dont do it now, you will later on. The only OS that you can get away with a mobo change is Linux.

At least it worked under Linux-Mandrake 7.1.

[Dirty Harry 0]

Whenever I got me a new mobo, I was to eager to try it out to bother with a fresh install of the OS. If it doesn't work to boot up with the old install you haven't really lost anything, then you just shrug, say "**** happens" and do the fresh install you'd done anyhow.

 

For me the swich from PIII (on Asus -I think it was a P2l97-S) to an Athlon 800(on an Abit KA7-100) worked but it is propably the trickiest switch as chipset, controller etc changes at the same time.

 

Two tips though: 1) makes sure your bios settings are correct (and as basic as possible) and 2) boot up in protected mode first with most perhipherials disconnected. That way you might revert and work the system up by removing devices giving trouble.all Oh yes -the most essential advice of 'em all - BACKUP.

 

I agree that W2K (all os:s really) tend to work better when you do the install from scratch and when they're fresh.

 

Good luck & let us know if it worked

 

H.

[Dirty Harry 0]

Oh, forgot to mention that the OS is W2K...

 

H.

[vfrjim 0]

Here is an article that has worked about 75% of the time (3 out of 4 motherboard changes )

 

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-GB;q271965

 

Jim