Well, as you may be aware, I had to replace a motherboard for a colleague who impressively blew hers by putting a USB plug in the wrong way round!

Found out (cheers Josh for the links) that XP is essentially licensed to the mobo, so had to purchase a new license.

However, is it possible to reinstall a fresh copy of Windows, but not delete everything that is on the hard drive? Theres lots of sentimental photos and stuff that really needs to be kept.

TIA.

Well XP isn't licensed for the motherboard for starters , so thats some money wasted. If you had a product key stuck on the case then you could have just reused that.

Easiest way is just to shove the hard drive in another pc and copy the files off before formatting and resinstalling windows

WPA allows 2 major hardware changes at any one time. I've changed a motherboard before and its not asked for a reinstall, because by off chance i used the same CPU and there werent any more than 2 major changes.

with regards to installing, you should do a repair, (not recovery console) and let it carry on. it will preserve files then (but maybe not your my documents folder)

hth

If you install a fresh copy of windows over the old one it will format the hard drive ....copy all the stuff you want to keep to another drive

Ok.

For clarification - it is an OEM copy. The OEM EULA rules state that hardware changes are allowed - EXCEPT the motherboard.

I have a spare 80GB HD that is brand new, think I'll install Windows onto that, copy everything across and use the existing HD as a backup drive.

Cheers.

I'd spend £40 on a new hard drive and install windows fresh on that.

With the install on a new hard disk you can then (not before) hook up the old hard disk to copy off all the files. Leave it for a month or so until she's stopped remembering stuff she needs from the old installation, and then format the old hard disk, giving her extra storage.

I stay away from repairing winows, unless it's a temporary short-term solution to get it to boot. And nothing worse than reinstalling over the top before remembering you forgot to back something up.

I'd spend

If you'd brought the same mobo, would not need anything doing

Technically the same chipset would of done the trick.

As you hav'nt and have then I'd go with new disk and plug old disk in as spare/ data and tidy up once running. However this does have the major drawback of all applications going by the wayside as well as patches etc...but it is technically possible to install over xp and loose nothing...brave bugger as tries with out a backup mind.

Ok.

For clarification - it is an OEM copy. The OEM EULA rules state that hardware changes are allowed - EXCEPT the motherboard.

And how are MS going to know?

..brave bugger as tries with out a backup mind.

I've done it many a time . usually when windows throws a wobbly and manages to delete one of the registry stores and wont boot

And how are MS going to know?

Indeed. But the OEM edition on the cd is most likely a customised copy with motherboard drivers etc, (and prolly some random software crap from the mfr) so wont generally install smoothly on different hardware. Nothing to stop the serial (on the sticker) licensing an install from the original windows disc (which you can borrow/copy from someone). In fact, the windows license is only the sticker, not the cd or anything else. Without the sticker you havent got a license; Tom will now have two stickers, so two windows licenses.

Indeed. But the OEM edition on the cd is most likely a customised copy with motherboard drivers etc, (and prolly some random software crap from the mfr) so wont generally install smoothly on different hardware. Nothing to stop the serial (on the sticker) licensing an install from the original windows disc (which you can borrow/copy from someone). In fact, the windows license is only the sticker, not the cd or anything else. Without the sticker you havent got a license; Tom will now have two stickers, so two windows licenses.

I've yet to find an OEM cd that isn't universal. The Dell branded ones I've got sat here will install on anything.

What make of machine was it in teh first place?

Only difference with OEM and aftermarket OS disks, is the back up MS offers, oh and the stupid price differential between the 2. OEM XP Pro (as picked up by me this last weekend)...£75. You could also have had a Dell recovery XP Pro disk for £5

All legit, legal and above board.

The PC isn't mine - its a colleagues. Unfortunately, its a TINY machine, and she was mugged into the

AAAhhhhhhh TINY as in Tough It's Now Yours

Ok - Help REALLY NEEDED now!

Installed Windows on the new HD, all went smoothly, but on restart it gets to the Windows XP logo and progress bar, and freezes. Tried installing on the old HD too, and same problem.

Any ideas? :confused::confused::confused:

:(

Is it a disk with service pack 2 on it?

There are compatibility problems with some motherboards (specifically ACPI power management features) and SP2 that will cause exactly that sort of problem.

Try hitting F8 as it boots and going into safe mode and see if that will boot fully.

There may be a BIOS update for the motherboard that can fix this. Which board is it?

Is it a disk with service pack 2 on it?

There are compatibility problems with some motherboards (specifically ACPI power management features) and SP2 that will cause exactly that sort of problem.

Try hitting F8 as it boots and going into safe mode and see if that will boot fully.

There may be a BIOS update for the motherboard that can fix this. Which board is it?

Cheers DrZ! It is SP2' date=' yep. And its a cheap PC Chips board - the only one I could find with similar spec... Bought from eBuyer IIRC. [url']http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=89221[/url]

How do you flash a BIOS?

Really starting to wish I hadn't offered my services...

I'm having trouble getting XP Pro on to my machine though - but my problem isn't due to a hadrware issue or software issue, its due to a 25 digits/numbers issue.

How do you flash a BIOS?

Really starting to wish I hadn't offered my services...

You need to get the files and instructions from here ' date=' [url']http://www.pcchipsusa.com/download-mainframe.asp[/url] , but under your board , an M925G , it says "release note:1. Potential Microsoft Windows* XP SP2 Install issue with Prescott C-0 stepping"

Sounds like that might be a problem.

Other potential causes are drivers (which booting into safe mode might help with) or it could be a duff board (not out of the question with PCChips)

OK, think I've downloaded the files I need - but how do I flash the BIOS? Can't find instructions anywhere - been looking all evening.:mad:

Getting stressed now.

Thanks for help so far though DrZ!

OK - so I managed to get the instructions on my work PC - it appears my firewall was stopping me from viewing them.

I have downloaded the flash utility and the replacement file to a floppy.

My only query now is do I need to unzip the .exe file to a .rom file - I think probably so...

then its :coder: time!

Good luck

I'm having trouble getting XP Pro on to my machine though - but my problem isn't due to a hadrware issue or software issue, its due to a 25 digits/numbers issue.

Buy a legit copy then:rolleyes: