Prepairing for a new motherboard

[KorJax]

So I've ordered a new mobo+ram for a new processor I just recently got.  Making the switch from a 5000+ AM2 to a QX6850 is quite the leap

In any case (and $250 shorter), what do I need to do to prepare for the switch?

I've heard from a friend that all that is needed is that I need to uninstall ALL of my current drivers on my PC, download the mobo drivers and put them on a flash drive, install the new mobo, install the drivers for it on start up (how?), start windows, re-install all your hardware drivers, and reboot.

Is that it?

[Budr]

Good luck with putting a new mobo in and not doing a fresh Windows install.

[IdiotWithGuns]

Good luck with putting a new mobo in and not doing a fresh Windows install.

i second that

[ainmosni]

Good luck with putting a new mobo in and not doing a fresh Windows install.

Indeed, don't bother with it tbh, just backup your important shit and reinstall...

[ToiletDuck]

ya all mobo upgrades for me have been on a clean install of windows, it just makes things much easier.

[KorJax]

How so?  I heard you don't really need to.  Doing a fresh install of Windows at this point would be a huge pain for me as I would have to essentually spend money to find a way to backup all my data so I can format my drive, then spend several long days setting everything up again.

[ToiletDuck]

what kind of data are we talking here? i personally keep all my downloads/movies/game iso's/etc on my trusty 1TB external drive, so reformatting is not a huge deal for me. i basically just backup the 'my documents' folder.

but ya, it honestly doesn't take that long to set everything up again, a day tops...

[KorJax]

Well I was planning on trying just doing a completely uninstall of drivers, so I'll try that first when my mobo gets here.

If it still ends up wonky though I'll try a reinstall...

Problem is that I have a 160GB drive an a 300GB drive.  The majority of my stuff is on the 160GB drive, which is also what windows is installed on.  It would take a good deal of space and time that I don't have to back everything up and re-install all the programs+etc I use and get them running the way I custimized and set them up to run.

Hell I don't even use explorer.exe as a windows shell

Dumb move I know but I never thought about having windows be on a smaller seperate drive when I first got this PC (and it also wasn't an option for me)

[copulatingduck]

Good luck with putting a new mobo in and not doing a fresh Windows install.

[Ceceil Felias]

An old Windows XP install actually surprised me by booting up on an AM2 board I was testing the drive's condition on, when it was installed on an older Socket 754 system. Craziness. But I wouldn't recommend trying anyway -- it'd be better to fresh-format and go from there. It also allows you to set your system back up from a clean slate. :3

[KorJax]

Well are there any clear disadvantages of trying anyways?

Yeah yeah clean installs are nice and all but that would require a complete wipe essentually of my PC and if just installing my mobo on the current windows install won't permanantly damage anything I would much rather try that out with all the drivers uninstalled (which is what I hear is what really causes problems, existing drivers on windows and new motherboards, not windows itself).

If it turns out running wonkey I'll take the mobo back out, reinstall my old one, back up all my data (somehow...), reinstall windows, spending plenty of time getting everything back to the way it was.

[Ceceil Felias]

I suppose if you have no means of backing up your data, attempting such a thing would look like a desirable choice, but considering how Western Digital has 640GB harddrives for $90, it'd be better just to get one of those.

[KorJax]

Well I just got the new mobo today so I'm gonna try install it without re-installing windows completely.  I've looked up guides on the matter and it should work, hopefully.  Currently I have to find my Windows XP disc though just in case, which funnily enough is now missing from where I last left it after my dad decided to tidy up the desk  :

If I post within the day today, then it worked.  If I am offiline for a week+ then it didn't work and I was forced to re-install windows and spend several long days getting the countless number of programs re-installed, the countless number of user settings and profiles back to scruff, etc...

[Budr]

If I post within the day today, then it worked.  If I am offiline for a week+ then it didn't work and I was forced to re-install windows and spend several long days getting the countless number of programs re-installed, the countless number of user settings and profiles back to scruff, etc...

What? A fresh install is half a day at max. I've done complete wipes and been back up and playing games in a couple of hours.

[Vandamguy]

I would have to essentually spend money to find a way to backup all my data so I can format my drive

[KorJax]

Hey, worked.

Upgraded from an ol' 5000+ AM2 on some MSI motherboard that only supported DDR2 667

to a

P5N-D motherboard with an Intel QX6850 processor and 4 GB of DDR2 800 RAM

No problems at all, other than at a connector acting funky on the mobo installation that caused it to not go into POST (which is fixed now).

Smooth as butter ;D

Didn't even need to do a repair installation, it booted right into windows.  Sure it had to revalidate my windows copy and redetect all my drivers (as I uninstalled every motherboard+audio+video related driver before installing the new one) but it runs great

[ScottyGrayskull]

I've always looked at a fresh install as a way to clean out the clutter on my PC. I never back up as much as I initially think I will, as much of it (at least for me) was easily downloaded. Last backup I did was only 3 dvd's, 2 of which were my music collection that I didn't feel like spending the time to rip again.

As for reinstalling everything it will take up most of a day, but quite a bit of that doesn't have to be spent in front of the computer. When I reinstalled over a month ago I managed to put 6 hours into GTA4 while the computer did it's thing.

Good to hear you didn't have to though. Less hassle is always good.

[Versus]

nice upgrade ;D

[Ceceil Felias]

Ironically, I just used Linux to dd the entire contents of my laptop's old harddrive to a new one through a USB1.1 connection.

And Windows still works.