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Upgrading Motherboard, Will Vista Boot?
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kirbyrj
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You're trying to use your old Windows install with a new motherboard is what you're saying right?
It depends on what your old motherboard is and what your new motherboard is. If they are similar chipsets, you should be fine. You might not even need to reactivate Windows.
It depends on what your old motherboard is and what your new motherboard is. If they are similar chipsets, you should be fine. You might not even need to reactivate Windows.
Oh wait, I've read your question wrong. Do'h. Anyways, it is best to reinstall an OS after a mobo switch. If you don't want to do that, you could go into safemode and unistall the previous drivers and install the new ones, but this does not guarantee 100% stability.
kirbyrj
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They are pretty similar. You shouldn't have a problem. They actually use the same drivers.
kirbyrj
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The G31 is essentially a P35 with an IGP built in. If you install the newest chipset drivers before you swap the motherboard, I think you'll be ok. Double check the chipsets supported by the driver, but IIRC, they use the same chipset. If you were going back to the ICH5 or something like that, it would be different.
kirbyrj
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It's the INF Chipset update file. If you poke around Intel's site you should find it easily.
Dangman
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Make sure you backup your files before trying this just in case kirbyrj is wrong or something went wrong.
kirbyrj
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Well, here's my story.
I did a fresh install on a Maximus X38 board. From there I moved to a G31 Gigabyte board using the IGP, then I dropped in a video card. After a while, I moved to a P45 P5Q Pro. I did all this on the same Windows XP install. It was running on a SATA HDD using IDE mode. I had to do a repair install to get AHCI to work properly.
YMMV, but definitely backup your data
.
I did a fresh install on a Maximus X38 board. From there I moved to a G31 Gigabyte board using the IGP, then I dropped in a video card. After a while, I moved to a P45 P5Q Pro. I did all this on the same Windows XP install. It was running on a SATA HDD using IDE mode. I had to do a repair install to get AHCI to work properly.
YMMV, but definitely backup your data
.
Riccochet
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Vista is pretty good about booting regardless of drivers. I went from an MSI Neo4-F S939 mobo to a 680i board, to my current P35-DS3R without reinstalling Vista. Never had a problem.
Shouldn't be a problem. It is usually the storage controller that gives Windows fits. The Intel SATA controllers use the same .inf.
If you were going from Intel to nVidia, you'd most likely either need to do a re-install, or remove the storage controller in Windows before swapping boards. I've used that method to quickly swap drives between different computers to get someone back up and running quickly.
good luck, tho. in all my years of building, i've never been able to swap in new mobo w/o re-install....'course it might just be me.
I dont even bother trying swapping mobos without a new/clean install of windows.
Cuz everytime time you get a BSOD, you'll always wonder if its your own fault.(or maybe not, seems everyone blames it on drivers when they do this anyway)
Im always amazed at how often this question is asked.
I mean, if you can install a mobo, then you're definately pc literate enough to install windows.
I always look at it as a great chance to do a clean install and make a new image of my OS and all my programs with Acronis.