Dead motherboard and reusing existing OS image

J

jweller

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Dec 1, 2011
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How do I use my existing OS image with a new motherboard?

I have two systems -- an old system and a brand spanking new system. My old system's motherboard (EVGA 680i) died. I want to replace the motherboard for this old system. I have gigabytes of data, customized settings and software installed on the OS hard drive. I want to use the existing hard drive image. I do not want to start from scratch with a new OS install. What's the best way to do this. Can I simply boot up, install the new motherboard drivers and be good to go?

Thanks all
 
jweller said:
I want to use the existing hard drive image. I do not want to start from scratch with a new OS install. What's the best way to do this. Can I simply boot up, install the new motherboard drivers and be good to go?
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Depends on the new system, something you did not elaborate on. If it's similar enough, it will likely boot up, install some new drivers, request a restart, and then be fine :cool:

However, it's two completely different architectures, you're in for some work to make things function properly.
 
I had almost the same motherboard die on me. So I bought an exact replacement on ebay (i.e. same make and model). Just dropped it in and everything worked fine.
 
If you are running Windows 7 or newer (maybe vista too, never tried it) then it should just boot up,
make sure you uninstall all drivers from the old board and install the new ones.

The only sticking point should be the sata controller mode (IDE or AHCI). Try both (change in bios) on the new board until windows starts.
 
case sensitive said:
If you are running Windows 7 or newer (maybe vista too, never tried it) then it should just boot up,
make sure you uninstall all drivers from the old board and install the new ones.

The only sticking point should be the sata controller mode (IDE or AHCI). Try both (change in bios) on the new board until windows starts.
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Unless he wants to continue his streak of bad decisions by buying another nForce board, this is unlikely to prove true. If he were upgrading from Intel to Intel, he'd likely be fine, but nForce will almost definitely cause issues.
 
Depending on how much difference there is in hardware, be warned that Windows will probably need to activate again. Make sure you're prepared for that.
 
Jeffman said:
Depending on how much difference there is in hardware, be warned that Windows will probably need to activate again. Make sure you're prepared for that.
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I've dealt with this several times and worst case scenario you'll have to call and a Microsoft rep will activate it over the phone for you.
 
I have only had Windows 7 not successfully transfer one time and that was from a X38 to Z87 system hear recently. I booted up initially, but then it loaded some of its native drivers, and never booted again. But overall, Win7 is near bulletproof when it comes to swapping hardware.
 
I've done it once (can't recall the chipsets) and Windows 7 took it like a champ.
 
Reusing the same OS install without sysprepping is a really bad idea.

Going from one Intel chipset to another might work OK because many of the drivers are the same, but going from say an Nvidia chipset to Intel or AMD is going to be a nightmare.

Even if the OS boots you're going to have to show hidden devices in Device Manager and delete out all of the old stuff. Plus who knows what kind of future issues may arise because of this.

I find reinstalling my OS to be very refreshing experience. Once every 6 months or so really helps keep things running smoothly.
 
bigdogchris said:
Reusing the same OS install without sysprepping is a really bad idea.

Going from one Intel chipset to another might work OK because many of the drivers are the same, but going from say an Nvidia chipset to Intel or AMD is going to be a nightmare.

Even if the OS boots you're going to have to show hidden devices in Device Manager and delete out all of the old stuff. Plus who knows what kind of future issues may arise because of this.

I find reinstalling my OS to be very refreshing experience. Once every 6 months or so really helps keep things running smoothly.
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I have done it across AMD and Intel system without issue. Nothing wrong with the OP giving it a try. Clone the drive, give it a shot.

Really bad idea? No, not really.
 
bigdogchris said:
Reusing the same OS install without sysprepping is a really bad idea.

Going from one Intel chipset to another might work OK because many of the drivers are the same, but going from say an Nvidia chipset to Intel or AMD is going to be a nightmare.

Even if the OS boots you're going to have to show hidden devices in Device Manager and delete out all of the old stuff. Plus who knows what kind of future issues may arise because of this.

I find reinstalling my OS to be very refreshing experience. Once every 6 months or so really helps keep things running smoothly.
Click to expand...

As far as swapping chipsets, that might have been the case in the past, but it's not really the case anymore. On the other hand, I find reinstalling the OS to be a refreshing as well.
 
Just went from Z87X-UD3H to a Z97X-UD5H-BK without issue. Just had to uninstall the USB 3.0 driver, before reinstalling the new Chipset, Audio, USB, then Network driver. Everything is perfect.
 
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A clean installation of the OS is always the best bet, simply to avoid complications that may arise from the hardware swapping.

Having said that, it is entirely possible to just drop the hard drive in the new build and get things working. It is best if you can sysprep the drive beforehand, which in theory should eliminate the specific configuration for your old motherboard. If you cannot, you can still give it a try. It shouldn't break anything, the worst that might happen is that the OS blue-screens on startup, but I would still back up the drive image somewhere just in case.

We keep a couple of hard drives with reasonably up to date installations, including the software we use, that have been sysprepped just in case we have a user's PC go down. There is nothing quite like going from catastrophic failure to back up and running in a matter of minutes instead of hours or days.
 
Problem solved. After much heartache I discovered the problem and fixed it. The problem was the power supply. Specifically the CPU 8 pin. It's not a modular PSU so I had to buy a new power supply. Thanks all.
 
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