Just Rebuilt Comp: Do I Need to Wipe HDD & Reinstall Win XP Pro?!?

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DarkSideA8

Gawd
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Apr 13, 2005
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Something weird: I replaced the mobo, CPU, RAM, & GPU, but the Win XP disc wouldn't boot - so I logged on 'normally' - and it worked (after I loaded some new drivers).

My last rebuild where I bought a new CPU and mobo, I also upgraded from Win 98 to Win XP Pro. In doing so, I wiped my HDD & reinstalled the operating system. I anticipated needing to do this again - but am currently typing on the newly rebuilt system - without having wiped, formatted and reinstalled the OPSys on the HDD.

I don't trust this (my instincts tell me I'll have instability...:confused:)

What is going on? Is Win XP Pro (SP-2) so thoroughly plug-n-play that it will accept a new mobo & CPU without a reinstall?

Any advice greatly appreciated!
 
Here's a bit more info:

Old Sys:

AMD Athlon 64 3000+
MSI K8N Neo Platinum Mobo
2gb PC3200
256Mb Geforce 6800

New Sys:

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
Gigabyte GA EP43-DS3L
4gb PC2 8000
512 Mb Radeon HD 4850

-- I've always been told that you rebuild the Opsys after a new Mobo & CPU.

Is this no longer the case?

Like I wrote - I'm presently able to use the internet - but haven't tried much else fearing instability...

TIA
 
It is possible to do such a hardware upgrade and "get away with it" without major issues, but it's not recommended for various reasons. If the new hardware wasn't booting off the CD, I'd suspect it simply wasn't set in the BIOS to do such a thing.

If the whole machine is working and all the hardware is accounted for in Device Manager (no yellow exclamation points or red slashes), then so be it, you got lucky one could say. Give that machine a thorough test of all the currently installed software and see if it all works as it did previously, and if so, I wouldn't fret over it it anymore.

I still recommend a clean install regardless, however.
 
A clean install is always the best way to go. However it can be a PITA installing all APPS/Games and whatnot after the clean install. I have always been able to do a repair install after most major component upgrades. A repair install essentially reloads all the system drivers ect and preserves your existing software installation. See here for more info.

 
Well, XP tried to load (boot from CD) - but got the same stop error (twice) before I decided to just log into my pre-existing WinXP on the HDD. Here's the code in case anyone understands it:

Stop Error said:
Stop 0x0000007E (0XC0000005, 0xF748E0BF, 0xF78DA208, 0xF78D9F08)

PCI.SYS - Address F748E0BF
Base at F7487000 Datestamp 3b7d855c
Click to expand...

Since then I've updated all the drivers to reflect the new hardware - and the devices are recognized with no exclamation or question marks or slashes in Device Manager.

It's just weird - but cool, nonetheless.

Thanks.
 
It sounds like your CD is scratched, or your new setup is having trouble reading the disc, because of a bad optical drive or bad data cable to it. Try booting from some other discs, or try looking at your XP disc in the light for scratches.
 
Either your CD is scratched, or the SATA drivers are not loading. Place the SATA drivers on a floppy and F6 them before setup starts. Then run a repair; that should do the trick.
 
A fresh clean install is desired for optimal performance and stability.

Moving a hard drive from one prior hardware setup...to a new hardware setup (new motherboard, CPU, etc)....can "often" be done, you can uninstall old drivers, install new drivers...and sometimes get it working "OK".

The closer the chipset relation...the better your chance of success.
Going from one CPU platform/chipset, (such as AMD), to a totally different one (Intel)...is less likely.

If you take your video card and sound cards with you...better the chance

If you "move" your hard drive...and just try updating the drivers and what not...your OS still has the old hardware drivers underneath, lots of leftover remnants. Yes even if you think you've uninstalled them in add/remove and device mangler 'n stuff. So you can end up with a system that occasionally hard locks..say once a month, or you're playing some game and you crash to desktop, Or it rarely shuts down cleanly and properly. Or you get a blue screen a couple of times a year. You end up asking yourself "Should I have done a clean install?"

I usually try to do a clean install. But once in a while a hard drive "swap" is OK..for example, this system here I'm typing from. This OS was installed on a Gigabyte 965 based motherboard, I ended up replacing the motherboard with an Asus P5..same chipset. I moved the same CPU, same video card, same PCI sound card over. Overall...the hardware was very very similar, so it rolled with the flow and has been running great for about 3 years, online gaming every day. To me, this is one of the rare circumstances where IMO it was OK.
 
My instincts agree with those suggesting a wipe / reinstall.

However XP is a weird beastie.

Here's my dillemma: I have a pre-SP1 XP disc. Having googled the stop error I reported above, it doesn't appear to happen for folks loading XP SP1 or SP 2.

Is there a way to create a bootable SP 2 disc?
 
Use AutoStreamer and create a disc with SP3 slipstreamed in already. Don't waste your time with SP2.....SP3's been out for quite some time now.
 
Ran a Vista install for over a year after swapping out a MB and CPU from AMD to Intel, eventually had to reinstall due to video drivers (having swapped those out some ungodly number of times). YMMV, if it works, leave it, if you notice strangeness down the line, worry about reinstall then.
 
Stability is very important to me; I've tried gaming since the rebuild - and while the HD 4850 has impoved my graphics - I've gotten two CTD's (haven't had one in years) and the sound is "echoing" - So I'll probably wipe & reinstall.

Thanks all for the input!
 
DarkSideA8 said:
So I'll probably wipe & reinstall.
Click to expand...

Seriously, before you do a wipe and reinstall, spend some time looking at doing a "repair install" this accomplishes the same objective as a full wipe/install and it saves time too!
I have done several mobo swap/upgrades across my XP and 2003 boxen and in all cases a repair install got me up and running in no time! Google it and read the various tips/tricks involved with this option.
 
shyboi said:
...accomplishes the same objective....
Click to expand...

No it doesn't. Full wipe and clean install puts a pristine install in place, which is the reason for doing it. Repair install simply doesn't do that. If your existing install is in really good shape, then the 'Upgrade' install will probably do the trick. Great for a motherboard change on a rig where the existing install has no corruptions or problems. But on a rig where there's user-created problems (including virus damage, shitty software legacies, device driver fiddlings and compatiobility issues etc etc etc) then the upgrade install simply inherits the problems.

You've obviously had success and luck with the procedure, so it's obvious that you know damn well how to look after the installs on your boxen and keep them in good shape. I don't let my own Windows installs get fucked up to the point where there's a legacy of headaches awaiting a repair install either.

But neither of our experiences are reason or justification for claiming that an over the top install does "the same thing". It doesn't. It's very much 'second best' to a wipe/clean install!
 
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