Motherboard Upgrade

[b15g]

I'm looking to upgrade my motherboard to a more "gaming-purpose" one and I realize that if I do so I will need to re-install Windows Vista. Is there any way to avoid that? I mean are some of the newer mobos close enough specs wise to where the OS won't freak out about the hardware change? I am looking to get a AM3 DDR3 support mobo so would that by itself be too drastic of a change?

[Puter Padowan]

Howdy

You never have to re-install the OS if you change a motherboard. What will happen is your computer will boot normally but be missing drivers AND you will have to re-activate Windows through the MS phone system but NOT re-install. If by chance you are transferred to a rep you simply explain you had a bad motherboard, had to replace it and are reactivating Windows for the same computer.

Just pop the new motherboard driver disk in the computer and run the disc to install any drivers if needed. I didn't even have to run the disc myself as the Vista add hardware wizard started and auto installed from the disc.

As far as the drivers... if your motherboard has an onboard NIC, onboard video, USB, Firewire, etc THOSE are the ones that will have to be reinstalled. Again, the supplied disc will take care of that.

Good luck.

[mjc]

Wrong....

If you have a prebuilt system (like an HP) with a pre-installed commercial version of Windows, you will ALWAYS have to reinstall if you replace the motherboard.

ALWAYS.

The OS is tied to the motherboard of the original build and since XP, Windows will almost always fail to even boot the first time.

Also, if you are switching from Intel to AMD, it is best to re-install as with some updates (like XP SP3 and a couple of Vista updates) if both the Intel and AMD drivers are installed weird things can happen.

If you have a retail version of Windows...then the above procedure should work.

[b15g]

Thanks for the advice guys! mjc, my dekstop is custom built so I hope I won't have to worry about the OS being tied into my mobo. My version of Vista is OEM, might that affect anything?