Hello all.

Do you have to reload a windos machine (xp or vista) when you are replacing like-to-like motherboard?

like-to-like means that the replacing m/b is the same model, same chipset, bios version and bios settings.

Thanks in advance

You might have to sysprep first, hopefully both boards have the same revision. XP shouldn't care so much but Vista will.

If the mb+bios version +bios settings are the same then no reloading is necessary, in fact, barring a MAC address change which is handled on the fly the operating system wouldn’t even have any knowledge of the mb swopout that has occurred.

what i am looking is for someone to argue this!!

what i am looking is for someone to argue this!!

Yep, may ask you WHY do you want to argue over something for which you already know the (hopefully correct) answer?

jaclaz

jaclaz i know that i am right.

i as hopping from the members of the forum (that may have more expiriance/knowledge than me) to agree or disagree with my argument.

Thanks for your replay

Wrong forum section...

And actually you could build two machines with identical hardware in each machine, install vista on both - activate the installs - then if you try swap the hdd's over = fail. why? because the hardware signature is different.

Anti piracy measure.. obviously.

Edited November 14, 200817 yr by FthrJACK

If you are replacing the motherboard with the same motherboard (say a warranty replacement scenario) no you do not need to reload or repair the OS. Depending upon the onboard components you may eventually run into WGA issues. If the motherboard has a TPM on it and you are using bitlocker in Vista you will also need the bitlocker recovery code to authorize the changes.

its been ages since ive done it (long before SATA/WGA) but you can successfully move a windows install to another machine by changing the IDE controller drivers back to "Standard IDE Controller". windows will bot on the other hardware but its not always pretty. you have to reload almost every driver and even then its hardly what id classify as reliable.

Wrong forum section...

And actually you could build two machines with identical hardware in each machine, install vista on both - activate the installs - then if you try swap the hdd's over = fail. why? because the hardware signature is different.

Anti piracy measure.. obviously.

Now if it were the right forum section (XP), I've done it ten times (swapping HDD on identical machine, before and after mobo replacement) and the answer as eveybody knows is: "no problemo" not even a reboot.

i have replace 55 identical boards the last month (mostly on laptops) on xp and vista with no problem what so ever.

boards are pre-activated with the oem vista bios string from the manufacture and each time machines are booting to windows with no problems.

i am talking about replacing like-to-like boards with exactly the some hardware components.

i have replace 55 identical boards the last month (mostly on laptops) on xp and vista with no problem what so ever.

boards are pre-activated with the oem vista bios string from the manufacture and each time machines are booting to windows with no problems.

i am talking about replacing like-to-like boards with exactly the some hardware components.

It all comes down to hardware IDs. Say you swap out an Intel G31 board for an Asus G31 board, you are likely to pop activation. Even if you have the SLP in there. If so, XP just needs access to the internet to fix, if Vista you might get a stop error. Also be concerned if the boards use different mass storage controllers, or even just revisions.