I'm planning to upgrade my motherboard and RAM and useing a new case, but useing the same hd,gpu.cpu,psu, etc. I was wondering if i had to reinstall windows. I dont have a windows cd, my original computer dell, didn't come with one and i cant get another cd from them. My new motherboard and old motherboard are kind of similar chipset wise. My old motherboard is a intel 945p and my new motherboard is a 945gc.
2007-11-12 09:51:54 · 7 answers · asked by Fngan 3 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Desktops
No need to reinstall Windows. Just be ready with the driver CD. Windows will look for drivers for ANY device that it finds NEW on the new mobo.
2007-11-12 11:38:56 · answer #1 · answered by Karz 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
this is a crap shoot. I would highly recommend formating and reinstalling a fresh copy of windows. The reason is that while you do have a similar chipset, the drivers are still different. All of your hardware controller drives will be different and windows already has a path that it uses to find these. you would have to go through and uninstall all of these drivers and install the new ones. This could take a long time, much longer than just reinstalling windows. And after all of this it might still not work right.
If you were upgrading everything but the motherboard I would say you could do it, but motherboards have a lot more drivers than most people know.
2007-11-12 18:08:59 · answer #2 · answered by Adam F 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You probably don't need to reinstall windows but you may need new device drivers for ethernet, wireless and/or video (I've done this before - no problems). You should find out what chipsets they are on the new board, just in case they're different. And go to the manufacture website, an get the drives. Then install them when you bring up the new motherboard.
2007-11-12 17:59:45 · answer #3 · answered by tfloto 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All of these answers are only partly right. Really, the best answer is: it depends. It's possible that you'll swap out yoru mobo, you'll reboot, windows will recognize you put in a new mobo, find all the appropriate drivers and you'll be set. It's possible that these things will happen, but windows will ask you to reactivate, which shouldn't be a problem if you have a legit copy of XP. It's also possible that XP will never appropriately find all your drivers and that you won't be able to access your CD drive or ethernet to get the correct ones in there forcing a reformat.
Cross your fingers.
2007-11-12 18:01:30 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If it is Windows Xp...yes....it usually see that many hardware changes as a new computer....plus it it basically tied(information wise) to the motherboard....
2007-11-12 17:56:53 · answer #5 · answered by JP 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you shouldn't have to reinstall windows, however , you may be required to reactivate it, web thingy, first time you power it back up, you may also want to install the new drivers.
2007-11-12 17:59:18 · answer #6 · answered by nuclear_radiation_hazzard 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
as long as ur useing the same hard drive, you dont need to reinstall.....the operating system is all on the harddrive
2007-11-12 17:55:58 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋