Upgrading motherboards with the same hard drive

[davidzill]

I am about to upgrade from a generic motherboard on My OEM machine a 780 SLI motherboard, but I want to keep the same hard drive. I have looked for many answers over the internet if I can just unplug my HD and plug it into the new mobo when I boot my computer up. I have Vista 64, and ALL of the components will be the same except for the motherboard, and, BTW, I have a blank HD in there if it helps.

Does anybody know how to do the switch safely?

MOST of my software is download only off the internet that will be a pain in the you know what to get download links again if I can even do that.

 

[Zenthar]

You can definitely reuse the HD. However I'm not sure how you expect it to work. Unless lucky, you can't just plug the new HD right in had hope windows and every other software will work as if nothing happened.

Backup what you want to keep on the blank HD, change the MB, then do a fresh Windows Installation on the "old" (non-backup) HD.

 

[jsc]

Did you keep backups of your download installation programs?

If you did, move the backup files to the blank disk. Backup your data to the blank disk. Then uninstall all the drivers you can from your orignal hard drive. Swap motherboards. Boot, and if you are lucky, you can just install the drivers, and you will be up and running. Based on my experience, your odds are 50:50 that it will work.

But Zenthar is right. The safest thing to do is a fresh install. Besides, a fresh install will clean out a lot of residual "ash 'n trash" from the hard drive.

 

[davidzill]

I have not started the upgrade, waiting for the mobo to arrive in mail. I will back up everything on an off-site back-up like carbonite etc,then move everything to my blank HD and see what happens. Worst case scenario, I will have to email alot of companies to get download links for their software (the downside to offering download only software I guess).

 

[jitpublisher]

Is your OS (Vista) an OEM version that came with the machine?
If it is, there is about a 90% probability that it will refuse to work with the new motherboard.
Many OEM OS's that are loaded onto Gateway, HP, Dell for instance are keyed to the BIOS on the motherboard, and simply will NOT work on anything except an OEM motherboard.
If you have upgraded with a retail version of Vista, then it will be fine as far as it will not "refuse" to work.
However, changing motherboards can be tricky. As mentioned, there is a 50/50 chance it may or may not even boot. If it does boot, it is going to be flakey acting. You can attempt a repair install, but even then that won't gaurantee it will work without bugs popping up somewhere.
New motherboard......really you need to do a fresh install of the OS.
You could buy another drive, install the OS on it, then install your current drive as a secondary drive, and assuming you still have all the installation software you have downloaded, move it to the new drive and reinstall it there. And you would still have all your data as well on the old drive.
It is a long painful process, but it is about all you can do if you are inclined to change the motherboard with something completely different than what the machine came with.
Be prepared for problems if you do it any other way.

 

[davidzill]

I just checked with a company I purchased a $90 program from. They said I am out of luck on an additional download link, that I would have to buy the program again to download. I thought upgrading computers was popular? It almost sounds impossible. So if I do a fresh install, will I be ok if I use my current hard drive after I do an OS install? I mean how the hell does someone upgrade their computer and still use you data and programs??? There has to be a method to the madness. With today's technology, no one should have to start from scratch, that can be very costly especially in my case.

 

[jitpublisher]

What would you have done if the Hard Drive died on you....a very common problem? You would then be really SOL.
Generally, upgrading OEM PC's is very limited. You are limited to maybe RAM, video card, small processor upgrade at best.
A motherboard change is not generally considered an upgrade on an OEM PC. Most people who do upgrade don't just change a motherboard. A new motherboard is generally the basis for an entire new build.

And yes, we all reload from scratch when we change something as drastic as a motherboard. Sure it takes a few hours, but it's not hard to do if you saved/backed up all your programs, especailly those you have paid for and downloaded. Immediately burn the install program to CD or DVD if you paid and downloaded a program from the internet. It is just carelessness not to do that! For heavens sake, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

 

[davidzill]

I am going to just suck it up. I think the most painless method is to just re-install a fresh copy of Windows, however I am going to UPGRADE from Vista 64 to XP SP3. Vista is a lop of an operating system. I just need to back up all the set-up files for my internet downloaded programs onto a disc(s)

 

[jitpublisher]

Yep, if you have them that is the thing to do.
Good luck, hope all goes well and your new hardware works great.