changing mobo+cpu, winxp reinstall??

[qda]

Im swapping my MSI K7T266 pro2 with an asus kt800 board.. and the cpu from amd 1600 to 2600... do i need to reinstall windows? if so, whats the least hassle, seeing as i dont wanna change anything cept the mobo and cpu

 

[mjjohn]

First, back up your saved files ! Remove any cards you will no longer need - sound, network, etc that may be built into the MoBo that you may want to use. Then you can change your MoBo and CPU and hope that XP just installs all the new hardware. IF it works and XP installs all it needs, probably with several reboots, then install all the new MoBo drivers (4in1 stuff).
It may work but don't be surprized if you need to wipe the drive and re-install everything. Don't forget to BACK UP your stuff before you try this.

For it is not what is seen, but what is not seen.

 

[rook]

Even IF it does work, you will still prolly have to reactivate windows. But for best performance you are better off with a clean install of windows to remove all the old and unused component files.

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=23900" target="_new">System</A>
<A HREF="http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k3=2072215" target="_new">3DMark03</A>

 

[mjjohn]

SO true ! The best would be to format the drive and start from scratch. As long as you have all the installation disks and aren't running a bunch of 'borrowed' programs it's only going to cost you a few more hours of time.

For it is not what is seen, but what is not seen.