How can I keep all my old setting with a new motherboard, processor, and RAM?

July 19, 2004 1:41 PM

If I will install a new motherboard, processor and new RAM, what should I do to keep all my old settings? Will Repair Install from Windows XP Boot CD suffice ? Or should I try this ?

And by all my settings I mean all my installed programs, with their registry settings and whatnot.

Thanks!

posted by Masi to Computers & Internet (3 answers total)

repair install isnt enough, so yeah, you'll probably need to do something like those instructions
posted by yeahyeahyeahwhoo at 2:17 PM on July 19, 2004

You'll have to uninstall all the drivers for your chipset, ide controller, usb controller, onboard sound/video (if you have it) and anything else on the old mobo in order for the new mobo devices to not conflict. So yeah, try the "this".
posted by Hackworth at 2:20 PM on July 19, 2004

I did this same thing a few months ago, and ended up using the Repair Install option from the WinXP Pro disc. Then again I had backups of install files and my data, as well as a weekend to kill in case something went wrong.

In other words, the Repair Install is supposed to work, but there are no guarantees. It depends on how lucky you're feeling, I guess. The method in the ArsTechnica post seems to be more of a methodically safe bet, and had I known about it beforehand, I probably would've tried that first.
posted by truex at 2:27 PM on July 19, 2004