Question for motherboard upgraders using XP

[Badger]

Well, I'm not suprised by anything MS tries, but issueing a company our size new keys is not an option. The logistics involved in just updating the virus dats on 20,000 machines is a nightmare, much less something critical like a key. Remember MS was gonna make all the corporate machines activate just like the home machines until companyies like ours told them to go fuck themselves. THen they came out with the Corporate edition. They will threaten this, get the most intimidation milage out of it, and then cave and give up on it. I have seen them do it before.

I could be wrong, I'm not a bit worried because it won't effect me either way(I'm a server guy, the desktop cats will be the ones pulling thier hair out), and I certainly wouldnt put money on it either way.

 

[James Argo]

I think you should try remove your primary HD, put it on other different machine, and see what's going on... alot easier than to change the MB, and find it doesn't work.
In my case, it works well anyway...

 

[RWhite]

Just to update what has been going on - something that may be useful to those of you who change motherboards down the line.

As of yet I have not been able to move an image from one machine to another unless the machines have the same motherboard. Even if it's the same chipset (like a Intel BX-440) they just yak on startup. If you go into safe mode and watch the startup, it is whatever driver that comes after the agp440 driver that seems to hang it.

However there is a timesaving work around. Basicly I built an XP software image with all the standard applications we need already installed, except not added into our NT domain. Then copy that origianl image to the destination machine.

Then when finished I boot from the XP Pro CD and run Install. Like Jdechant suggested, XP will see a current installation and give you the opportunity to install over it. You say yes and XP will install itself, re-detecting your hardware and installing all the right drivers.

Then I boot from a floppy and use Ghost Walker to scramble the SID number, which is probably redundant (I think it changes it on the reinstall) but I need to be sure.

After that the system willl boot up, all your applications will be there. At that point I can make another Ghost image of the finished machine to add to my libary - and the next time I install on a system that matches that one, no re-install will be needed.

After that you can configure the system for your network if you have one - change the computer name and put it in the domain.

***

So for those of you who change motherboards, the procedure should be:

1) Back up any important data. Find your XP activation code.
2) Install your new motherboard
3) Go into the BIOS and set the CD-ROM as a prior boot device to the hard drive
4) Boot from your XP CD. Run the install. Select the option to install over your previous installation.
5) When finished, if you have a retail version, you will need to call Microsoft and re-activate it.