Motherboard Help?

If your question is, "if I replace my motherboard will the computer still boot up windows and operate normally?"....Yes (probably). Once you replace the motherboard go into the bios first and just confirm that you see your harddrive and that everything looks ok. Then restart and allow Windows to boot. If Windows has a problem, restart the machine and use the F5/F8/F2 (I forget which key) immediately before Windows starts and you should get a menu allowing you to start Windows in Safe Mode. You can trouble shoot from there. Again, it should be fine.

*One caveat - if your old motherboard had devices on it (like a LAN adapter) and the new one doesn't...clearly, some stuff won't work (but Windows should boot).

Most Windows will not boot on a different motherboard. TYhis is because the HDD chipset is usually different, or at least a different implementation.

Thus, odds are you may have to re-install Windows, or at least attempt a "repair" of your existing system.

One hint, just before you change boards, go into device manager and remove (uninstall) and HDD drivers. SHut down and then change boards. That will make Windows default to generic HDD drivers, and odds are a lot better it may boot, then install the new board HDD drivers when it sees the new board. Only the generic HDD drivers can generally move between different boards..

switching out your motherboard and then booting up an existing copy of windows that was installed using a different motherboard is a bit dicey

at best, windows is going wake up and freak out a bit because this hardware has changed. it will go through a plug and play process of identifying the new components involved as best it can. if it survives this, you will want to install any manufacturer drivers particular to the new motherboard

your old install of windows may fail to successfully boot with the new board however. it's a good idea to back up your data before your swap the board out.

strictly speaking the best thing to do is start with a completely new install of the os, although in practice I admit I almost always just try booting the old copy of windows, after backing stuff up.

your modern copies of windows may also give you trouble about switching out the hardware because it may interpret that as you installing your os on a "new computer," and microsoft could possibly decide there's restrictions on that (they want more money). might want to check on that side of it also

If the OS on your HDD is OEM, a change in the mobo is considered a new system and you MIGHT be required to obtain a new license key, so be prepared to contact MS and explain the mobo switch in case the OS starts to act up.