Dumb upgrade question

[ferret]

I'd like to upgrade my Athlon 1.4 processor. Its on an Epox 8K7A board.

The thing is, I don't have my adsl internet software on disk so I don't want to have to re-format the hard disk and re-load everything.

I think I can just plug in a new CPU and go, but don't know that the current board can support much of an upgrade.

My stupid question is - if I get a new board and CPU (and probably new ram) can I just connect up the current hard disk and have everything running as it now is, or do I need to go down the re-format, re-load route?

Thanks

[HeadBand]

you usually don't need the disk

a new board will probobally need a new format if its xp but i would think that just a cpu wouldn't however i'm not positive

[Bill in SD, CA]

http://www.windowsreinstall.com/inst...oard/index.htm

Bill

[John Prophet]

what operating system??

if its xp you MIGHT be able to get by without a reformat..but no guarantees.

What you have to do is put the new stuff in...and then DONT boot into windows...rather boot to the cd and then go thru the install process from then...it will find your current install and ask you if you want to 'repair" that install...so you choose that option.

Sometimes it works, lol.


I think you can get the adsl running without any software...just call the isp etc...they walked me thru mine cuz I refused to run the software....it had like 50 programs it wanted to install etc.

------

evidently the 8k7a supports only up to an xp2200 thoroughbred

ftp://ftp.epox.com/downloads/FAQ/cpu-support-mature.pdf

[ferret]

Its 98SE that I'm running.

Problem is I'm living in China and can't get tech support in english. I couldn't handle the wait of getting someone out to get my internet up and running again.

[HeadBand]

98se should be fine without formatting then

[John Prophet]

with windows98se you can often just do the same type thing...you replace the board...then you boot into SAFE MODE...then you run "regedit" and delete the "hkey localmachine/enum" folder...then reboot and it will go thru all the detectin of hardware again etc.

usually you have to delete some doubled items like keyboards etc..for some reason some stuff gets detected twice so you just delete both and let it detect the one again etc.

like the thing with XP..it USUALLY works, lol.

[ferret]

So windows would just find new hardware or something?

[John Prophet]

you cant just boot into windows though...cuz it'll try run the new hardware with the old hardware registry settings...it'll just sit there locked up....so you have to boot into SAFE MODE first...delete the "hkey localmachine/enum" registry folder

then reboot and let it find the new stuff.


It doesnt work EVERYTIME though.

[jmichna]

Can you confirm if your mobo is an EPoX 8K7A or 8K7A+? They were both a pretty good overclocker's board. Here's a link to more recent BIOS versions, which will provide for expanded support ("recognition") of CPUs: http://files.aoaforums.com/index.php?dir=23

The following is an excellent EPoX-oriented support forum: http://www.aoaforums.com/forum/forum...?s=&forumid=27

Although the "official" 8K7A doc may say Palomino 2200, I have slightly older EPoX boards, an 8K3A+ running a Barton 3000+ and an 8K5A2+ running a Barton 2500+. All I did was make sure to flash to the latest BIOS versions, and since I'm running XP Pro -- there was reg hack to ensure the OS "knew" the CPU had 512kb of L2 cache, rather than 256kb cache of the earlier CPUs.

Try the forum suggested above to see what folks there have managed to install in their 8K7A/8K7A+... you may be pleasantly surprized.