Motherboard swap issue...

[gjwilson]

I`m swapping mainboards and keep running into errors and glitches and lockups. Is there any way to swap without having to reinstall everything? I`ve searched the old forums and haven`t found anything specific.I`m using WinME.
Thanks.............

[Telexen]

If it's a different motherboard - especially with a different chipset you're going to need to re-install Windows....it's looking at the drivers for the old setup and that's where it has problems. I suggest you format and reinstall Windows and your software.

[daveleau]

With WinME? Wow.
The success rate of swapping mobos without reinstalling is 50% at best. The best thing to do is reinstall. If you are getting errors, there are ways to fix it, but you will probably be better off reinstalling.

There is no real specific process to doing this. Basically, you swap the mobo and try it to see what you get. If you get BSODs, hard lockups, explorer crashes and the like, then you pretty much have to reinstall. WinME, and its inherent instability, is the least likely to have a successful mobo swap.

The only thing you can do is go into the INF folder and rename these files and hope they are regenerated by the OS correctly:
Drvdata.bin & Drvidx.bin
These are your device driver files and removing those should remove any drivers from the old mobo.

Dave

[Tomteriffic]

Another trick I used once, going from a VIA chipset to an Intel was to open regedit, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE --->Hardware and finding the Enum Key and deleting it.

THEN shut down, swap the mobos and let the OS find all the hardware again.

[gjwilson]

Thanks for the fast replies. I usually do a fresh install but it`s my wife`s business comp. and I`m trying to avoid all the backups and reloads. I`ll try the Enum Key trick...after I back up her files and see if that works. Just for the record...I`ll be installing win 2K when I`m done maybe even XP if i can find all my drivers. Had enough brain-farts with ME.

[jmichna]

Originally posted by Tomteriffic
Another trick I used once, going from a VIA chipset to an Intel was to open regedit, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE --->Hardware and finding the Enum Key and deleting it.

THEN shut down, swap the mobos and let the OS find all the hardware again.

I have used this very same method on a couple of occasions with W98se and WinMe machines. This does not work for NT/W2K/XP machines.

[gjwilson]

Thanks for the thought, jmichna. I`m running out of ME machines so this might be my last chance to try it....)

[gjwilson]

Well...it almost worked. If this is a pass/fail test...I failed.Deleting the Enum hotkey did allow me to install the new mobo.Windows, however, didn`t like the factory drivers and installed MOST of their own. I went from an SIS chipset to a VIA. When I installed the remainder of the drivers needed to run the new board my computer froze up as before. I then put the drive back in with the old mobo and waited for it to relocate it`s favorite old parts It located many and re-installed drivers for many..decided to restart and came back with a black screen and a flashing cursor.
My next step is to put in a new drive with a clean/ fresh install of Win-whatever and setup my original drive as a slave and hopefully I can access my files and save my marriage.