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Upgrading comps under XP

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by daveains

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I've had several occasions to upgrade computers after the user has installed XP due to performance issues. Some have involved new motherboard/cpu combos. On a new motherboard install, XP tends to hang during boot, even in safe mode, with no error message and no apparent way to address or even troubleshoot the problem- just sits there forever on a black screen. Does anyone have any suggestions for finding out what it's particular problem is? Under any Win9X system I can make anything work given enough time and Internet access, but XP/2000 is frankly a pain to upgrade under.

8 replies

by daveains

By the way, the drivers for the new board are always either installed or verified supported prior to swapping out the old one.

by brian

It sounds to me like the computer is trying to boot using the old drivers and is locking up before it gets far enough along to correct itself. Try deleting the old device(s) in the device manager before making the hardware swap for your upgrade. This will result in no driver being present which will force XP to install the correct one rather than perhaps trying to boot with the wrong driver.

by mphoffar

I had something similar on my machine. Turned out disabling the internal USB was the cure in my case. All I could assume was there was something with how IRQ sharing was going on

Mark

by thechas

I've been thinking about this for a while.

My best thought for a work-around, would be to boot from CD, and perform a repair installation of XP.

Another thought I have on the subject involves product activation.
I wonder if XP isn't balking, and locking you out because of the major configuration change.
From what I've read, the primary components that set the activated configuration are the motherboard, cpu, ram, and network adapter.
It would be interesting to try a change where you kept at least 2 of these 4 main components the same.

Of course, in Microsoft's eye, the OS is tied to the system hardware, and replacing the core of the PC is a new set of hardware. So, they might believe for such a change that you need a new copy of the OS.

After all, Microsoft does not accept that people should be allowed to sell the OEM Windows CD that came with their PC. Unless it is sold along with the PC.

Chas

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