An isometric view of an Intel LGA (Land Grid Array) type motherboard.
In the days of using a computer with an OS like Windows 98 or Windows ME, getting a new motherboard meant re-installing the OS from scratch if you wanted to avoid all kinds of nasty problems and crashes. With the advent of Windows 2000 and Windows XP, this all changed. It became possible to change your computer hardware without fully re-installing the entire OS from scratch.
Instructions
1. Place your Windows XP CD into your CD ROM drive, and boot from it.
2. Press "Enter" at the first Windows XP setup screen. Windows XP will check for a previous operating system installation.
3. Select your old Windows XP install and press"R" on the next setup screen. This will initialize a short repair install type that simply removes all the custom system drivers and replaces them with the stock Microsoft built in ones, and then it goes through the last half of an install to reset registry entries.
4. Type in your license key when prompted during this procedure. When this is complete, you will find that none of your customizations have changed, and all of your settings are still there. You will need to to install the drivers for your new motherboard.
Tags: from scratch, setup screen, your Windows