Help! Windows 2000 and replacing motherboard

Scruff

Hi,
I need to replace the motherboard on a machine but am having problems. The replacement motherboard i have doesnt have the same chip set as the original motherboard and is giving me a blue screen on boot up with the error
INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE

Its saying to remove any new hard disk controllers i've installed, but obviously i havent installed any, just the new motherboard uses different ones.
Is there any way i can get windows 2000 to recognise this new motherboard short or doing a complete reinstall? i really, really dont want to have to do this as it would take me forever to rebuild the machine back to the way its set up and get all my development software reinstalled and configured.

Stephen

I don't think its possible, unless the new motherboard had the same chipset as the old. You can install a new copy of windows on the same drive without wiping out all of your existing files, you'll still need to install all your apps again.

before you try that, have a poke at the windows 2000 recovery console (available via the CD), it might be able to do something for you.

ColmOT [MSFT]

Yeah - you can do that!

What you need to do is from within your W2K installation BEFORE you remove the old mobo, start Windows 2000 setup as an in-place upgrade.
Allow it to copy the setup files to your machine.

At the first reboot, shutdown your PC and then remove your hardware and replace it (!)

When you have replaced your hardware, restart your machine and let setup resume. Allow it to continue to install over the existing setup.

When you complete installation, your old settings will be there and your new mobo will be installed & working.


How it works: Re-running setup forces W2K to redetect all your hardware and it installs the correct drivers for the mobo & IDE devices..

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;824125&Product=win2000

Works with Windows 2000 & higher.

HTH, Colm.

Scruff

does that mean i'll still have to reinstall all my programs again?

did a bit of poking around, has anyone successfully tried any of the methods described here or here

sorry, but a bit nervous of this fooking up royally..:dunno:

ColmOT [MSFT]

No, if you start setup before you remove your old mobo, everything that you have installed and all configuration settings wil lbe maintained.

No further software installation will be required.

Scruff

ok so what you've described seems to be the same as Solution 3A Alternate procedure for In-place Upgrade: from the article in this link .

So all i'll need to do then is reinstall all the hotfixes and service packs?

neokenzo

You can try following the steps on this forum.

Scruff

ok thanks for the advice so far but this is getting a bit confusing.
i read that forum neokenzo and there is one guy (JoseB) shouting like mad in there that the repair method doesnt work when moving chipsets, but others contradicting him...who is right?

ColmOT [MSFT]

I have used the method I outlined successfully quite a number of times for both myself and friends.

oneweb

How much of the boot process actually completes? How about Hardware Profiles? If you press F8 during boot you have the option of selecting a hardware configuration profile. Is it possible to create a new one at that stage or can it only be done from within windows?

Scruff

Cheers Colm,
your advice worked only extra thing i had to do was install the proper drivers for the onboard sound,vga and lan on the mobo.

Changed a mobo on my windows 98 machine at home as well last night. Just replaced the mobo and booted and let windows pick up the new hardware.
only extra thing i had to do there was install the VIA 4 in 1 drivers that came with the mobo. No longer running a 5 year old celeron 400, now back to my 3 year old p3 933. will get round to getting a p4\athlonxp\amd64 some day

Thanks again!