Help installing a new motherboard...

[Oberbefehlshaber]

Ok, so I bought an Alienware several years ago and I want to upgrade the motherboard. The thing is my current motherboard is an alienware version of an intel D975XBX, and my XP disk is also an alienware version of XP. If im right in my assumption, I cannot reinstall XP from that disk if I buy a new motherboard, correct?

If so, can I get around this by not formating my hard drive?

I am also going to be upgrading to windows 7 next week, but I bought the upgrade version, so ill need to have XP installed.

[Bolkonsky]

So you did get Windows 7.

Well:

1) You might not need to install XP. I'm not sure because I haven't done this with Windows 7, but with Vista and XP upgrades, you could just insert the disk during the installation, to verify that you own a valid copy of Windows.

2) If you do need to install (which wouldn't surprise me all that much), you probably can as long as you have the Serial # for XP. I doubt they put the drivers in the XP installation, so you should be fine. I've put e-machines copies of Windows on custom builds, I've put other brands (z something or other I can't remember right now) of Windows on to custom builds as well, so it probably won't be an issue.

Finally, if you're upgrading the motherboard, I would strongly recommend that you either:

1) Format your HDD and do a clean install of Windows.

2) Uninstall EVERY driver and piece of hardware before you turn of your computer to upgrade the motherboard. If you don't, and just try sticking in your HDD with all the drivers on it, you will get BSODs.

[PoleCat]

In my experience a new MOBO means that you need a clean HDD with a clean install of Windows. Otherwise you're just inviting frustration.

Don't worry about the branding of the XP disc - that's just an OEM version that Alienware has bought a license to distribute with their systems.