Change from NF3 to NF$ - Win XP re-install?

[jo sharp]

I'm considering swapping my 9NDA3+ for an NF4 board (9NPA+) so I can buy a PCIe graphics card.

Will the HDD swap across without a re-install of Windows XP?
Don't want to have to re-do the entire drive if possible!

Thanks.

Jo

[MONKEYMAN]

You will only find out if you try, I went from skt754 to skt939 using Abit boards and just swapped it over and it worked fine, I dont know much about the new Nforce drivers, I presume the are a unified driver like to via 4in1's.

[hoinar]

Originally Posted by jo sharp

I'm considering swapping my 9NDA3+ for an NF4 board (9NPA+) so I can buy a PCIe graphics card.

Will the HDD swap across without a re-install of Windows XP?
Don't want to have to re-do the entire drive if possible!

Thanks.

Jo

It's possible that'll work, but safest/cleanest is to reinstall...and add the specific drivers for your board
Good luck.

[Mxcrules]

Originally Posted by jo sharp

I'm considering swapping my 9NDA3+ for an NF4 board (9NPA+) so I can buy a PCIe graphics card.

Will the HDD swap across without a re-install of Windows XP?
Don't want to have to re-do the entire drive if possible!

Thanks.

Jo

You could probably just uninstall all the nvidia drivers, swap the board and load the new ones. Or do a "repair" install on winxp and then load new drivers.
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

[Exile69]

It's probably better just to reformat and make sure you get a clean install with the new board.

[4wd]

Originally Posted by jo sharp

I'm considering swapping my 9NDA3+ for an NF4 board (9NPA+) so I can buy a PCIe graphics card.

Will the HDD swap across without a re-install of Windows XP?
Don't want to have to re-do the entire drive if possible!

I just did an equivalent job, swapped 8RDA+ (NF2U400) for 9NDA3+ (NF3U).

All I did was remove all nVidia drivers via Add/Remove Programs, then boot into Safe Mode and run DriveCleaner 3.3 to remove ALL nVidia left-overs. Swapped hardware to new MB and reinstall MB drivers.

Worked fine.

[jnansley]

And it should be that simple, but it didn't work so well for me. I went from the old MCP-T (8RDA+) to the new MCP-whatever in an 8RDA3I and 8RDA3+ Pro (so there are effectively two clones of the original installation - also had to run Sysprep) After I got everything successfully booting, the new Nvidia drivers simply refused to install - incompatible hardware

So after some degree of "Repair"ing and reinstalling and redrivercleaning, they both work - however, the 8RDA3+ Pro install has some sort of issue with ACPI compliance as after "hibernating", neither Media Player nor Winamp can play more than 3 seconds of a video, and sounds will not play at all in any application It also takes a VERY LONG time to boot from black screen after POST to "Windows XP [blue progress bar]" screen.

The 8RDA3I "hibernates" just fine and boots very fast.

Doesn't bother me bad enough to reinstall everything I use.

[jo sharp]

Thanks for all the advice ....I think I'll have to bite the bullet and play safe with a fresh install if I swap MoBos.

The frustrating thing is that if I could get 4x512 ram working in my 9NDA3+ I probably wouldn't need an upgrade.

[hoinar]

Originally Posted by jo sharp

Thanks for all the advice ....I think I'll have to bite the bullet and play safe with a fresh install if I swap MoBos.

The frustrating thing is that if I could get 4x512 ram working in my 9NDA3+ I probably wouldn't need an upgrade.

Details please, and someone with experience with your mobo might give you more info/help on the issue.

[jo sharp]

Originally Posted by hoinar

Details please, and someone with experience with your mobo might give you more info/help on the issue.

I run a matched pair of Corsair 3200 C2 512 ram boards in sckts 3&4. Get dual channel memory and runs OK at FSB of 210 at 1T.

As soon as I put anything in RAM skts 1 or 2 it won't boot.

I've tried with the 01/04/2005 bios, dropped timings to 2T, dropped RAM speed to under 200FSB....nothing helps.

[hoinar]

Can you try other mem sticks? Was the supplied voltage ok (enough and stable) for your mem?
Otherwise it sounds like a RMA to me.

[jo sharp]

Originally Posted by hoinar

Can you try other mem sticks? Was the supplied voltage ok (enough and stable) for your mem?
Otherwise it sounds like a RMA to me.

I tried other sticks...and they all work fine in different Epox boards (8RDA etc) so it is not the memory.

I went through all sorts of different options a few months ago with advice on this forum; I think it is just the standard memory problem of this motherboard that no-one seems to be able to resolve.

EPoX 9NDA3+ memory problems??

As above, and several similar threads.....

[bradmax57]

ive just moved from a Abit NF7-S to a DFI Nf3 Ultra no problem at all, removed nvidia drivers, ran dc pro and then reinstalled nvidia drivers

[Fasteddie888]

I just went from a 9nda3j nforce3 to a 9NPA3+ nforce 4 just uninstalled the drivers mainly to get rid of the gart swapped mobos reinstalled drivers no problem at all.