Ctr2002
asked on
Steps in changing/upgrading PC motherboard.
Good day! I want to upgrade my old pentium II, 128MB PC133 SDRAM & 40GB HDD PC by changing with a pentium III capable motherboard. I want to change the motherboard only and utilize the existing memory card & HDD. What are the procedures (step by step) in doing the change? What will I do to my HDD files. I can do a clean HDD installation but how to for an HDD with existing files is beyond my little pc knowledge. Anybody to help me? Thank you.
IF you do it your suggested way, I would do the first boot up into safe-mode and then replace the drivers for the chipset etc (depends on your motherboard, what else was and is on-board).
As you run your computer with 128 MB RAM I assume you run Windows 9x. As MarkDozier already stated, it should run without major problems after the change of the mainboard. However in the worst case, you can boot into DOS with the Windows 98 SE CD and delete the WINDOWS directory and do a new installation - without (!) formatting the hard disk. But then, of course, all your application programs have to be reinstalled, too.
However why do you want to do such a painful step and go with Piii? Do you have the mainboard and the CPU already? 128 MB RAM will not make you happy for long - and to buy more SD-RAM is a waste of money. You would be better of with a brand new Asrock board (Socket A, cost around usd 50), a Socket A Duron with 1,8 MHz (another 50 usd) and 256 MB of DDR-RAM (40 usd). This system is not as outdated as the Piii and will be able to run halfway modern software, lasting a few years longer. The pain of the repair of your OS will be similar.
When you replace the board, be sure to set the CPU cooler carefully and correctly onto the new CPU - this often is the reason why the CPU becomes too hot and then quickly destroyed.
Regards,
has.
As you run your computer with 128 MB RAM I assume you run Windows 9x. As MarkDozier already stated, it should run without major problems after the change of the mainboard. However in the worst case, you can boot into DOS with the Windows 98 SE CD and delete the WINDOWS directory and do a new installation - without (!) formatting the hard disk. But then, of course, all your application programs have to be reinstalled, too.
However why do you want to do such a painful step and go with Piii? Do you have the mainboard and the CPU already? 128 MB RAM will not make you happy for long - and to buy more SD-RAM is a waste of money. You would be better of with a brand new Asrock board (Socket A, cost around usd 50), a Socket A Duron with 1,8 MHz (another 50 usd) and 256 MB of DDR-RAM (40 usd). This system is not as outdated as the Piii and will be able to run halfway modern software, lasting a few years longer. The pain of the repair of your OS will be similar.
When you replace the board, be sure to set the CPU cooler carefully and correctly onto the new CPU - this often is the reason why the CPU becomes too hot and then quickly destroyed.
Regards,
has.
ASKER
MarkDozier
My old pc is running a windows XP pro O/S. As additional info, my replacement motherboard is w/ a cpu already installed in it but w/o a built-in graphics, and it used the same type of memory card (PC133 SDRAM).
My old pc is running a windows XP pro O/S. As additional info, my replacement motherboard is w/ a cpu already installed in it but w/o a built-in graphics, and it used the same type of memory card (PC133 SDRAM).
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Your existing Pentium II motherboard may very well support a Pentium III with just a CPU change (no motherboard change). What is the make/model of the motherboard, is it "slot 1" or "socket 370", and what is the chipset used on the motherboard? Even if the board is "slot 1", there are "slockets" that convert a Slot 1 motherboard to a socket 370. I've converted many Pentium II slot 1 motherboards using the BX chipset to Pentium III's in the 850MHz range, it's often quite easy and inexpensive. I would not consider doing it with any motherboard earlier than a "BX" chipset, but if you have an 810 or 815 chipset, you may not need to do anything at all, other than inserting the new CPU.
[In fact, if you are using PC133 SDRAM, then this suggests that the motherboard can probably take a Pentium III directly. The pure Pentium II motherboards, and even the early Pentium III motherboards, used PC100 SDRAM; PC133 SDRAM didn't come out until quite late. If the board takes a PIII directly, you don't have to do much of anything except change the CPU itself, which will be a "drop in" replacement -- unplug the old, plug in the new, you are done.]
[In fact, if you are using PC133 SDRAM, then this suggests that the motherboard can probably take a Pentium III directly. The pure Pentium II motherboards, and even the early Pentium III motherboards, used PC100 SDRAM; PC133 SDRAM didn't come out until quite late. If the board takes a PIII directly, you don't have to do much of anything except change the CPU itself, which will be a "drop in" replacement -- unplug the old, plug in the new, you are done.]
What is the O/S you are running. This ix CRITICAL informatiom.
If it is Windows 98:
You simply put togehter the new compute. And install the hard drive. Boot and when win98 is running install the needed drivers.
If if is Windows 2000 or XP there are a couple of thing s you can do.
First - BACKUP the system.
Second - gather all the software you need
Third - Put togehter the new system
Forth Install the O/S and software. Restore the data from the backup. This is the best way to go since you are going to a different chipset win2k or XP are teally particular.
Did I mention BACKUP the old system first?