Member Avatar for buddyb

I'll be soon upgrading my computer; new motherboard, case, processor and RAM. I'm running Win2000Pro.

What are the caveats in doing this. It seems on the outside, a simple matter of blanket copying all on the "C" drive to the new drive. I've been told maybe WinImage would be the route to go. Any thoughts on this for me :o ? I'm not looking to re-install everything to the new drive, plus reloading any data that habitates there.

Thanks,
BuddyB

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Short version for : do not try to "blanket copy" C: by file copy. A running Windows install is not a folder tree only — the MBR/boot sector, registry, HAL and mass-storage drivers all matter. As pointed out, a fresh install is the cleanest, most reliable route. If avoiding a reinstall is important, the steps below give the safest way to try a transplant and the common pitfalls to watch for.

First, image everything and verify the image. Create a full disk image (boot sector and MBR included) and a separate copy of user data (C:\Documents and Settings). Also create bootable rescue media so you can restore the image if something fails. Do not rely on simple file copy.

Before swapping hardware, prepare the OS: remove vendor-specific chipset and storage utilities where possible, and use Windows Sysprep to generalize the install if available for your setup — this removes some hardware-specific entries. On the new board, set the SATA controller to IDE/Compatibility/Legacy mode (not AHCI) before first boot; this often avoids the common STOP 0x7B "INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE" error when mass-storage drivers differ.

After cloning/restoring to the new drive, try to boot. If you hit 0x7B, switch the BIOS SATA mode back and retry or run the Windows 2000 repair option from the original CD to let setup reload hardware-related system files. Once you can boot, immediately install the new motherboard/chipset drivers and remove old devices in Device Manager. If you see a HAL mismatch (single vs multiprocessor HAL) or persistent BSODs, a fresh install will almost always be faster and more reliable than chasing obscure driver/registry fixes.

Final notes: check licensing (OEM Windows may be tied to the original motherboard), and be prepared to fall back to a clean install if these steps do not restore a stable system.

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Member Avatar for Catweazle

I think you should have a read of this article:

http://www.windowsreinstall.com/install/other/motherboard/win2k.htm

Transplanting a Windows 2000 installation to a new motherboard isn't always a straightforward provedure, and Windows XP is even WORSE!

I'd be suggesting that backing up your data and performing a fresh install is the preferable choice of action, by far.

Member Avatar for buddyb

I thank you for the input. I too feel that starting fresh is always the desirable approach to this, and will probably go that direction. I've done this type thing so many times I thought someone might come up with a not so time consuming process.. :cheesy: getting a bit lazy I guess. Pop! Snap out of it BuddyB and do what you need to do. However, I've bookmarked the site you suggested for reading, if for no other reason but education.
Thanks again, BuddyB

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