Computer Update

[filkertom]

I took the desktop to the local computer store ("local" in this case meaning literally three miles down the road, thank FSM) and determined that it wasn't the power supply, and it wasn't the video card. Something in the CPU or motherboard or memory. It'll cost $35 and a couple of days to narrow it down.

Heck with that. I can get a new CPU and motherboard for about a hundred bucks at MicroCenter in Madison Heights, and just swap everything out. I will most likely do that tomorrow -- I have some music I MUST work on today.

I have found conflicting versions of what this will do. Some online reports suggest you have to do a full reinstall (not gonna happen). Others refer to a repair install (if I can find the disk). The most optimistic say that WinXP SP3 will simply load the default drivers until you get the proper mobo drivers in place. Any insight as to that?

Comments

[shockwave77598.livejournal.com]

Be certain you boot into SAFE mode when you start it up with the new mobo. Then install the proper motherboard drivers into windows from the CD they gave you with the mobo. Then you should be good to go. This has a 75% chance of working.

[doctorpinkerton.livejournal.com]

Careful when replacing too much at once... XP doesn't like it when it thinks you're moving the hard drive to a 'new machine'. Changing just the CPU or just the motherboard won't usually raise its hackles, but swapping more than one out will require a re-activation.

Also BEWARE of changing to a different type of motherboard. It'd be absolutely best if you could keep to the same model/brand of mobo, if at all possible.

[liddle-oldman.livejournal.com]

Computers are wonderful inventions -- right up to the moment that they're *not*.