[SOLVED] A few questions on upgrading motherboard and cpu on existing windows system.

[Mlit]

I'm doing my first upgrade in years. It's for my old man's computer, I got him a new motherboard and CPU and the all required components to go with it, I'll be proceeding with a test bench build first to make sure it all works. He would rather keep all his files, installed software and saved passwords from the current windows installation so can doing the upgrades and then running a reinstallation from windows' advanced settings be sufficient? Can ask if there are any drivers I need to remove in preparation for the new board or can a windows update deal with that? Also one final question: I am comboing the B450-A PRO MAX with a Ryzen 5 3600. Will I need to update the bios in any way?

Thanks for reading.

 

[rgd1101]

on a different system. without a fresh os install, sometime work. sometime don't

I am comboing the B450-A PRO MAX with a Ryzen 5 3600. Will I need to update the bios in any way?

should be able to boot from it. but still update to the latest non-beta

 

[Mlit]

on a different system. without a fresh os install, sometime work. sometime don't


should be able to boot from it. but still update to the latest non-beta

Sure. If I can boot straight into windows you mean?

 

[USAFRet]

can doing the upgrades and then running a reinstallation from windows' advanced settings be sufficient?

No.

Moving to all new hardware, there are 3 possible outcomes:

1. It works just fine
2. It fails completely
3. It "works", but you're chasing issues for weeks/months.

Increasingly, we're seeing #3. Win 10 is better than previous versions, but by no means 100%.

A fresh OS install is strongly recommended, usually required.


What are the old parts? The greater the difference, the less likely this is to actually "work".

 

[USAFRet]

In addition, the WIn 10 license issues.

For the OS activation, read and do this before you change any parts:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change
https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/windows-build-1607-and-activation.2786960/

 

[Mlit]

In addition, the WIn 10 license issues.

For the OS activation, read and do this before you change any parts:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change
https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/windows-build-1607-and-activation.2786960/

I thought you only had to notify microsoft on that sort of thing if you're using an oem license. The whole build has been done from the ground up from the start.

 

[USAFRet]

I thought you only had to notify microsoft on that sort of thing if you're using an oem license. The whole build has been done from the ground up from the start.

You're moving to all new hardware, right?
You wish to reuse the existing WIn 10 license in the new system?

Where did the Win 10 license come from?
The licensing rules have changed significantly with Win 10, and even partway through Win 10.

 

[Mlit]

You're moving to all new hardware, right?
You wish to reuse the existing WIn 10 license in the new system?

Where did the Win 10 license come from?
The licensing rules have changed significantly with Win 10, and even partway through Win 10.

It's an upgrade build, keeping the drives, the graphics card, etc. Just the mobo/cpu and the ram will be new. The license is a boxed win10 home edition on the usb. I intend to keep that same license for it.

 

[USAFRet]

It's an upgrade build, keeping the drives, the graphics card, etc. Just the mobo/cpu and the ram will be new. The license is a boxed win10 home edition on the usb. I intend to keep that same license for it.

The motherboard change IS a "new system".

Being a retail license, you can use that on the new hardware.
The links I posted above is an alternate way of associating that license with new hardware.

With Win 10, you can more closely tie a Windows license to an MS account, rather than only the hardware.
Tell the account which specific system is now the hardware to go with that license.


But again to the other half of your question, I strongly recommend a fresh OS install.
And all the prep that goes into that.

 

[Mlit]

But again to the other half of your question, I strongly recommend a fresh OS install.
And all the prep that goes into that.

I'll begin the preparations to do it that way then. My apologies if I sounded awkward, I just hoped simply reinstalling windows through advanced options so I didn't have to faff around collecting a mountain of documents and passwords would cut it this time.

 

[USAFRet]

I'll begin the preparations to do it that way then. My apologies if I sounded awkward, I just hoped simply reinstalling windows through advanced options so I didn't have to faff around collecting a mountain of documents and passwords would cut it this time.

Export all the profiles in your browsers
Document all your username/password/serial numbers
Absolutely save all your personal files to some other drive
Any software that you must have, save those installers to some other drive

One of the good things about a fresh install in this new hardware is...you're not dragging along years of cruft that has built up from the old system.
But even without that, a fresh install is the best way forward. And often, the only way forward.

We get this question here daily, multiple times per day.
Often, someone will claim initial success "You guys were WRONG! It booted right up!"
A week later "hmm....this is wrong, that doesn't work, blah blah"

Yes, starting from scratch is a pain.
But so is suffering through 4 months of "not quite right"

 

[Mlit]

I'm having a problem. I've done a test bench, everything worked fine, no issues there. I'd now fit everything together and I need to install windows. I have a formatted SSD I want to install windows on. The SSD is connected to SATA 1 on the motherboard. Booting I'm greeted with the message "Insert boot media in boot and press a key" When I insert my windows usb and press a key it tells me to "Reboot and select proper boot device". Am I going wrong somewhere here? What boot order should I set in the BIOS? When I do boot up it actually lists the SSD installed in build so it's not like the thing is being ignored

 

[USAFRet]

The USB should be first in the boot order.
Also, put the USB in, and then power up.

Where did you get this USB?

 

[Mlit]

USB is the windows physical media. I set USB as the first as you said. Turned off and on again. Got this message: BOOTMGR image is corrupt. The system cannot boot"

I'm obviously screwing this up aren't I?

 

[USAFRet]

USB is the windows physical media. I set USB as the first as you said. Turned off and on again. Got this message: BOOTMGR image is corrupt. The system cannot boot"

I'm obviously screwing this up aren't I?

Likely that USB is corrupt.

You can make your own Win 10 USB to install with.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[Mlit]

While I'm making the new install usb, I want to list the different boot options in the bios:
UEFI hard disk,
UEFI CD/DVD
UEFI USB CD/DVD
UEFI USB key
Hard Disk (my ssd installed in system)
USB Hard Disk
USB CD/DVD
USB Key
USB Floppy
Network
DIsable

I'm guessing it should be set to USB Key first for the install and my SSD second or set that as primary after the install. Like I may have said previously it's been a long time since I did a build

 

[USAFRet]

I'm guessing it should be set to USB Key first for the install and my SSD second or set that as primary after the install. Like I may have said previously it's been a long time since I did a build

Yes.

 

[Mlit]

Install began. Entered the key, installation to the first reboot but then repeats the same steps. I shouldn't have to change the boot order so early surely? There two drives on the advanced install section: drive 0 partition 1 and drive 0 partition 2. The latter appears to be small like a recovery volume. Maybe I should just go with the default install?

 

[USAFRet]

Install began. Entered the key, installation to the first reboot but then repeats the same steps. I shouldn't have to change the boot order so early surely? There two drives on the advanced install section: drive 0 partition 1 and drive 0 partition 2. The latter appears to be small like a recovery volume. Maybe I should just go with the default install?

Start over.
When it asks what and where, choose Custom.
Delete ALL existing partitions and continue.

 

[Mlit]

Too late now, the installation is done. I'll see if I can check the partitions once windows is up and running. Thanks for the help. Will keep posted if anything else comes up