Replacing dead MB so I cannot flash, prep, etc... Is there a chance it's plug and play?

[CigarXO]

My old Compaq Presario CQ5320F Desktop with Pegatron Narra6 mATX w/ NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE nForce 430 chipset died, so no preparation could go into this replacement. I'm running WIN10 OS.

With good advice from here, I'm installing MSI B150M Pro-DV LGA motherboard with i3 6100 CPU. Old HD with WIN10 will be reinstalled. I've got newer 500W EVGA powersource and EVGA Nv GeForce GT610 GPU.

I read the stories of "flash" preparation, driver removal, loosing WIN OS licenses. Any chance this is plug and play? I do have WIN1O media created usb from needed clean re-installs. Will this load?

Any advice welcome! or point me to a good thread.

Thanks in advance,

CigarXO

 

[jossrik]

Windows is tied to the motherboard, you can try the old windows install, however, there may be driver issues and it may not even be able to get into windows. Clean install is recommended, because it's tied to the motherboard, your key may or may not entirely work depending on what kind of windows you have, if it's an OEM copy, there's a good chance you can call microsoft and explain that the old motherboard died and they will either update your key or give you a new one, although, strictly technically speaking, they don't have to. If it's a retail copy of windows 10, then you can just call and either update the license or get a new one, no worries, it will work on one machine any one machine forever or what not. Either way, try the old install, if everything works, great, if *any* problems, clean install windows try your key, if you have to call, you have to call, I have heard mostly good stories about people upgrading though.

 

[BFG-9000]

If you were running Win 10 Anniversary Update AND activated your previous installation with a Microsoft Account (rather than digital entitlement with a local account only), then you should be able to transfer your free Upgrade version of Windows 10 to new hardware just as if it were Retail using the Activation Troubleshooter.

I would strongly suggest clean installing, but a repair install of Win 10 on top of itself might work. The last version of Windows that let you easily move a HDD between chipset manufacturers was 9x, which also didn't have any stinkin activation.