Windows 7 after new motherboard

[lucasz]

I currently have an i5 650 and gigabyte p55m ud3 motherboard. Yesterday I bought an i5 3570k and asrock extreme4 z77. What exactly do I have to do after I swap out the components? Is it just simply typing in the software key that came with Windows or what? Thanks.

 

[unksol]

If it a retail copy you can still use the license. If you bought the $100 OEM license You need to buy a new windows 7 license. Windows 7 OEM is tied to the motherboard and you can not transfer it to a new motherboard legally.

Either way you need to wipe your drive and do a clean install

 

[lucasz]

So how should I back up my other programs? I have a 2tb external hard drive. how do I back up everything?

 

[geofelt]

There are two issues.
1. Do you need to do a clean install?
If your motherboard chipsets are sufficiently similar, you can boot with your os drive and simply install the new chipset drivers that came with your new motherboard. The odds are a50/50 that this will work.
If you need a clean install, use windows easy transfer to export your files and settings. After the install, you can import them back. If you are not using a ssd, consider this as an opportune time to install one. On a clean install, you will have to reinstall your programs.

2. Windows activation.
If your windows is retail or upgrade, no problem. If it is oem, the license is tied to the old motherboard, and you need to buy a new license. ... in theory...
MS is surprising lenient about letting you reactivate with a replacement motherboard so long as you tell them that this copy is used nowhere else. It is worth a try.

 

[lucasz]

I guess I should just do a clean install. I have way to much stuff that I don't use which is slowing down my pc. And yes I have the retail version. Disc, box and everything. I hear I can't just move all my programs to the ext hard drive and copy them back? Would I have to re-install everything? And do you know if I install steam after the clean install if I can just re-download all my games that were in my library with all the game's data? I also have a ton of zip and rar files in my downloads that I would like to keep too. Can I just copy the download folder?

 

[geofelt]

I would try to boot with your old os drive.
I have been successful with this with several intel to intel migrations.
If you can boot into windows, install the new drivers from the new motherboard driver cd.

If you have junk, uninstall what you don't need.

Zip and rar files should be ok with easy transfer.
Steam, I don't know. I lost a game in a similar migration, and could never get it back. I am zipped at steam.

If you will do a clean install, do it to a new ssd. You will be very pleased with the every day performance.