My friend is getting a new proc, RAM, and motherboard but still has the same hard drive, does he need to reformat his drive for the new system?
shouldn't have to I wouldn't think, though I would recommend it.
I did when I changed my proc/mobo/ram 2 years ago. Anyhow, a good format doesn't hurt once in a while. It'll purge the bugs out, and he'll start fresh and all with is new gear. And reinstalling Windows is a piece of cake (chocolate cake that is).
Unless he likes staring at a black screen, yes he does need to reformat.
You can keep the HDD however when he gets his new mobo and CPU he will have to update the chipset, audio, IDE controller, Mem controller, etc for everything to work fine, I've done it hundreds of times and I've only had a very few issues w/doing it (the issues were related to SCSI drives but that doesnt matter). You dont have to reformat but if he is having issues getting the drivers updated he will have to format.
You did, but did you have to? He would rather not reformat if he doesn't have to, though I agree about reinstalling windows.Soldier-Of-Wasteland wrote:
I did when I changed my proc/mobo/ram 2 years ago. Anyhow, a good format doesn't hurt once in a while. It'll purge the bugs out, and he'll start fresh and all with is new gear. And reinstalling Windows is a piece of cake (chocolate cake that is).
wow, how long it take you to verify? Takes me 27 secs on a SATAIIdarthazeem wrote:
You can keep the HDD however when he gets his new mobo and CPU he will have to update the chipset, audio, IDE controller, Mem controller, etc for everything to work fine, I've done it hundreds of times and I've only had a very few issues w/doing it (the issues were related to SCSI drives but that doesnt matter). You dont have to reformat but if he is having issues getting the drivers updated he will have to format.
http://www.bf2player.com/sig/67240774-539.png
It's always much better to reformat when installing windows. You almost always have to reinstall windows when you put a new chipset in.
Yep he needs a format. He needs to update the Windows HAL, which can only be done, very conveniently, with a reinstall.
On the topic. I usually just rename Docs&Settings, and Windows, and put a new Windows on the old File System. Would you recommend I do this or put on a new NTFS completely? (This is, in all entirety a fresh install of Windows, just on the old NTFS which needs an urgent defrag afterwards)
Just being lazy, or good way to cut time?
On the topic. I usually just rename Docs&Settings, and Windows, and put a new Windows on the old File System. Would you recommend I do this or put on a new NTFS completely? (This is, in all entirety a fresh install of Windows, just on the old NTFS which needs an urgent defrag afterwards)
Just being lazy, or good way to cut time?
My state was founded by Batman. Your opinion is invalid.
I agree reformatting and reinstalling will guarantee that everything is functional. When i first put this system together I started w/a Intel 945 series board and 840 Processor, come to find out that the board was bad after installing windows updating Nvidia drivers for vid card etc. Ordered a ECS SLI board new mem and vid card, put it all together fired it up and windows asked for drivers for hardware I cancelled through all the screens then ran the disk that came w/new Mobo reinstalled the new chipset drivers etc all is working fine to this day. I even installed BF2 prior to swapping out all that and BF2 works great Ive had no issues to speak of. I have multiple Microsoft certifications and yes microsoft recommends fresh install, however from my understanding the HAL is recreated everytime the system boots up. The HAL is the Hardware Abstraction Layer and contains pertinent info about drivers that windows needs (i.e. vid card, audio, mem controller, ide controller, etc) so when you change a piece of hardware in your system when you reboot the system the HAL rebuilds itself to reflect the new hardware that was added.
The following is an excerpt from Wikopedia HAL
Operating systems having a defined HAL are easily portable across different hardware. This is especially important for embedded systems that run on dozens of different microcontrollers.
The following is an excerpt from Wikopedia HAL
Operating systems having a defined HAL are easily portable across different hardware. This is especially important for embedded systems that run on dozens of different microcontrollers.
If you are trying to save the data on the existing drive I would recommend moving to another avail drive temp and then reinstall, if your going to reinstall do it on a clean partition w/no other data on it. Unless your saving data in the windows dir then dont rename it and keep it there really is nothing in there to save other than IE, Firefox favs and other little things, the bulk should be in your My Docs under the docs & settings.cheez wrote:
On the topic. I usually just rename Docs&Settings, and Windows, and put a new Windows on the old File System. Would you recommend I do this or put on a new NTFS completely? (This is, in all entirety a fresh install of Windows, just on the old NTFS which needs an urgent defrag afterwards)
Last edited by darthazeem (2007-01-10 16:45:28)
Ah yes, now I recall. Different architecture processors cannot be updated in the HAL (to some degree), but everything else can that's why you can install extra cards and it still goes.darthazeem wrote:
from my understanding the HAL is recreated everytime the system boots up. The HAL is the Hardware Abstraction Layer and contains pertinent info about drivers that windows needs (i.e. vid card, audio, mem controller, ide controller, etc) so when you change a piece of hardware in your system when you reboot the system the HAL rebuilds itself to reflect the new hardware that was added. Im not 1000% sure about if you swap out the processor that you very well might have to reinstall but for board and other hardware no you dont have to but is recommended.
Well, I need another HDD anyway.darthazeem wrote:
If your going to reinstall do it on a clean partition w/no other data on it.cheez wrote:
On the topic. I usually just rename Docs&Settings, and Windows, and put a new Windows on the old File System. Would you recommend I do this or put on a new NTFS completely? (This is, in all entirety a fresh install of Windows, just on the old NTFS which needs an urgent defrag afterwards)
FYI: You can put your sig image under Profile.
My state was founded by Batman. Your opinion is invalid.
there are few things as pleasant as a format and fresh windows install.
nah , i got a new ram 1gb i didnt format ..
ram doesn't require a format.Marine_fighter77 wrote:
nah , i got a new ram 1gb i didnt format ..
New mobo doesn't need you need to reformat, I've changed a lot of mobos and I'm still running the same copy of windows.
i'd feel more comfortable with a fresh format after a good upgrade. might as well. besides, reformatting is the easy part. having to reinstall your games, and other programs is the fucking bullshit part. have fun.
SATA = SCSI I. The uber fast server HDD's are SCSI II.[E.F.L]Airwolf wrote:
wow, how long it take you to verify? Takes me 27 secs on a SATAIIdarthazeem wrote:
You can keep the HDD however when he gets his new mobo and CPU he will have to update the chipset, audio, IDE controller, Mem controller, etc for everything to work fine, I've done it hundreds of times and I've only had a very few issues w/doing it (the issues were related to SCSI drives but that doesnt matter). You dont have to reformat but if he is having issues getting the drivers updated he will have to format.
http://www.bf2player.com/sig/67240774-539.png
Yes, you need to reformat if you install a new motherboard. When XP is first loaded, it installs crucial files specific to the motherboard.
SCSI is SCSI. SATA is SATA.CrazeD wrote:
SATA = SCSI I. The uber fast server HDD's are SCSI II.[E.F.L]Airwolf wrote:
wow, how long it take you to verify? Takes me 27 secs on a SATAIIdarthazeem wrote:
You can keep the HDD however when he gets his new mobo and CPU he will have to update the chipset, audio, IDE controller, Mem controller, etc for everything to work fine, I've done it hundreds of times and I've only had a very few issues w/doing it (the issues were related to SCSI drives but that doesnt matter). You dont have to reformat but if he is having issues getting the drivers updated he will have to format.
http://www.bf2player.com/sig/67240774-539.png
Yes, you need to reformat if you install a new motherboard. When XP is first loaded, it installs crucial files specific to the motherboard.
Biggest clue is the cable. SCSI has an even more absurdly wide ribbon than IDE, oh and its daisychain.
/try's to remember differences between Fast, Ultra, Wide n' all that shit again.
My state was founded by Batman. Your opinion is invalid.
Your friend is an idiot not to jump at this opportunity to reformat. Windows starts to suck after a while, but if you reformat and reinstall every year or less, your computer stays bitchin.
question for people that actually know about computers:
does a reformat put a ton of wear and tear on the drive? is that why i seem to be the only one out of the people i know that regularly does it? or do people not do it becuase it requires typing about 12 letters in DOS...
heres another question:
if u have multiple hard drives and you reformat windows on one of them, can this cause any bizarre bugginess for the mp3s and videos that you have stockpiled on your other drives that you plan on coninuting to use with the fresh installation? thats what i just did, and everything seems fine, but i wonder if that is totally okay for the stability of the data on the other drives or not. they are all NTFS and connected by SATA I.
question for people that actually know about computers:
does a reformat put a ton of wear and tear on the drive? is that why i seem to be the only one out of the people i know that regularly does it? or do people not do it becuase it requires typing about 12 letters in DOS...
heres another question:
if u have multiple hard drives and you reformat windows on one of them, can this cause any bizarre bugginess for the mp3s and videos that you have stockpiled on your other drives that you plan on coninuting to use with the fresh installation? thats what i just did, and everything seems fine, but i wonder if that is totally okay for the stability of the data on the other drives or not. they are all NTFS and connected by SATA I.
I'm gonna take a swing here, but I think he was comparing speed equivelences, not name similarities...Cheez wrote:
SCSI is SCSI. SATA is SATA.CrazeD wrote:
SATA = SCSI I. The uber fast server HDD's are SCSI II.[E.F.L]Airwolf wrote:
wow, how long it take you to verify? Takes me 27 secs on a SATAII
Yes, you need to reformat if you install a new motherboard. When XP is first loaded, it installs crucial files specific to the motherboard.
Biggest clue is the cable. SCSI has an even more absurdly wide ribbon than IDE, oh and its daisychain.
/try's to remember differences between Fast, Ultra, Wide n' all that shit again.
x2[E.F.L]Airwolf wrote:
shouldn't have to I wouldn't think, though I would recommend it.
Lol, yeah that's what I meant.JE3146 wrote:
I'm gonna take a swing here, but I think he was comparing speed equivelences, not name similarities...Cheez wrote:
SCSI is SCSI. SATA is SATA.CrazeD wrote:
SATA = SCSI I. The uber fast server HDD's are SCSI II.
Yes, you need to reformat if you install a new motherboard. When XP is first loaded, it installs crucial files specific to the motherboard.
Biggest clue is the cable. SCSI has an even more absurdly wide ribbon than IDE, oh and its daisychain.
/try's to remember differences between Fast, Ultra, Wide n' all that shit again.
nope, i just throw all the shit i want to save on my 2nd hard drive (the without windows) and it's never been a problem. comes in handy when say holding onto those 700mb bf2 patches and such. and i also reformat about 2x a year.Marinejuana wrote:
if u have multiple hard drives and you reformat windows on one of them, can this cause any bizarre bugginess for the mp3s and videos that you have stockpiled on your other drives that you plan on coninuting to use with the fresh installation? thats what i just did, and everything seems fine, but i wonder if that is totally okay for the stability of the data on the other drives or not. they are all NTFS and connected by SATA I.