Can you change motherboard

To have the best chance of success, uninstall drivers for core devices on the old system prior to moving Windows to the new hardware. This includes your graphics card and your chipset. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and European users agree to the data transfer policy. Miguel has been a business growth and technology expert for more than a decade and has written software for even longer. From his little castle in Romania, he presents cold and analytical perspectives to things that affect the tech world.

About time. I was using WinXP and had to change my motherboard. So I gave up the blue screen of death and other windows problems and went to a much more stable OS. Here Are 12 Fixes. Affiliate Disclosure: Make Tech Easier may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.

Is this article useful? It will clearly state which license type you have, be that retail, OEM, or volume. If you have a retail license, you can transfer your Windows 10 installation to a new motherboard easily. When you switch out your motherboard, you can keep the hard drive or solid-state drive with your Windows 10 installation. After replacing the motherboard, you reconnect the Windows 10 drive. All being well, Windows 10 will reconfigure itself, and you can continue using the operating system.

Under Add a Microsoft account , select Add an account. Once you complete the sign-in process, Microsoft will link your Windows 10 license and your Microsoft account. Linking your account allows you to sign back into Windows 10 after installing your new motherboard, without messing around with product codes or otherwise. However, you should note that only Retail licenses transfer in this manner. Windows 10 includes a license troubleshooter you can use to attempt to fix any post-motherboard issues.

The troubleshooter should detect that you recently installed new hardware. If you do see the message, head to the bottom of the page, and select Troubleshoot. Now, select I changed hardware on this device recently. Then, sign into your Microsoft account and identify the device you are using. Pull it out and try again. If not, then squeeze about a pea-sized drop of thermal paste onto the center of the CPU from the paste tube. It spreads out evenly when you lock the cooler into place.

Now re-install the cooler. Again, the method for doing so will vary based on the cooler design. Replace the access panel and screw it in on the back of the frame. Now return it to its normal spot and power it on for a test. This is the more complex operation. Also note that replacing your motherboard, especially with a different model, generally requires you to re-install your operating system and restore it.

Really, you should consider this more building a new computer and reusing old parts than simply upgrading your computer. A handy trick is to keep your phone handy and take lots of pictures: snap a photo or two with each cable and component you remove.

You can refer to them later if you get confused. First remove the power rail from the top or side of the GPU. Then remove the screw holding it in place on the back of the case. Now look for a plastic tab on the PCI-Express slot on the motherboard. Repeat this process for any other PCI-E expansion cards you might have. Intel and AMD stock coolers can be removed simply, but larger, more elaborate air coolers and liquid coolers might need you to access the opposite side of the motherboard to remove a backing plate.

This is the long one with 20 or 24 pins. You can leave it hanging loosely. Do the same for the 4 or 8 pin power cable near the CPU socket.

Now unplug your storage and disc drives. For most recent machines, these are SATA cables. Just pull them out and leave them dangling. Next, go for the case connections and fans. These can be particularly tricky—take note of their positions , and take a photo if you have your phone handy. Any case fans that are plugged directly into the motherboard should now be unplugged as well—they generally go into four-pin plugs around the edges.

You can leave your RAM installed at this point—it will be easier to remove it with the motherboard free. Ditto for any M.

If some power or data cables are in the way, you may need to unplug them as well. Now, locate the screws holding the motherboard in place in the case. There are four to eight of them, depending on the size of the motherboard and the case design. With the retention screws removed, you can grasp the motherboard with both hands and lift it free of the case.

If it catches on anything, stay calm, set it down, and remove the obstruction. When you have the motherboard clear of the case, set it aside. If not, continue on to the next step. This is easy: just press down on the tabs on either side of the RAM, then pull them free of the slot.

Now switch to your new motherboard. Re-install your M. Next comes the CPU, so remove the new one from its packaging. It should slide or sit in place with no extra pressure. Lower the plate onto the CPU, and install whatever retention method is used on the socket.

If thermal paste is pre-applied to the bottom of the cooler, just set it down and screw it in place. If not, put a pea-sized amount of thermal paste on the top of the CPU, then lower the cooler on top of it. Install the cooler according to the design and the instructions.

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Current visitors New profile posts Search profile posts Billboard Trophies. What will happen when I change my motherboard? Thread starter jordanmarkharding Start date Jul 9, Forums Hardware Motherboards. JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Previous Next Sort by votes.