Hello and thanks in advance for any help. I've tried replacing an emachine motherboard, processor, and memory with brand new parts, and I'm having some problems. During bootup, it will make it to the windows diag screen, when I say boot windows normally, it tries, and then reboots. I've tried last known good config, and same thing. I've tried safe mode and command prompt, same thing. I've tried to restore from CD disks, and it goes through the ghost image, gets to the same spot, and reboots. One thing to note, the emachines case doesn't have a plugin to the motherboard for the reset switch, so I don't have anything plugged in there. I'm not sure if that's significant or not. Any ideas? Thanks!
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Motherboard Install
- Thread starter Comtrdr
- Start date
If you are trying to boot from an existing installation of windows the configuration and driver setup will be completely differant with the new motherboard/CPU (unless you are swapping like for like that is)
It is always recommended that Windows is re-installed after major hardware surgery on this scale.
Boot looping is the most common symptom of driver/configuration conflict after hardware replacement.
Martin
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It is always recommended that Windows is re-installed after major hardware surgery on this scale.
Boot looping is the most common symptom of driver/configuration conflict after hardware replacement.
Martin
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And the lack of a reset switch doesn't enter into your problem.
You may also find later that you are woefully underpowered. The emachine systems I've worked on had power supplies that were borderline at best for the systems they were installed in.
Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.
You may also find later that you are woefully underpowered. The emachine systems I've worked on had power supplies that were borderline at best for the systems they were installed in.
Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.
That's a point edfair! we had three on the bench all at the same time last week! all emachines and each one with a blown power supply! Pretty suspect if you ask me.
Martin
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Martin
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Comtrdr,
My experience with e-machines is the same as noted by Martin and Edfair. I recall the earlier models had a 120watt power supply (about the size of a "Band-Aid" box.)
Another thing to keep in mind, your E-machine Restore CD may also contain a Bios ID Check and may not work with the new motherboard.
My experience with e-machines is the same as noted by Martin and Edfair. I recall the earlier models had a 120watt power supply (about the size of a "Band-Aid" box.)
Another thing to keep in mind, your E-machine Restore CD may also contain a Bios ID Check and may not work with the new motherboard.
Another good point!
If the restore is just activating a hidden ghost image or an image on the disk then thats not going to be any use.
This restore image will also have the incorrect driver configuration.
If on the other hand this disk is just a "badged" copy of Windows it will install and configure to the new hardware, so will be just fine.
Obviously apply mainboard drivers as per usual, once into Windows.
Martin
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If the restore is just activating a hidden ghost image or an image on the disk then thats not going to be any use.
This restore image will also have the incorrect driver configuration.
If on the other hand this disk is just a "badged" copy of Windows it will install and configure to the new hardware, so will be just fine.
Obviously apply mainboard drivers as per usual, once into Windows.
Martin
We like members to GIVE and not just TAKE.
Participate and help others.
I couldn't tell from your post if you've been able to get into safe mode or not, but if you can get into safe mode then you can delete all of your devices in device manager, then reboot. This time windows should re-detect all of the hardware on boot and install new drivers (or prompt you for the appropriate drivers). It's not as good as a clean install, but if you are stuck with restore CD and not a Windows installation CD, then it might work for you.
XP has a repair install option. The best thing is to save your data from your computer and then try a repair install. An image will never work unless it is the exact model and version and the same BIOS version. you could just do a new install on a new hard drive and then put the old hard drive in the new computer and copy your files off of it. However, if anything goes wrong, then the data is unretrievable. Backup is always a good idea.
If you do make an image get rid of all excess programs you dont use and then run DEFRAG if you are really interested in making an image. The image will take up less space and be defragged so the files will be less fragmented and be more contiguous.
If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.
If you do make an image get rid of all excess programs you dont use and then run DEFRAG if you are really interested in making an image. The image will take up less space and be defragged so the files will be less fragmented and be more contiguous.
If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.
Reset switch is irrelevent. It is nice to have but not absolutely needed. you could drill a little hole and use a cheap momentary switch from radio shack if you really wanted to. This is only if the case does not have a reset switch. You would still need a connector for the pins.
Make sure the power supply is fully ATX compatible and the pins are set up in the standard fashion. If the power supply is not atx compliant it will not work with the motherboard. If you are going to take this computer apart it is a good time to yank out the old power supply and install a new one. The old one could fail and E-machines did not always use the best power supply. Often the OEM's use a power supply that barely has a high enough watt rating for the hardware. So if you add a better video card, or an extra hard drive, or a faster processor, you can easily blow out the old power supply, or overload it.
If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.
Make sure the power supply is fully ATX compatible and the pins are set up in the standard fashion. If the power supply is not atx compliant it will not work with the motherboard. If you are going to take this computer apart it is a good time to yank out the old power supply and install a new one. The old one could fail and E-machines did not always use the best power supply. Often the OEM's use a power supply that barely has a high enough watt rating for the hardware. So if you add a better video card, or an extra hard drive, or a faster processor, you can easily blow out the old power supply, or overload it.
If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.
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