How to upgrade a processor....

O

oregon

Active Member
When upgrading a processor, do you just switch it out and it will work (assuming it's compatible)? Or are there driver or BIOS that need to be changed?

For example, I would be replacing a pentium D with an Intel quad core. My mobo is the Gigabyte P35-DS3L.
 
Yup, just pop out the old one and insert the new one. BIOS will recognize w/o problem, but you may/will probably have to reactivate XP due to the 'size' of the hardware change.
 
replace the cpu with the new one dont forget the thermal past, and i doubt very much that you will have to activate windows again.
 
PC eye said:
The cpu being swapped out doesn't effect the activation status of Windows like a board or drive would.
Click to expand...

Did it ever? I could have sworn I had to reactive when upgrading from one P4 to another P4. I may have swapped the MoBo, but I'm pretty certain I didn't.
 
I have switched out quite a few CPU's and I have never had to re activate windows. But I have had to reset the bios to defaults to get the new cpu to be recognized.
 
My understanding of M$'s cooky activation scheme is that your copy of Windows is linked to the motherboard. Swapping the CPU shouldn't have any effect at all. The general ideas for dealing with Windows licenses when swapping motherboards is:

Windows you bought yourself: Connect to internet, Insert original, Windows install CD, click uninstall. Turn off computer, perform swap, turn on. Reformat drive, install copy of Windows. By using the M$ uninstall with the disc, you tell them you're taking your Windows license off Motherboard A and putting it on Motherboard B.

Windows you bought yourself, got a great deal because it was marked "For System Builders": SOL. Buy new copy of Windows. System Builders' version is cheap because it comes without support and can only be applied to a single motherboard, for ever and ever. Take old crappy motherboard you no longer want with $150 copy of Windows chained to it and make work box out of it. Buy regular version next time.

Windows that came with your cute little Compaq: SOL. Buy new copy of Windows. Your current copy has critical files stored on the motherboard itself. Build new rig. Buy nice copy of Windows yourself next time. Save money in the long run.

You know how to do a motherboard swap without a fresh install of Windows: Then you do not need to be reading this. I mention it only to recognize this method. There are actually a few different ways of doing it, but the usual method involves uninstalling all of the motherboard-related drivers, shutting down, swapping out the mobos, and then repairing the current copy. It's time-consuming and risky.
 
What about a windows upgrade? Such as this academic upgrade... link

And what would be the difference between "for system builders" and OEM?
 
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When the board went doa on the new build here I simply reinstallled XP but saved time by calling MS to see Vista reactivated. The date of manufacturer and serial number tie Windows to one board even if the identical is seen as the replacement. As far as prebuilds the critical product id files are stored on the drive not the board. The recovery disks have that information included on those are far as date and serial number.

For system builders is also an OEM form of release while not being locked to one machine only. The OEMs for prebuilds like mentioned earlier are designated to one system there.
 
PC eye said:
The cpu being swapped out doesn't effect the activation status of Windows like a board or drive would. That model runs qaud models as well as the Pentium Ds.
Click to expand...

What hardware gets checked?

The WPA system checks ten categories of hardware:
  1. Display Adapter
  2. SCSI Adapter
  3. IDE Adapter (effectively the motherboard)
  4. Network Adapter (NIC) and its MAC Address
  5. RAM Amount Range (i.e., 0-64mb, 64-128mb, etc.)
  6. Processor Type
  7. Processor Serial Number
  8. Hard Drive Device
  9. Hard Drive Volume Serial Number (VSN)
  10. CD-ROM / CD-RW / DVD-ROM
 
Lots of good information on this post.
thanks

I am curious about what its checking.
Serial or checksum?
 
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StrangleHold said:
What hardware gets checked?

The WPA system checks ten categories of hardware:
  1. Display Adapter
  2. SCSI Adapter
  3. IDE Adapter (effectively the motherboard)
  4. Network Adapter (NIC) and its MAC Address
  5. RAM Amount Range (i.e., 0-64mb, 64-128mb, etc.)
  6. Processor Type
  7. Processor Serial Number
  8. Hard Drive Device
  9. Hard Drive Volume Serial Number (VSN)
  10. CD-ROM / CD-RW / DVD-ROM
Click to expand...

I ran three different cpus on the old Socket A system with XP and never once had to reactivate XP when going from an XP2600+ to XP3000+ to the last XP3200+. Microsoft anticipated hardware upgrades over a period of time when incorporating the activation process into XP. Only rapid changes in hardwares in a brief period of time would need to see reactivation required.
 
PC eye said:
I ran three different cpus on the old Socket A system with XP and never once had to reactivate XP when going from an XP2600+ to XP3000+ to the last XP3200+. Microsoft anticipated hardware upgrades over a period of time when incorporating the activation process into XP. Only rapid changes in hardwares in a brief period of time would need to see reactivation required.
Click to expand...

Thats just what is checked by WPA, I dont really care how many socket A processors you changed. Plus its the amount of hardware changes you do, it has nothing to do with how long its been installed.
 
Windows you bought yourself, got a great deal because it was marked "For System Builders": SOL. Buy new copy of Windows. System Builders' version is cheap because it comes without support and can only be applied to a single motherboard, for ever and ever. Take old crappy motherboard you no longer want with $150 copy of Windows chained to it and make work box out of it. Buy regular version next time.
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that is not true, i assume you mean oem versions. They have the same license as normal win cd's

I ran three different cpus on the old Socket A system with XP and never once had to reactivate XP when going from an XP2600+ to XP3000+ to the last XP3200+. Microsoft anticipated hardware upgrades over a period of time when incorporating the activation process into XP. Only rapid changes in hardwares in a brief period of time would need to see reactivation required.
Click to expand...
the activation is basically a sort of score assigned to your current setup, the score can change a little before the reactivate kicks in. So you can get away with a hdd upgrade, or cpu change, or maybe both...but at some point the system will change enough to kick in the reactivation process.
 
The original information provided by Microsoft allows some 3 changes over a period of months. When changing the drive Windows is on you usually end up reinstalling Windows on the new one anyways seeing activation all over again. A better description on how and what changes are tolerated before reactivation is needed is seen at http://www.webtree.ca/newlife/WindowsXP_WPA_details.htm


Product activation rechecks the hardware it is running only to help reduce illegal hard disk cloning – another prevalent piracy method. Hard disk cloning is where a pirate copies the entire image of a hard disk from one PC to another PC. At each login, Windows XP checks to see that it is running on the same or similar hardware that it was activated on. If it detects that the hardware is “substantially different”, reactivation is required. This check is performed after the SLP BIOS check discussed above, if the SLP BIOS check fails. This means that if your PC is pre-activated in the factory using the SLP pre-activation method, all the components in the PC could be swapped, including the motherboard, so long as the replacement motherboard was genuine and from the OEM with the proper BIOS. As noted above, installations of Windows XP made using volume licensing media and volume license product keys (VLKs) will not have any hardware component checking.

http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm
 
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oregon said:
What about a windows upgrade? Such as this academic upgrade... link

And what would be the difference between "for system builders" and OEM?
Click to expand...

When you upgrade, you need to have a compatible Windows install already activated on your system. With your current install running, you then install the upgrade. Can't remember for the life of me what the earliest version of Windows compatible with the Vista upgrade is. XP for sure.

"For System Builders" denotes a copy of Windows that may only be activated on one computer over the course of its lifetime. It also binds the builder to fully support the product, and frees Windows from having to help the end-user.

"OEM", in the context of, say, Newegg, denotes a full copy of Windows that may be transferred from computer to computer. This is confusing, because OEM is also the term we use to refer to a prebuilt computer, and the copy of Windows that came from the manufacturer--which may only be used on that particular computer.

"OEM", as listed on Newegg, contains a copy of Windows in an envelope, with no extraneous packaging or documentation. And seeing as how it's much cheaper, and we don't read no stinkin` manuals, Newegg's OEM is a pretty good deal.
 
No, Vista upgrade also works with some forms of windows 2000.

And OEM... if it can be transferred from computer to computer, that makes it the best doesn't it? What disadvantages does it have?

And finally, I have windows 2000 installed on an old IDE drive I want to get rid of. I also have a new SATA drive. Would I be able to buy Vista upgrade, but install vista on the new SATA drive (and then trash the IDE)?
 
oregon said:
No, Vista upgrade also works with some forms of windows 2000.

And OEM... if it can be transferred from computer to computer, that makes it the best doesn't it? What disadvantages does it have?

And finally, I have windows 2000 installed on an old IDE drive I want to get rid of. I also have a new SATA drive. Would I be able to buy Vista upgrade, but install vista on the new SATA drive (and then trash the IDE)?
Click to expand...


That's what I thought, that there were versions of 2000 compatible with Vista. Just make absolutely sure that Microsoft lists the version you have as an upgrade path, if that's what you intend to do.

If I'm right in my reading of the literature, a copy of Windows marked as "OEM", and not also marked "For System Builders", sold by itself (i.e.-without a computer), will have transfer rights, and will be shipped without retail packaging--no manuals, no fancy wrappings, basically just the CD and the key code. If my understanding is incorrect, someone please correct me, as I plan on buying an OEM copy of XP Media Center to build a simple rig for my girlfriend for Christmas! I'm kind've designing the thing around the ability to add new hardware--including motherboards--as technology changes and becomes affordable, so a transferable copy of Windows is critical.

You cannot take a non-transferable copy of, say, Windows 2000, that's currently linked to one motherboard, and transfer it to a new motherboard even if your XP upgrade is transferable. Every copy of Windows in your upgrade path needs to be transferable. I know, it's dumb. This entire thing is dumb. Hardware is easy, Windows sucks.

(1)Working with XP and 2000 is similar. Assuming you had a transferable copy of Windows (didn't come with your other computer), I would do what Microsoft says here. With your current copy of Windows 2000 running, put the CD in, let it autorun, click "Upgrade Windows 2000". Turn the computer off once it starts to restart.

(2)Now remove the old motherboard and put in the new one. Clean the dust out of the case while you're in there. Once it's all plugged in, turn the computer on, enter BIOS and make sure everything is set up correctly, then let Windows continue with its little upgrade. It'll install all the drivers and stuff you need for your new hard drive. Let it boot up, wait till it goes idle (including any updates it feels like installing), then turn it off.

(3)With the new motherboard working, now you can remove your old IDE hard drive and put in the SATA. Keep the IDE handy, though, we're about to use it. Install 2000 on the SATA drive, then upgrade to XP. Install all your programs on the SATA so they create whatever folders they need.

(4)Now shut off the computer, and plug in your old IDE. Make sure it's still screwed into the case, though. Leaving it loose on the desk can cause vibrations, vibrations can cause it to expire while you still need it. Turn the computer on, go into BIOS, make sure the Boot Device Priority is set to look at the SATA for an OS first. Save and exit BIOS, boot into XP, now copy your files off the IDE and onto the appropriate folders on the SATA. Done.

If you're confident about the whole thing, you can just swap in the new HD when you do the motherboard. I keep them seperated because I consider it good practice to do hardware changes as close to one at a time as I can, so it's easy to troubleshoot it if something goes wrong. Furthermore, I also made the process long and seperated like that just in the off-chance that the total upgrade might cause Windows to reactivate. In truth, having to reactivate is a pretty easy process.
 
Oh, and one more thing. Unless your IDE drive is tiny or semi-broken in some way, keep it handy. it'll always be useful as a spare data drive, or as a future component in some budget-oriented build. Never throw anything but the most obsolete parts away; you never know when you need a spare cable, card, or drive.
 
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