Windows 7 wont boot after motherboard/cpu/ram change

[RoughJustice]

Hello again, ive got my new parts all in correctly, i turn my computer on and i can go to y new motherboards set up thing. But if i try to start windows it gets to the screen with the color shapes moving for about a second, then a blue screen flashes and it restarts. I really dont know what to do

Intel i5 2500k and an asrock z77

[Ravuno]

Motherboard drivers yo.

[RoughJustice]

Thats what i thought, but i cant figure out how to update it. I put the cd it came with in but that didnt do anything. And i dont see an option for that in the motherboard menu

[Detheavn]

Reinstall windows, mate. It's really the best option

[George]

Motherboard change most of the time means you have to re-install Windows.

[RoughJustice]

Ive only had to reinstal windows once a longggg time ago and i dont really remember what i did. I put the windows 7 reinstall cd in and started my computer. It got to the "launch repair or start notmally" screen. I hit repair and now its "attempting repairs". For some reason i have a feeling im not doing this right

Ugh i think i just did something wrong... Was a "clean" installation not what i wanted to do..? I just read this wipes your hard drive...

[Deleted]

Don't you get a CD with drivers with the motherboard?

Can't you install them from there, and update to the latest once you can actually boot into windows?

[George]

A clean install is what you want, but backup your data first.

[RoughJustice]

Found the problem. Turns out because i bought a computer that already came with windows 7 installed i cant fucking upgrade my motherboard or else, you guessed it, windows wont work. So now i fucking have a computer that doesnt work. A hard drive thats probably reformatted which i didnt want. And i cant spend another fucking 100 to get another copy of windows.

[Deleted]

Don't you get a CD with drivers with the motherboard?

Can't you install them from there, and update to the latest once you can actually boot into windows?

It doesn't work this way. The drivers for the old motherboard exist in windows registry and they conflict with new motherboard. It is not the missing drivers that cause this BSOD, it is that there are wrong drivers. It is possible to remove them from the registry, but it is complicated and not the best solution. Best is fresh and clean install. Install itself don't wipe your drive. The part where you create/delete/format partition is what wipes your drive. It is possible to make a clean install without losing any data, but it requires some knowledge of partitions.
OP, I think your best bet is to have someone that is more familiar with all this to come to you and backup all of your data and make a clean install or if you don't mind losing all your data, just make a clean install yourself (delete partition and create new during installation)

[xiza]

Hm, so you've bought an entire new computer or just a new motherboard and cpu?

I've upgraded some of my hardware as well and didn't want to re-install windows 7, that's why I've used the same s-ata ports for my hdd and dvd-drive after changeing the motherboard, cpu and such stuff. fortunately, it worked out well.

if you've bought a new computer with everything in it, but you want to use your old hdd, this method may work aswell.
but yeah, maybe it's the lack of coffee I'm having right now.

[coolflame]

There is no need to clean install windows. Just sysprep the system before changing hardware.

Essentially what you need to do is remove all the drivers that your operating system has associated itself with. Easiest way to do that is to run sysprep. Windows 7 comes with this executable. You will need to re-validate your Windows 7, also to note: OEM versions may not validate properly.

[George]

That happened because you bought a computer with pre-installed Windows OEM. Its key will only work with the original hardware.

Now, what you can do is call Microsoft support, and tell them you had a power surge that burned your motherboard and you had to change it. Ask them nicely to give you another key that you will activate with your new hardware.

[Deleted]

You shouldn't pirate it, because Microsoft deserves to get paid for products they develop.

Things sound much nicer when we aren't breaking forum rules, especially not promoting piracy. ~Uggor

My bad, thought it was legal since he already payed for it when he bought his computer. If you have an oem disc you should call Microsoft and tell them you got a new motherboard, they can reset the lock on it.

[Deleted]

just fresh install from an OEM install disc then do over the phone acivation. Just tell them u changed motherboard and now it doesnt work.. M$ pretty much give away activations if u prove u have some sort of valid Windows key, Even if OEM and changed system...

[Riaya]

If you have the windows 7 key on the side of the computer case (which you should) you have a valid windows 7 serial number then. Use that serial number when reinstalling windows. The only thing Microsoft will ask over the phone is "how many computers is this version of windows installed on" and of course just tell them the truth, which is the one machine.

[alzoron]

Like others have said your options for getting Windows to load up are to use sysprep before changing the hardware out or to do a clean install. Sysprep basically tells Windows to behave as if you're starting Windows for the first time and allows it to use drivers for your new hardware while keeping all your old data and settings.

As for getting an OEM copy of Windows running: Unless the new motherboard was designed to be used in an OEM system of the same manufacturer it will not work with your OEM copy of Windows. Windows Vista and Windows 7 use a line of code in the BIOS and a special file on the hard drive to identify whether it can be used with an OEM key. If the encrypted key in the file and the code in the BIOS don't match Windows won't work. You'll have to talk to Microsoft or buy a retail version of Windows for this problem.

[Deleted]

Last time I checked you didn't need to wipe your HDD to reinstall windows, just install it on the same partition and ALL your files will be in C:\Windows.old, including program files, windows folder and the likes. You only delete the partition and make it again when you want to format your drive too.

[RoughJustice]

Have windows running.... But sadly everything is deleted. No windows.old file to be found

[ApocolypticTampon]

A clean install is what you want, but backup your data first.

^ This is the only way

After windows95 Microsoft initiated changes that required the OS to be "" locked "" to a hardware configuration.

Change the core (mobo) and you get screwed and have to re-install