Replacing a motherboard 6

[MamaLoca]

Hiya folks, I am in need of some good advice.

Last week we had an electrical storm and it seems to have caused a problem with my parents machine. It was powered down at the time and although the power was routed through a surge supresser the DSL was not (I know mia culpa, mia culpa, it is now). Regardless thier machine refused to boot after the storm (none of the phones seem to have been affected, so I'm still not convinced)

I have done all the steps to sort out the problem with the help of the Dell techs. Have replaced the power supply (not the problem and Dell refunded the cost). Now I have ordered a replacement motherboard. it is the same board that is currently in the machine no upgrades or changes.

I have taken the A+ certification course up to, but not including the hands on, so I have never installed a motherboard beyond an online simulation. (Damn it Jim, I'm a web designer not a hardware geek). So I have been looking at walkthroughs of replacing the motherboard and everything says I have to format the hard drive in order to do it. ( my father will shoot me if he looses all his pictures)

My questions are:
Will I need to transfer the processor chip to the new board? (I am assuming I will)

Will I need to format the hard drive? (I'm hoping I don't)

What is the worse case scenario? (Be gentle I'm a n00b)

Life would be so much easier if I only had the source code.

 

[edfair]

What OS? Things are simpler if he has 98SE or earlier.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[MamaLoca]

He's running XP. Tt's a relativly new Dell Dimention 2400.

Life would be so much easier if I only had the source code.

 

[Nelviticus]

If the replacement is exactly the same motherboard (and it should be if you're getting it straight from Dell) there shouldn't be a problem as the drivers your father already has installed will be the correct ones. You might have to re-activate Windows but at worst that'll just involve a phone call to Microsoft.

If it's a different model of motherboard you should do a fresh installation of Windows. If you want to save the data, buy a new hard drive and connect the old one as a second drive.

Be careful when you move the components and make sure that you earth yourself first, as many computer parts are susceptible to damage from static electricity.

Take particular care with the CPU as you will almost certainly need a fresh application of thermal paste between the CPU and the heatsink to avoid heat problems. You'll have to carefully scrape off the old stuff with a credit card then apply some new paste as per the instructions - you can buy little tubes of this at computer shops. It's paste that goes solid when it first gets heated up and allows heat to be conducted from the CPU to the heatsink very efficiently.

What's the worst case scenario? You'll have all the parts laid out on a nylon carpet then a long-haired cat will roll all over them! Seriously, be careful of static electricity, it is the enemy of a PC's internals.

Regards

Nelviticus

 

[edfair]

If this is an exact replacement you shouldn't have to do anything except swap the M/B and transfer the memory.
Document what you disconnect so you are certain when you connect it back up. XP should be happy. That is the best case.
Medium case is you have to do a repair install. Overwrites the OS.
The worst case? You get disowned. But in any case you don't let it format the existing drive. If you have to reformat do it on a new drive. That is cheap insurance to make sure you don't get written out of the will.


Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[MamaLoca]

Thanks for you responses, you have allayed my fears about this. (*sometimes we invent our own monsters)

I have an anti-static wrist band so that will help.

My parents don't have a cat, just a dog (my biggest competiter in the will)

I already have a plan of attack for keeping track of all the cables and componants that I will have to deal with.

I will be heading out to get some thermal paste as I do think I will have to move the processor (the new board only cost 79 bucks)

What if this is not the problem? (* see above).

Yous guys are the greatest. Thanks

Nila __________________________________________________________________
Life would be so much easier if I only had the source code.

 

[MamaLoca]

I have found these walkthroughs

Illustrated How to Replace a Motherboard (Removal)

http://www.fonerbooks.com/r_mother.htm

Illustrated How to Install a Motherboard

http://www.fonerbooks.com/r_board.htm

And this one from the Elder Geek

http://www.theeldergeek.com/replace_motherboard.htm

Nila __________________________________________________________________
Life would be so much easier if I only had the source code.

 

[wizzer]

If you put it all together and find that it doesn't work, you need to bear in mind that if a power surge has damaged the motherboard, other components such as the proceesor, the memory and/or any other expansion cards (such as your video card!) what have been fitted could also be fried...

You should be able to tell this though once you've replaced the motherboard, and if the motherboard has built in VGA then you should at least get a display, and some beeping if there is something else wrong.

HTH
James

 

[Johnthephoneguy]

Most likely XP will see a major hardware change and require you to reactivate, just moving the Hard drives to the new MB is enough of a change. it was stated before, worst case scenario that will just require a call to microsoft .

 

[roland63]

First thing you SHOULD do is physically remove that Hard Drive and install it in another computer as a SLAVE.

Back up whatever your old man needs - that's paramount.

After that, feel free to follow the given advise from Nelviticus.

Best of luck!

 

[MamaLoca]

Oh man, roland63, if you think that's a good idea perhaps I should do that.

The last time I tried to add a second hard drive to a machine was ages ago on (yikes) a Win95 machine. It was such PITA that I never tried it again. I remember having to change the jumpers and whatnot and I never did succeed in getting it right, I guess I can look up a walkthrough for that as well.

I have a few days till the MoBo gets here, haha, like I have all the time in the world to do all this, sheesh. They're gonna have a cow if I show up and take the HDD out. They are already fretting about the time this is taking already.

I love my parents, I've always encouraged them to spend my inheritance, perhaps I need to rethink my strategy here.

Nila __________________________________________________________________
Life would be so much easier if I only had the source code.

 

[MamaLoca]

Ah, wizzer, I thought of that, too. So far I've had my fingers crossed. I hope you're wrong. the MoBo has VGA onboard so I will at least get something.

And Johnthephoneguy, That really is a WCS. whenever I've called MS in the past they always seem so suspicious. Heaven forbit I should jip them outa 400 bucks if I installed on a second machine. I should be able to put it on 5 machines if they are all my machines, but that's another thread. (Mama lowers her fist and gingerly climbs down from her soapbox)

Nila __________________________________________________________________
Life would be so much easier if I only had the source code.

 

[MamaLoca]

Hey, hold the presses, If do get the HDD I'll be installing into another Dimention 2400. Can't I just set it up as the Master Hard drive and snag all the data to my external HDD and then put it back the way it was, that way I don't have to diddle around with jumpers and slaves and all that. Same Model CPU, similar vintage, Ya think? (That would be too easy, but one can hope)

Nila __________________________________________________________________
Life would be so much easier if I only had the source code.

 

[edfair]

The risk is the same as on the original computer. IF the XP figures out that you have changed parts it will want to reload.


Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[Johnthephoneguy]

You DO NOT HAVE TO RELOAD WINDOWS just for a MB change with the like for like replacement. You Might have to reactivate it, but reloading it should not be an issue because the drivers should be the same that windows is using.

 

[MamaLoca]

OK, so I will be well advised to make a backup by installing the HDD from the frelled machine onto a good machine.

What issues can I expect when I do this, Windows is going to want to know about the new drive and so I will have to install it onto the new machine. Or will it just accept that it is there and install the drivers without wanting to format and all that. (what did I get myself into, shoulda listened to Three Dead Trolls and not gotten my parents a computer in the first place

http://www.deadtroll.com/index2.html)

Will the OS on the drive interfere with the existing OS?

Nila __________________________________________________________________
Life would be so much easier if I only had the source code.

 

[attrofy]

If you are going to back up the HDD first - you may be in luck if it is a SATA drive. We have some HP's that are almost a year old and have SATA drives - that means no jumpers. Just plug Father's HDD into the next available SATA slot.

If it is not SATA, and is indeed PATA, fear not - it is simple. Look at the hard drive, once it is removed from the PC, the side with the sticker will most likely show some lines or dots that represent the jumpers. At the least they may even have arrows pointing to which pins represent Master, Slave and CS (Cable Select). A good rule of thumb, the set closes to the ribbon cable is usually the master, the next row are the Slave, and the third row the CS. Not always true - but most of the time. Most of the time the pins are arranged perpendicular to the drive - so the jumper connector goes up and down - most of the time. It is only a mater of removing the plug from the Master setting, and moving it to the Slave setting. My personal expereince is Slave works better then Cable Select - but whatever....

The working PC that you will be plugging Father's HDD into will already be set as Master. You may have an issue with the CD-Rom/DVD being set to slave and on the same cable. If it is on its own cable - you are good - otherwise - you may have to remove the ribbon cable (not necassarily the power plug) from the CD ROM. Plug fathers HDD into the same cable as the Master HDD, add power, and fire it up.

Despite the OS's on both drives, if father's HDD remains slaved - it will not interfere or boot with the other OS.

All data can be transfered onto the working HDD (assuming there is enough room) and burned out to CD or copied to alternate locations.

Then when all is said and done - you will ahve all of fathers info on a computer - and when the new Mobo arrives and all works fine - you will wonder why you worried so much.

Just Kidding - backing up is a good idea at this point. Then any catastrophe (like them getting a new cat) will be avoided (when the parts are splayed all over the nylon shag carpet floor).

 

[attrofy]

Oh, one thing I forgot - you may have to enter the Setup (BIOS) and let the BIOS recognize the second HDD. I can't remember but I think Dell's are press F1 to enter setup. You will need to find the HDD section in the BIOS (usually second screen) and auto-detect the HDD - usually press enter on that screen. You should see all drives attached to the PC. But it might find it on its own - I would boot into Windows first and see if it finds it before you worry about BIOS settings.

 

[attrofy]

I forgot one last thing (wish there was an edit button on this forum), I am not saying its impossible, but a shut down PC, running through a surge protector, getting fried in a lightning storm sounds a bit extreeme. I have seen similar things with modems, but the modem is also directly connected to the phone line - with no protection in between. In the DSL, the phone line connects to the modem, then to a CAT 5 connection. Still a pretty straight shot, but if there is no damage to the DSL modem - I would be raising my suspicions about a fried Mobo.

Again, it is possible, and stranger things have happend, but I had to put my 2¢ in on that one...

Just out of curiosity - have you disconnected everything except the HDD and the Memory to see if it would boot? Possibly tried to reseat the memory? Tried to boot without the HDD? It sounds like the power is coming on, but the machine not booting? Any post code beeps? All lights and fans coming on with nothing attached?

 

[MamaLoca]

Dell's support took me through the whole process, removing everything but the kitchen sink, No fans, no post code beeps, only that lo\nely little light on the MoBo next to the power cable connection.

I am suspicious about the power coming through the DSL, but Dad mentioned that the DSL light on the unit was not lit anymore. He watches all the lights come on as he boots up everyday. So I'm wondering about why that is whether it's because the computer is non-operational or perhaps it is fried as well. I have another unit I can use so that's not a concern.

I know the whole thing is kinda strange, as I said none of the phones are fried AND as an odd aside the cieling fan in the kitchen (on a completely different curcuit but not exclusive to that curcuit) was also affected that day. The curcuits in the house are faily new being upgraded from fuses but there is still wiring in the house with (gasp) cloth covering, yes, it's an old old house.

My assumption that the power surge came through the DSL is due to the lack of a better explaination. Maybe it was just its TIME. the machine is only 3 years old. Old but not that old.

I thought the same thing about an edit button.

I wantr to thank everyone for all your sage advice. I know I will come through with flying colors, either that or I'm out of the will, lol.

Nila __________________________________________________________________
Life would be so much easier if I only had the source code.