Windows reinstall?

bothered

Hi all,
whenever I've changed a motherboard I've had to format and reinstall windows, apart from the last time. (http://icrontic.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67084)
But I've just read a thread elsewhere where somebody has uninstalled the motherboard drivers, changed the mobo then done a repair install. I will be upgrading my sons PC next week and wonder is this a viable option? I know a new install is a pain but worthwhile thing to do but a repair would keep all his progs working and save much time.

Thrax

<i>Most</i> times that will work.
Sometimes it doesn't.

YMMV.

bothered

Ah, so it is an option then? I'll try it, as I say, it'll save a lot of hassle if it works.
Thanks Thrax.

Leonardo

Bothered, in the last 20 upgrades (several computers, several years) I've only had to perform a fresh Windows installation two times. Be aware though, with most new motherboards these days, there is quite often only one hard drive connector that is instantly recognized during a repair installation. That is the onboard, single IDE P-ATA connector. I've had so much trouble with F-6 adding of SATA and IDE-RAID drivers that I don't even bother with it anymore. I just put both hard drive and CDROM on the same IDE ribbon cable for Windows installation/repair installation. If I'm running a SATA drive as the boot drive, I merely image the final installed Windows with all drivers and updates from the PATA drive over to the SATA, then restart the system on SATA.