Switching Motherboard - Imminent system damage?

[insyght]

Hey all, I got another problem, would you look at that.

 

Basically, short of thinking, I ordered a H170 Motherboard to replace my old B150 one and to also have more PCI options (mATX ealier, ATX ordered).

Now, after a bit of thinking and reading online, I have discovered that switching a motherboard can damage your system/windows (whatever, I mean software errors) or may force you to clean-install windows, especially when switching form factors and chipsets.

SO

Should I RMA that new MB I am getting or try and upgrade (for the glory of WhatCouldGoWrong, of course)?

 

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

Switching motherboards won't damage anything. However, you will most likely need to do a reinstall of Windows as you cannot necessarily take one drive with Windows installed and expect it to boot up perfectly in a completely different system. Double check if your chip is supported by Z170 since you're going a generation down. The manufacturer isn't going to authorize a RMA just because you didn't do your research before buying.

[Wolly9102]

I upgraded twice my mobo since i've been into pc's. First time i've changed chipsets and requierd a windows reinstall. (because it wouldn't boot) this was with AMD.

with my Intel rig i've changed also  the mobo. Just to a ''better'' model, no change in chipset and windows didn't need to reinstall. Windows however was very mad at me for doing so But physical damage? No if you do everthing right that shouldn't happen.

[insyght]

5 minutes ago, BlueChinchillaEatingDorito said:

Switching motherboards won't damage anything. However, you will most likely need to do a reinstall of Windows as you cannot necessarily take one drive with Windows installed and expect it to boot up perfectly in a completely different system. Double check if your chip is supported by Z170 since you're going a generation down. The manufacturer isn't going to authorize a RMA just because you didn't do your research before buying.

Sorry, typo. (Will correct it)

Had a B150 motherboard, H170 is coming. My CPU is a i5 6500, and I will still try and send the new one back, as I don't feel comfortable about it.

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

2 minutes ago, insyght said:

Sorry, typo. (Will correct it)

Had a B150 motherboard, H170 is coming. My CPU is a i5 6500, and I will still try and send the new one back, as I don't feel comfortable about it.

Ah it's a H170. It's up to you. Reinstalling Windows is not hard. For Windows activation, you can always call up Microsoft and say that your old board died or something and they'll activate Windows for you.

[Dabombinable]

18 minutes ago, insyght said:

Hey all, I got another problem, would you look at that.

 

Basically, short of thinking, I ordered a H170 Motherboard to replace my old B150 one and to also have more PCI options (mATX ealier, ATX ordered).

Now, after a bit of thinking and reading online, I have discovered that switching a motherboard can damage your system/windows (whatever, I mean software errors) or may force you to clean-install windows, especially when switching form factors and chipsets.

SO

Should I RMA that new MB I am getting or try and upgrade (for the glory of WhatCouldGoWrong, of course)?

 

Are you running Windows 10? I've found that it handles switching motherboards just fine (Windows 7 can as well-but its hit and miss), with switching between a Z97 Sabertooth MKII and far older P5Q Deluxe having no issues - apart from having to wait a while for the correct drivers to install themselves).

[insyght]

6 minutes ago, Dabombinable said:

Are you running Windows 10? I've found that it handles switching motherboards just fine (Windows 7 can as well-but its hit and miss), with switching between a Z97 Sabertooth MKII and far older P5Q Deluxe having no issues - apart from having to wait a while for the correct drivers to install themselves).

Windows 10, yes. I was ordering the new board with just the thought of having to go over to ASRocks website and dowloading the new drivers, and installing them via USB transfer if my WLAN-card crashed. But if Win10 can handle that...

Shit I am conflicted

nvm, will try, I have a spare Windows Key if everything fails, and all the programs I had are quickly reinstalled

[Dabombinable]

Just now, insyght said:

Windows 10, yes. I was ordering the new board with just the thought of having to go over to ASRocks website and dowloading the new drivers, and installing them via USB transfer if my WLAN-card crashed. But if Win10 can handle that...

Shit I am conflicted

I've gone as far as taking the 240GB SSD from my laptop (which is based around an old A8 4555M), and installing it in my desktop (based around a 4790K) and everything was fine. And the step you would be taking going from B150 to H170 is far smaller.

[insyght]

29 minutes ago, Dabombinable said:

I've gone as far as taking the 240GB SSD from my laptop (which is based around an old A8 4555M), and installing it in my desktop (based around a 4790K) and everything was fine. And the step you would be taking going from B150 to H170 is far smaller.

Did you still uninstall all the old drivers?

I guess so, otherwise Windows wouldn't go on to search for new ones

[Dabombinable]

13 minutes ago, insyght said:

Did you still uninstall all the old drivers?

I guess so, otherwise Windows wouldn't go on to search for new ones

I didn't change a thing. Simply turned off the laptop, switched it for the 60GB SSD in my desktop and it was fine. Windows 10 will at the very least install basic drivers if its missing the official ones (which is where you have the ones specific to the new motherboard unpacked and on a USB stick).

[insyght]

On 27.2.2017 at 1:36 AM, Dabombinable said:

I didn't change a thing. Simply turned off the laptop, switched it for the 60GB SSD in my desktop and it was fine. Windows 10 will at the very least install basic drivers if its missing the official ones (which is where you have the ones specific to the new motherboard unpacked and on a USB stick).

Hey, just a little update. I switched the motherboard 10 minutes ago and it booted up with no problems, I didn't even have to wait at all.

No new drivers required. Again, thanks a bunch!