Replaced motherboard; question about OS & OEM disk.

[Ceegen]

Hello,

I have an HP m8530f. The motherboard went out on me, and I successfully replaced it. Now I can't start up the computer, because of a hardware change.

The HP m8530f runs Windows Vista Media Center Edition. It is an OEM version, and the system did not come with an install disk. To reset the system's hardware profile, I need a disk, as it will not even allow me to boot past the DOS loading screen.

I have went through all the FAQs I could find, and nothing fits. I tried the download/support page, trying to order new disks for a new install, and it gave me an error message:

"error '80004005'

/driver/dr_country_select.asp, line 37"

I assume there is nothing that can be done from HP's end? Will I just have to buy a new OS?

[Big_Dave]

Hi,

The HP recovery disks are not going to work on a different motherboard unless it's an exact replacement and the motherboard has been properly tattooed by an authorized HP facility.

If you can locate a copy of VISTA then you might be able to get it activated by using the key on the Windows sticker on your PC.  Check ahead of time with Microsoft and explain that your old motherboard has failed and you could not find an exact replacement.  Sometimes MS is lenient and sometimes not.How to activate VISTA by phone.

You can download the VISTA Media Center add-on code from internet.

You might be happier in the end by just buying a Windows 7 license. 

BTW, the latest bios update for your PC is 5.29 and requires VISTA to install it.

[Ceegen]

Hello,

Thank you Big_Dave, you've given me enough information to get to the next part, and now I have a new question!

Okay, so the motherboard I replaced the factory HP mobo with is an ASRock A785GM-LE. I have a Vista bood CD made up, and when I boot from the CD I get to a certain point after all the DOS loading text skims across the monitor... It goes black, and the monitor gives me an error message that the display adapter is trying to work at 80 Hz -- Something it can't handle, apparently.

So, when this happened I pressed buttons until I got somewhere. I hit CTRL + ALT + DEL and got a WinRE login screen from a DOS command line prompt. (Pressing CTRL + ALT + DEL takes me from having that 80 Hz error to something I can now see on the screen). I have no idea what the default user name and login is. I've been looking on the internet and can find not specific documentation for this "WinRE" boot cd thing. I'm thinking if I can at least log in, I can get somewhere.

I've tried all the usual leaving the username/password blank and blank, guest/blank, guest/guest, Guest/Guest, Admin/Admin, etc. etc.. Nothing is working.

I am hoping that I can get to the Windows Vista screen at some point so I can install the new chipset drivers into windows, or clear the MBR so it can create a new MBR and boot up with the new hardware profile. Otherwise, it's just going to keep resetting in an endless cycle of trying to boot up.

Suggestions?

[Big_Dave]

Hi,

Try a known good VGA cable from the motherboard to the monitor. Don't use any adapters. Remove any installed PCI cards from the motherboard. Unplug the hard drive(s). Don't attach anything to the PC other than the monitor, keyboard and mouse. Now try to boot up the VISTA installation CD and not a VISTA recovery only CD.

[Ceegen]

Actually, I switched to another monitor I had laying around, and it's working. I am in the WinRE GUI OS. I am having trouble using the WinRE command line, as nothing seems to be the same as the DOS-based command lines.

Trying to find documentation now.

[Ceegen]

Update:

Created a boot disk using this machine (Windows 7) to run the dos command line on the old machine (Windows Vista), ran bootrec.exe /fixmbr and /rebuildmbr, and it still has not cleared the problem. The automatic repair function recognized that the installation was Windows Vista (on the old machine), but gave an error message that it could not repair the problem.

So, it still resets every time it gets to the Windows loading screen right after all the DOS loading text. I haven't gotten any closer to fixing the problem since replacing the motherboard.

Suggestions for alternate explanations/solutions to this problem, since it doesn't seem to be the MBR? Could it be a conflict with a setting on my new motherboard and the OS?

[Big_Dave]

Hi,

Did you try to do a full VISTA installation using a normal VISTA installation disk?