Installing a new motherboard - Should I reformat and reinstall Windows?
Installing a new motherboard - Should I reformat and reinstall Windows?
Hello, I'm planning to install a new motherboard, CPU, and RAM sticks. I've looked online but haven't found a clear answer about whether I need to format my SSD or perform a clean Windows installation during the upgrade. Some suggest it's not necessary, while others insist it's essential due to chipset drivers and other incompatibilities. Any advice?
I would suggest doing so. You might manage to succeed and it could start working. What surprised me was how it booted up from an Intel setup to my current Ryzen 5 7600x3d configuration. However, there could still be some unexpected problems.
In short, it might function, but the best approach is to reformat the drive because of the issues you mentioned.
Thank you once more for your assistance.
Would it be necessary to change the layout of your D drive as well? I have a lot of games there and wouldn’t want to have to reinstall them. It seems like a simple question, though.
Don’t feel the need to do that. I simply reformat the C drive and then in Steam, it won’t detect the game is installed. Just tell it to install the game, but point it back to the correct drive or directory where the game resides, and it should recognize it instantly and install quickly as it verifies all the necessary files are present. If you’re cautious, disconnect your secondary drive before you switch off the OS drive.
nope only c note if steam is on the c drive you will need to manually retrieve your saves so they aren't deleted.
to locate your save files, watch the video below where i suggest placing them on a 32gb or 64gb usb flash drive and copying it in.
after reinstalling steam, remove the internal folder in user data and paste the previous one, which will restore all your saves.
view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYdJNgj2zwY
Don't need to change the contents of the D drive. Programs on D: might require reinstallation, while streaming games should be reloaded instead of redownloaded.
Disconnect all drives except the one you intend to use as your C: drive. This prevents confusion for the installer and avoids accidental overwrites of critical files.
Be aware that your Windows activation is tied to your previous motherboard, so you must move your license to the new one. Check Microsoft's site for details.