I have six years of FSX bits and pieces, with probably getting close to 100 airports with dozens of sceneries, meshes, aircraft etc etc. The last time I had to do a complete reinstall it took me the best part of three weeks! I'm in the throws of deciding on a new upgrade and have decided on a new Asus motherboard twinned with the Skylake 6700 CPU. My question is, is there any way I can backup my entire installation with Acronis and reinstall without any issues, or is this not possible with having a different motherboard? Can anyone offer some advice. Thanks fellas.

I'll tell you what has been successful for many... 

 

Uninstalling all old motherboard software, chip-set drivers, Ethernet  etc, uninstalling old graphics card driver. Installing new MB, CPU, RAM and graphics card and the hard drive from the old PC. Reactivating Windows, then installing all new motherboard software. 

 

I would suspect that if you did something similar, re uninstalling all old motherboard relevant software, and then used Acronis, or the Samsung Magician software [if a Samsung drive] to clone the drive, then installed the clone onto the new drive you would be good to go.

 

Not the ideal scenario, and if I've missed something hopefully someone else will chime in, but those are my thoughts.

I'll tell you what has been successful for many... 

 

Uninstalling all old motherboard software, chip-set drivers, Ethernet  etc, uninstalling old graphics card driver. Installing new MB, CPU, RAM and graphics card and the hard drive from the old PC. Reactivating Windows, then installing all new motherboard software. 

 

I would suspect that if you did something similar, re uninstalling all old motherboard relevant software, and then used Acronis, or the Samsung Magician software [if a Samsung drive] to clone the drive, then installed the clone onto the new drive you would be good to go.

 

Not the ideal scenario, and if I've missed something hopefully someone else will chime in, but those are my thoughts.

Hi Martin, thanks for this. This was more or less my own thinking. However, I was speaking with my PC guru, who said that he thought that the Win OS would be registered to the MB (?)

Hi Martin, thanks for this. This was more or less my own thinking. However, I was speaking with my PC guru, who said that he thought that the Win OS would be registered to the MB (?)

 

 

Depends if it's a bought copy or OEM.

 

Windows detects a change of hardware, can't identify the PC, so asks for reactivation, it's as simple as that.  Often you find one component being changed doesn't generate a request for reactivation, for example RAM or a graphics card, but multiple components do.

 

Motherboards are changed all the time, due to failure or simply as an upgrade. 

 

Simplified now with W10. But basically you reactivate online or use the automated phone line.

 

If it's an OEM copy of Windows, rather than a copy you bought yourself, then strictly speaking your guru is correct. However, automated reactivation is usually successful. If not, via the automated phone line. Worst case scenario with an OEM copy is that you have to speak to MS, even then they are usually reasonable, as long as you aren't installing on more than one PC. You are allowed to "upgrade" your PC with an OEM copy of Windows, and what actually constitutes "a new PC" is hard to accurately define. 

 

Personally, I have a purchased copy of Windows 10 Pro, plus a purchased copy of W7, haven't had a PC with an OEM copy for quite a few years.

 

 

Windows detects a change of hardware, can't identify the PC, so asks for reactivation, it's as simple as that.  Often you find one component being changed doesn't generate a request for reactivation, for example RAM or a graphics card, but multiple components do.

 

Motherboards are changed all the time, due to failure or simply as an upgrade. 

 

Simplified now with W10. But basically you reactivate online or use the automated phone line.

 

If it's an OEM copy of Windows, rather than a copy you bought yourself, then strictly speaking your guru is correct. However, automated reactivation is usually successful. If not, via the automated phone line. Worst case scenario with an OEM copy is that you have to speak to MS, even then they are usually reasonable, as long as you aren't installing on more than one PC.

 

Brilliant! That will make life far easier. Thanks Martin.