[Discussion] OS Refresh after Hardware Upgrade

[Derek W. Keoughan]

Don Burch wrote:
> One of my IT tech guys always advocated reinstalling the last windows 
> service pack after making any hardware changes.

He must bill by the hour - I've never heard of such a thing.

"Any" hardware changes, however minor, or are you talking about swapping 
something major like a motherboard?

Unless the hardware is exactly the same, odds are good Windows will just 
up and die anyway - won't load the SATA driver for a new drive 
controller?  "Repair install" is about the only option that doesn't also 
involve re-installing every application.

Video cards, modems - peripheral devices to the "core", I wouldn't 
bother, and in many cases, removing service packs may not be possible. 
It's practically impossible if the original hardware isn't available to 
back it out, as in the case of a dead motherboard.

> Is there a similar strategy for OS2/ECS apart from a complete
> re installation?

OS/2 is "hardware-agnostic" for the most part.  I've fired the same eCS 
1.2R install up on at least 30 different CPU/motherboard/video 
combinations now... and aside from having to update the Dani driver for 
the hard drive controller (twice now, I think), it's never failed to 
boot.  Might not support the video, probably won't load UniAUD, and 
highly unlikely it will install the one ancient Intel-based LAN driver 
that's in there, but I still see the desktop - even if it is ugly as sin 
at 640x480!

It boots even on chipsets and CPUs that weren't even released when it 
was first installed.

Why spend time fixing what isn't broken? :)

-Derek

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