Question About Replacing Laptop Motherboard

If you replace a dell laptop motherboard with the same motherboard do you have to do a fresh install of the os or can you just plug in the hard drive and go on as usual?

Thank for reading my post.

 

Technically per the EULA, no. If you re-enter the original key a few times, it's been known to work.

However, if Microsoft persists in not activating the key you usually can contact them by phone and explain the matter (OEM system board failed, direct replacement) and they have been known to have mercy, as it were. They give so many upgrades away for free anyways...

 

If you are replacing this as part of a repair action, and it is the same make and model, then as the mekanic notes, no problem from a legal standpoint.

But I don't think that was your question.

"IF" I understand you correctly, you are asking if the laptop will just boot up and work, as if nothing changed, is that correct?

The answer is, maybe. The problem is, it is not uncommon for motherboard and laptop makers to make modifications to the motherboard while keeping the same model number. These typically receive different Revision numbers and the differences may be minor, almost insignificant, to the use of a totally different major component that requires a different set of drivers.

Other changes could easily be a different BIOS version.

I would say, at least with W10/11 your chances are, it will boot just fine, detect any changes, and automatically make the updates. I cannot speak for Linux.

Regardless, you should plan for the worst case scenario. If the laptop is functional now, you need to copy and backup any data you don't want to lose - BEFORE swapping boards. If the laptop is not functional now, then you need to pull your drive(s) and copy/backup your data.

 

You are correct Digerati ... so what I will do is install the replacement motherboard and see if it will boot up. If not then I know I must do a fresh install. The manufacture date on the hard drive is 2009. I may consider replacing it if it will not boot.

The laptop is not functional now. How do I copy my data with the drive pulled?

Thanks for reading my post.

 

You have to either install it in another computer as a secondary (not boot) drive, then copy the data, or install that drive into an external enclosure or docking station and attach it to another computer. Then copy the data.

If me, and I had a 2009 hard drive, and I had to reinstall from scratch, I definitely would replace the drive - and with a SSD.

 

I don't know if this laptop can handle an SSD. It is a Dell Inspiron 1764 S/N 3JSDXL1 ESC 7726883653

 

If it can handle a hard drive, it can easily handle a SSD. They are smaller, lighter and use less power.

 

Another point is backup. Get a USB HDD which is larger than your total HDD capacity
and backup the entire system with a clone procedure. Free and easy to use, is FOXCLONE,
which works with Windoze and Linux OSs. Foxclone will backup your OS, files and as well
all of your programs. Only a single OS backup can be made to each USB HDD, using Foxclone.

Don't leave home without.

 

Did you mean to say that? And if so, pretty sure that is not true. But if true, that certainly is a limiting factor that would ensure I would not use or recommend this product.

For example, if I have a 6TB USB drive, and my OS boot drive is 500GB, you seem to be suggesting I could only make one backup of my boot drive to that USB drive. That is not very useful, IMO. I prefer, and I know others who prefer to have several backup versions. For example, one from last few days, another last month, and maybe a 3rd going back 90 days or even longer.

"Scanning" through the "Use Instructions" does not seem to support your claim either. But since I just scanned through those instructions, I admit, I might have missed that significant limitation in my haste.

 

We use Dell optiplex and latitiudes at work and if needed I have swapped the user's hard drive to another system of the same model / line without having to reactivate Windows or reloading windows.
Then swapped it back after repairs were made. Effectively swapping mobos in a way.

 

Digerati, yes, however, I should have added dat backups can have multi OSs saved to a HDD. What I was suggesting was a full clone
which does not allow for more than a single OS. This may not be satisfactory for many users but in my case with four different OSs,
only one of which is fundamentally important to me. Thus my clone is Linux Minty, and others are only TimeShifted. So Manjaro and
Solus and MicroGates 7, are left to their own devices. I should add that this clone is a drive-to-drive and it will overwrite everything.

https://www.foxclone.com/features.php

https://foxclone.com/download/foxcloneV46.pdf Cloning pg 23

 

Digerati, if I am wong about anything I stated, please let me know.

Thank you.

 

Well, to me, the instructions could be a bit more clear. But on page 24, the screen shot shows in red, WARNING - the target drive will be overwritten!

 

I am going to have to read this entire thread, by the founder of Foxclone, Andy.
It appears that I am badly misinformed. Sorry to the original OP, for steering this
thread off topic.
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=315557

 

Yes, it does but can one make a partition of the targeted HDD, or will it not matter.

 

I sure would think and hope so.

 

Well then I maybe in error, if cloning allows for partitioning.

 

After reading 3/4 of this twenty page thread here is the conclusion of the software engineer and
co-creator.

https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=315557

"Yes clone 'drive to drive' copies everything, the destination ends up as an exact copy of the source.

Yes, but...
A clone of your system drive will give you an exact copy of your system drive, but you are better off taking a backup of your system drive to your usb hdd. A clone will overwrite your usb hdd everytime you do it. A backup will save image files on your usb hdd and allow you to save other stuff to it."