Install Replace and Maintain a Motherboard

If motherboard fails or an upgrade to a faster CPU or memory needs newer motherboard then old motherboard is replaced. New motherboard should be compatible with form factor, SMPS and other devices. Driver software may be needed for proper working of devices.

Removing Motherboard

First, power off and disconnect every cable from the outside of PC. Use anti-static device to open chassis cover and disconnect all cables inside the chassis. Remove the drive cage if needed and any remaining cables and all cards in expansion slots and place them on an anti-static surface. Leave CPU and memory in their places and remove the screws holding the motherboard to the case, and carefully remove the motherboard. Place CPU and memory on the anti-static surface.

Installing Motherboard

Check for correct voltage of SMPS for new motherboard. No conductive surface should come in contact with any metal parts of the chassis. Chassis may have elevated mounting holes that hold the board away from the case wall or standoffs which are small spacers that are between board’s and case’s mounting holes. After screwing in the screws, install the power connectors and reinstall all of the peripheral devices which were connected to the old motherboard.

Motherboard Setup

Motherboards have stickers indicating DIP switches and jumpers which are illustrated in the motherboard manual or at manufacturer’s Web site.

Depending on the board, settings can be done by jumpers or DIP switches or CMOS setup according to the speed and family of the processor, and there might also be jumpers to reset the CMOS, redirect the sound from the rear to front connectors, select the type of memory to install, and others.

Motherboard Maintenance

Maintenance involves download and install of new driver for motherboard from manufacturer’s website and replacing CMOS battery if computer does not saves BIOS configuration during reboots.

Flashing BIOS

Upgrading the programme in ROM BIOS by downloading and installing is called flashing BIOS or flashing ROM or updating the BIOS. BIOS manufacturer gives update on website to download.

CMOS Menu configuration

It involves selecting options in CMOS setup utility under various heads and options are

Standard Settings

Date and time- Sets the system date and time and Operating System pick it when it starts up.

Keyboard – if the keyboard is installed or not if don’t want someone changing settings.

BIOS Feature Settings

Quick boot (Enable/disable) – Enable to cause POST to skip some tests and speed up booting. System boot sequence – Sequence to look for Operating System in hard disk/CD/USB/Network

Password – Set a startup password to prevent someone from using PC.

Plug and Play – Disable for Windows 2000/XP, which does it them self

Advanced Chipset Settings

Audio controller – Enable or disable

USB configuration – Enable or disable and sets to high speed or legacy speed.

CPU configuration – Enable or disable Hyper Threading and Sets thermal control.

Power Management Settings

Suspend mode (Enable/disable) – suspending power when the system is inactive

Wake on LAN – Allows PC to boot from another PC on same network but needs an ATX SMPS.

Hard Drive Settings

IDE HDD auto detect – Detects hard disks installed on IDE channel set to auto detect.

Serial ATA – Configure to IDE or RAID.