if i used a new motherboard on a win xp installation that was installed on a different mb, would that coz windows to restart itself/ crash etc??
Unfortunately that wouldn't work! Windows will be searching for specific hardware when it boots. That hardware won't be there if you plug it into a new computer. You have two options: 1) Back up your documents and reinstall Windows 2) Recover Windows the hard way! Boot Windows into safe mode if you can get that far. Go straight to the device manager and click 'action'. Then select 'scan for hardware changes'. Are you feeling lucky?
so that is what is causing windows to restart itself? i will need a fresh install of xp for this new motherboard?
Not exactly. It's not the restart. It's that you would have changed the storage controller out from under your Windows install. That's an issue. I'd be like dropping a Mexican in Japan and telling him to get directions to Tokyo from Osaka. Backup, reinstall for best results. Now, if the chipset on the new motherboard is the same as the one on the old motherboard, you should be able to swap them out without issue.
