Lots to think about here. I have a Sony 528 desktop which uses SDRAM and the new MB is a Soyo with DDRAM, but both use Pentium CPUs (P3 to P4). Form factor is the same, although the power supply might be dodgy and I will try to fit a larger unit.
I thought I could first set up the computer in the original Sony box, using a new HDD and install Windows 98 (same as the old one). then if I replaced the HDD with the one from the original unit, would it recognise it and run? If I have to change all the drivers, could I put it all back using the original MB without trouble? Or would it not then work. Can I use Norton Ghost to copy the HDD and play around with a clone instead, so that if all fails I can restore the original config? The new MB can run four hard drives as well as two CDROMs, so I want to make it work if possible, but I have been stuck with a bunch of useless junk before when I have set out to do something I was not familiar with, and since the computer really belongs to the little woman, she would not be impressed if I had to re-load Windows and all her programs again.
But any way it works out, thanks for all the help.