BSOD - Video Card not showing in device manager all the sudden.

Etetherin · 05 Oct 2017

OK, Other than memtest (which I failed to do yesterday, my bad) , is there anything else i really should try before sending it off for new mother board?

Also, could I just buy the replacement motherboard of the same model and put it in myself? Or would that cause some other issues. I know i could in a desktop, and I am confident enough to take it apart and put it back together again. But aside from errors putting it together or buying the wrong part, is there any other stuff that would cause problems in which I should just send it to msi?

axe0 · 05 Oct 2017

Laptops are completely different from desktop, you need to know how it fits and where it fits.

Something crossing my mind is activation. Most Windows 10 computers are activated with a digital license which is a generated number based off the hardware and stored on Microsoft servers for activation. Windows 10 simply checks if the comparison is good when installing Windows 10. When you replace the motherboard, you technically put together a new system. That is how Microsoft sees it. From the moment you replace the motherboard, put everything back together and start your laptop you will have lost your activation and get problems.

All laptops that come with a preinstalled Windows have an activation table (SLIC table) in their BIOS which is used to reactivate Windows when reinstalling, this is something from before Windows 10. Replacing the motherboard will result in no activation, the new motherboard hasn't been flashed with the SLIC table.
MSI will, I presume, flash the new motherboard with the SLIC table so you have a new activation for Windows. If they don't you will have to call Microsoft and explain that your previous motherboard was bad so they activate your Windows for you, if I'm correct.

I may be incorrect on some details with activation, but this is how I remember it.

Tony K · 05 Oct 2017

Etetherin said:

OK, Other than memtest (which I failed to do yesterday, my bad) , is there anything else i really should try before sending it off for new mother board?

Also, could I just buy the replacement motherboard of the same model and put it in myself? Or would that cause some other issues. I know i could in a desktop, and I am confident enough to take it apart and put it back together again. But aside from errors putting it together or buying the wrong part, is there any other stuff that would cause problems in which I should just send it to msi?

Hi there, Etetherin. I've been following this thread all along. I was hoping it wasn't hardware from the start. Sorry to see it turned out to be the MoBo.

So far as repairing it yourself > Depends how confident you are. You've replaced the card in it. Does the lower case come apart easily? Screens are actually the worse to change.

Thing too is that if you have someone else replace it will be warranted for parts and labor. You may also consider purchasing the MoBo yourself then take it to a local computer shop to have it installed.

So far as activation > We've been discussing that here: New motherboard Processor - Windows 10 Forums

If signing in with an MS account there is a digital license tied to your account, therefore it will activate.

Best of luck to you.

Tony K · 05 Oct 2017

And to add > If doing it yourself > I use a good-sized table (where no one will disturb it) to lay out parts/screws and take pictures as I go along.

Try to find a schematic of it. There are YouTube videos: taking apart msi laptop - YouTube