MB/CPU/RAM/Graphics Card update; Must I format?

[Glenn9643]

My old desktop crashed. FIC PA2013 MB, AMD K6III 450 CPU. I've decided on a Chaintech PCI-E motherboard and AMD 64 3000 CPU, moderate/low priced PCI-E graphics card, and 1g Crucial ram.
In an effort to salvage data on my hard-drive I would like to know if I can get by with starting the system in "safe" mode, removing all hardware drivers from the system, and restarting. Would Windows then pick up the correct information to operate properly with the new hardware?
If not, is there any way to salvage the data as the old system is dead. I hate to have to format and lose it all. Thanks.

 

[mighty_chick]

ACTUALLY! i just upgraded my mobo/video/cpu and i had to reformatte, it just wouldnt boot. reformatte and i can almost garrentee you it'll work fine.

 

[winterfreshpwnz]

Yeah reformat it.

 

[Dishdog]

If you have an old HDD stick it in reformat on it then stick your good HDD in slave and transfer everything you need over. then reformat your good HDD and stick the old HDD in slave and transfer it back over. or do the easy way and just reformat and lose everything.

 

[The_Other_One]

If it's XP, you pretty much must reload it...