Move Windows HDD to new Mobo?

mothermachine · 7 Dec 2010 at 08:43

Hi folks,

Is it as easy as I'm hoping it will be to simply remove a HDD from one mobo and install it onto another mobo and boot? It's just a standard mech HDD 1TB job that will be on SATA2.

I basically have 2 machines and want to swap their OS HDDs around.

Cheers,

EDIT: I should mention that one of the OS installs is OEM, the other is retail. Does that have any effect?

SeraphX · 7 Dec 2010 at 08:46

different motherboards will require a fresh install

Brian8bit · 7 Dec 2010 at 08:48

OEM is tied to the motherboard it was activated with. Retail should allow you to install across multiple motherboards (as far as I'm aware). So the retail activated one will be fine. The OEM is tied to it's board.

mothermachine · 7 Dec 2010 at 08:51

Bugger. thanks fellas.

So in effect if I want to move the OS HDD with OEM on it to the other mobo then I have to fork out for another copy? That aint gonna happen. Never mind then!

Cheers,

J.B · 7 Dec 2010 at 09:03

Thats the jist of it yes, even if it was a retail install and you could legally use it on a new motherboard Id recommend a clean install. Its never quite right when you just move it from one machine to another, especially to a different CPU or chipset.

Im a little confused, you say you have 2 PCs, do you just want to swap the drives so you have a bigger drive in one machine? or do you want your OS install moved to a different machine?

mothermachine · 7 Dec 2010 at 09:12

J.B said:
Thats the jist of it yes, even if it was a retail install and you could legally use it on a new motherboard Id recommend a clean install. Its never quite right when you just move it from one machine to another, especially to a different CPU or chipset.

Im a little confused, you say you have 2 PCs, do you just want to swap the drives so you have a bigger drive in one machine? or do you want your OS install moved to a different machine?

essentially i have 2 workstations here. one with a good mobo in it (secondary use machine) and one with a less good mobo in it (primary use machine). i wanted to simply move all the hardware from one machine into the other, and the other back to the first, so that the one with the good mobo in it becomes my primary machine. but it seems this won't be possible without forking out for another win7 license, so sod that

cheers,