Old Windows 10 with new hardware will it work?

kieran_read · 2 Jan 2016 at 01:36

Basically I may be forced to get a new PC (Power surge now it's not looking promising)

My hard drive is fine as is my copy of Windows, but I have read somewhere that MS restricts the amount of hardware changes you can make to your computer.

It will essentially be a new computer with only the Hard Drives and Gfx card being moved over.

Just wondering if i shove my old hard drive in if it will run right away or if i will have to do anything.

Thanks

kieran_read · 2 Jan 2016 at 02:41

I can't remember what it was, I think it was a retail version as i had a disk, but this was Windows Vista in 2008, Paid upgrade to Windows 7, then free upgrade to 8 then 10.

I don't have the original disk any more as it was for Vista. So I guess I will have to just got for it see what happens.

kieran_read · 2 Jan 2016 at 12:41

C35799Gamble said:
Considering you went via the upgrade route you should be able to get on the app/phone to Microsoft and give them your current windows seriel to disable. They will then give you a windows 10 key in return.

As long as its retail its transferrable. I got rid of my 8.1 key this way, got a w10 key in return and now can change hardware as much as I want and just need to input my key to activate again.

That sounds great....

But what if i can't get on the computer to get the key? At the moment it's looking unlikely.

Either way that sounds like a good method as it means no jumping through hoops after.

kieran_read · 2 Jan 2016 at 14:09

C35799Gamble said:
Its the contact support app built into w10.

I changed my motherboard a month or so ago, and had to do this process to get a w10 key. Quote from another thread I posted in about it:

And here is a quote of the first person who informed me how to word it to the Microsoft team:

Hmm, damn. This im not sure about to be honest. You "may" be lucky and be able to ring them and see if anything is visible on their end tied to your Microsoft ID(assuming you logged in using a Microsoft account)

Do you have the key on any old boxes or anything?

Yeh I'm logged into my MS account so hopefully that will be enough, they will at least know I have it.