Old Windows 7, new P.C

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21 Apr 2012
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Hi guys,

I'm about to buy a second hand P.C from a friend which has Windows 7, but its lets just say, not legit. Now the real reason I need to reinstall it is because its on his HDD and I want to put it on the SSD.

I have a copy of windows already loaded onto my P.C but this is for my girlfriends house. Can they detect it if I use my one key windows CD on 2 different computers?

I will get a legit copy in a week or 2 but I just want to get it up and running now.

Cheers for any info
 
If you don't validate the key, it will automatically attempt to activate after a short period (around three days) and after the key has been found to be in-use on another system or non-genuine, the system will still be usable, however you will be bombarded with messages telling you that "you need to activate your Windows licence" and "you may be a victim of software counterfeiting" upon login, and the message "Windows is not genuine" will be displayed in the corner of the desktop. You will also have occasional popups in the notification area of the start bar telling you that Windows requires activation.

There are of course ways to get rid of said messages, however I don't think such methods should be discussed openly. :p

Thanks for the information. I'll just install it without validating then and worry about the messages later.

I will look on getting my hands on a legit but cheap key :)
 
On the same topic.

The P.C I'm buying has a HDD and an SSD with Windows on the HDD. I don't really need to keep any of the stuff on either so re-formatting isn't an issue.

To get Windows on the SSD do I just need to change the boot options to boot from the SSD and then put the windows disc in? I guess I can then re-format the HDD so it works as another drive and not with windows on?
 
Correct. It is as easy as backing up the data you want to keep, changing the boot options, formatting the HDD during the windows instalation process, installing windows onto the SSD with the same key, and then restoring your data to the HDD.

You could even make it easier by simply changing the boot device, installing windows on the SSD, and then going into your users folder on the HDD to find your files, copy them to the top-level of the HDD and delete everything else on there. :)

I don't need any of the stuff thats on there so I guess I'll just re-format both and install windows on the SSD.

Then I'll look at getting a real key from somewhere!
 
Ok, I actually have the Windows key that is already on the computer, under properties in my computer.

Now I just need the ISO file to put onto a external HDD and then I should be able to boot from there and install it on the SSD and then I can format the HDD?

Is the ISO file located anywhere within Windows already? Taking an age to download!
 
Hi guys,

Soooooo, I put the iso on a USB and installed windows an used the key,

When it boots its set to boot from the ssd, but always asks me to choose the operating system. Guess that's because I have windows on HDD and ssd? I will format the hddd soon.

Issue I'm having now.,....power line adapters work when I boot into HDD windows, with nothing special having been one.

When I boot into the ssd it says no connection with the red cross.

Ideas?
 
Ok so I finally got the LAN drivers going and now I'm updating and installing everything from scratch on the SSD....151 windows updates...

Anyway - I reformatted the HDD yet it still asks me which operating system I want to boot when the computer loads up. Just gives me 2 options of Windows 7 like before. How do I get rid of that?
 
Ok it does give me the option to install on the second hard drive, just so happens the program I was testing it with, will only install itself onto my SSD.

Now just need to sort out the booting thing!

*edit* - Can't delete my posts so sorry for the spam. Went into msconfig and delete the second boot that was in there. All should be ok now.

Thanks for all the help, much appreciated!
 
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