Win 8.1 - Moving to New Machine

Dirk Diggler

Dirk Diggler

Dirk Diggler

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I'm building a completely new machine, but I want to use the hard drive from the old machine in it, which runs Win 8.1. I've Googled around and it seems that I can move the OS to the new hardware because the license restricts to one PC at a time, which is fine.

I'm thinking the best way to do this might be to go to the old PC, tell it to do a clean re-install of the OS, and when it goes to reboot... power off and stick the hard drive into the new machine. I'm expecting it to boot and install a clean version of Windows complete with relevant drivers for the new MoBo.

Am I going to be disappointed?
 
There isn't any need for all of that, since you can move the hard drive from the old computer to the new one as it is with it working on the first startup with only a few problems to sort out (drivers is likely not to be one of them).
 
demonix said:
There isn't any need for all of that, since you can move the hard drive from the old computer to the new one as it is with it working on the first startup with only a few problems to sort out (drivers is likely not to be one of them).
Click to expand...

Seriously, just switch it from one machine to the other and boot up? If so, great news!
 
Thats what I am about to do..

Some people have done it with success... you may just have to run windows set-up from a cd or usb stick just for it to do some repair..

also if your going from a mobo that uses the same chipset or at least intel to intel the software maybe the same...
 
enigma27 said:
Thats what I am about to do..

Some people have done it with success... you may just have to run windows set-up from a cd or usb stick just for it to do some repair..

also if your going from a mobo that uses the same chipset or at least intel to intel the software maybe the same...
Click to expand...

Thanks. Let me know how it goes for you, if you remember.
 
I've done this successfully.

  • Moved HDD to new system.
  • HDD is partitioned and for some reason the data partition was first in the boot order, so changed it to the primary boot partition.
  • Got a message to activate Windows.
  • Phoned an automated freephone number that was shown on the registration screen
  • Followed instructions, which was basically enter codes from the screen via the phone and then enter codes read out from phone into the box on screen

Golden.
 
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