Windows Key with new SSD?

The Slayer_UK · 28 Oct 2015 at 13:38

Hi All

I have a 4 year old Acer laptop with windows 7 on it, its getting very slow and having a few issues so im going to reinstall windows on it, however i thought i might as well put an SSD in it as its currently got a 500Gb harddrive and SSD's are fairly cheap these days.

However im unsure what happens to the windows 7 key from the laptop, i have still got the sticker with the serial key on it underneath, if i swap the drives over can i just install windows and input the serial key and everything will be fine?

I dont want to clone the drive really as its pretty full and i want a clean install plus id like to go through the old hard drive in time and delete stuff i dont need, i do have recovery disks from when i bought the laptop but that will put all Acers stuff on which i dont really want.

Thanks

Sam

lude1962 · 28 Oct 2015 at 16:19

if i swap the drives over can i just install windows and input the serial key and everything will be fine?

yes
at worst you would have to go through telephone activation (follow on screen prompts)

koolpc · 28 Oct 2015 at 16:27

Should work with no problem at all

Dicehunter · 28 Oct 2015 at 16:28

Your Windows key is usually tied to your motherboard so you should be good

koolpc · 28 Oct 2015 at 16:39

Dicehunter said:
Your Windows key is usually tied to your motherboard so you should be good

Mine wasn't. Mine was on a sticker!!

Dicehunter · 28 Oct 2015 at 16:58

koolpc said:
Mine wasn't. Mine was on a sticker!!

That was so bad

The Slayer_UK · 29 Oct 2015 at 09:36

Hi All

Thanks for the info, i thought it would be ok but just wanted to be sure, cant wait to get the SSD in there it will give it a much needed boost plus a clean install of windows it will be like brand new

mrk · 29 Oct 2015 at 16:32

Even cloning over without a clean install will make it feel like a new PC, all the time :cool:

I do this often at work with user machines when they complain it's slowed down over the last year or so, it saves huge costs in buying a new desktop when the old one is still fairly decent spec for an office PC, just needs that instant latency boost only an SSD can give.

Obviously if you've got OS issues then a clean install will be best, but the performance difference between current install cloned to SSD and a new install on one will be very small compared to the night and day difference the former brings.

demonix · 29 Oct 2015 at 18:48

If you want to bypass the activation process, you can use the recovery media you have since what you have there is the OS as it was when you turned on the laptop for the same time since desktop and laptop systems from the major manufacturers that had the older BIOS system has their OS installed from a generic image (if you use a key finder program, you'll find that the key currently in use on your laptop will be completely different from the one printed on the sticker).

Going through the uninstall process for all the acer installed bloat would be easier (and faster since you're using an SSD) then having to go through the phone activation process if it's required.