Can I transfer this installed Windows 10 OS I have on this PC to the Gaming one i'm building?

[itsLJ]

I have a 1TB External HDD to do it with, i'm just wondering if it is at all possible?
I didn't buy the OS, I got it as a free upgrade from Windows 7.

It would definitely save me a lot of money from buying a new OS and Optical Disc Drive!

Thank you and my apologies for the bother!

 

[Math Geek]

with the anniversary update, win 10 users can tie their license to their MS account and not the hardware it was installed on. so far i have not tried to move it to a new build but it sounds like it is now possible to do if you have a MS account and it's connected to your win 10.

again i have not personally verified it to work but the MS articles about it suggests it can be done.

 

[USAFRet]

Assuming this Win 10 has been updated to the 1607 Anniversary release, you can (probably) use this same license on new hardware.

You have to associate a Microsoft account with that license before you do any hardware changes.
Read more here:
Reactivating Windows 10 after a hardware change
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change

That is only one part of the issue. The other is actual operation.
Windows 10 is somewhat more resilient about seeing new hardware and actually booting up. But you should be prepared for a full OS reinstall.

 

[TJ Hooker]

Transferring the actual install isn't the issue; you can easily download the ISO from MS and put it on a USB drive if you want to re-install Windows. The issue is transferring the license. [strike]The license is tied to your hardware (i.e. the motherboard), and is non-transferable if you used the free update.[/strike]

[strike]TL;DR No[/strike]

Edit: huh, hadn't heard of that change with the Anniversary update, that's pretty handy.