Can I use my Windows 8 Pro upgrade key(laptop) to make fresh install on a new custom-build PC?

pixelperfect

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I have a Sony laptop which came with Win 7 home edition. I bought the Windows 8 Pro upgrade when the OS was first released. Now my laptop is on Win 8.1 Pro (free upgrade to 8.1). I am planning to build a new desktop and my question is, can I use the license key of Windows 8 Pro upgrade of my laptop to make a fresh install on a completely new PC? If so, how can I do it?

Or should I buy a new OS copy altogether(which would suck)?

What I've seen on many forums is that I could make a bootable usb/disk by downloading the image from Microsoft website and uninstall the Upgrade key from my laptop and then install the entire OS on my new PC using the same key via bootable USB. I've read that Microsoft allows reusing the key(starting with Windows 8) but it should be present only on one PC at any point of time. Is this true and a genuine way? I'm clueless. I am concerned because I need to re-customize my entire rig so that I could accommodate the cost of a Windows OS(which is ridiculously high).

Thanks a lot, in advance.
 
As long as you wipe the OS from your Sony laptop and install a new OS (Linux if you want something that is free), you can reuse your Windows 8 key on the new PC. But as long as you continue to use the Windows 8.1 installation on the Sony you cannot reuse it on another computer.
 


Thanks. But can you clarify just one more thing? Windows 8 Pro version and Windows 8 Pro Upgrade (from win 7) are two different products right and also the second one costs much less which is why I bought it.
So what you are saying is, even though I bought just the 'upgrade' version of Win 8 Pro, I can use the key for fresh installation of the Windows 8 Pro OS on a new PC (yes, if I am no longer using the Win 8 OS on my Sony)? Can you also tell me how to do this?

Thanks a lot, again!
 
You can indeed, as long as you are not using the Window 8.1, 8, or 7 on the Sony. (The activation process will detect this if you are and the product will fail to activate. It could also, possibly, deactivate the original installation.) You sidestep the question by saying that you are "no longer using the Win 8 on the Sony"; what about the 8.1 you upgraded to? You can no longer use that either. The reason that the upgrade costs less is that you have already paid for a licence for the version you are upgrading from (Windows 7); once you have upgraded you can no longer use that Windows 7.

To summarize - remove all Windows OSs from the Sony. Then just install your copy of Windows 8 as you would any other OS on the new PC and update it to Windows 8.1.
 


Okay, now it is clear. But I don't have any 'copy' of Windows 8 because all I did was use the Windows upgrade assistant to buy and upgrade from Windows 7. All I have is a Win 8 Pro Upgrade product key. So how to get my copy of the Windows 8 Pro so that I could install it on a new PC? I am assuming it has something to do with creating bootable usb/disks or something, but I don't know how. It would be great if you could give me a link to some article, because sometimes its hard to understand whether I am reading a genuine procedure or a tweaky, shady one.

Thanks!

 
You should be able to follow the procedure in this link to obtain an ISO image allowing you to create a DVD. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-8/upgrade-from-windows-7-tutorial

Be sure to choose the "Install by creating media" option. I believe this should work on your Sony, even though it already has Window 8.1 installed. Then you can use this DVD to install on the new PC. Once you are sure that this has been activated you should wipe the drive on the Sony - do not attempt to boot into Windows on the Sony once you have activated Windows on the new PC.
 
From the link: "if you decide to install using media, you need to install Windows 8.1 on a PC that's already running Windows, then perform a clean installation."


How is this possible because I wouldn't have any base Windows OS in my new HDD?
 
The instructions certainly seem to be confusing. As far as I know, the procedure described in this articl (linked from the original) will work on a totally blank disk. If not, you may need to install Windows 7 then upgrade to 8.1. Windows 7 DVDs are freely available (it's only the key that is important) if you Google for them.

What OS do you plan to use on the Sony?