Question Easiest way to transfer Windows 11 License to new PC/NVMe SSD ?

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Joe_182

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Hello,

I am transferring my build into a smaller case with a different motherboard and brand new NVMe SSD.
What is the easiest way to transfer my current Windows 11 license? It was purchased directly from MS and I believe is linked to my MS account.

I imagine there is a way to unlink it from my current hardware, and then activate it again once I install Windows on the new hardware? But I am not sure how to do it.

Thanks,
 
Was it an OEM license or retail license? If a retail license you may be able to format the old pc and install onto the new pc and attempt to activate it. You may need to call them and explain you’re only using it on one pc.
 
helpstar said:
just install Windows on the new drive and login to your account
Click to expand...
Thank you. Well that's easier than expected. I thought it would be linked to my old hardware like in the old days.

So install a fresh copy on the new drive, log in and activate?

I almost was just going to clone the drive, but that seemed to be worse than a fresh install.
 
Joe_182 said:
Thank you. Well that's easier than expected. I thought it would be linked to my old hardware like in the old days.

So install a fresh copy on the new drive, log in and activate?

I almost was just going to clone the drive, but that seemed to be worse than a fresh install.
Click to expand...
Yes. With a new motherboard, you really need a fresh OS install. Clone is liable to fail.

Where did the original license come from?
 
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USAFRet said:
Yes. With a new motherboard, you really need a fresh OS install. Clone is liable to fail.

Where did the original license come from?
Click to expand...
If it's the same motherboard is it possible? ( I might be keeping the motherboard and CPU and just upgrading my NVME since it's an older and slow Crucial P1)

I bought it directly from MS digitally as I was installing windows 11 last year.
 
Joe_182 said:
If it's the same motherboard is it possible? ( I might be keeping the motherboard and CPU and just upgrading my NVME since it's an older and slow Crucial P1)

I bought it directly from MS digitally as I was installing windows 11 last year.
Click to expand...
Keeping the same motherboard, cloning to a different drive is a no-brainer.
Easy.

And incurs zero licensing/activation issues.

-----------------------------
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Both drives must be the same partitioning scheme, either MBR or GPT
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Magician (which includes Data Migration), if a Samsung target SSD)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, you may need to install the relevant driver for this new NVMe/PCIe drive.
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up

Verify the system boots with ONLY the current "C drive" connected.
If not, we have to fix that first.

Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive

[Ignore this section if using the SDM. It does this automatically]
If you are going from a smaller drive to a larger, by default, the target partition size will be the same as the Source. You probably don't want that
You can manipulate the size of the partitions on the target (larger)drive
Click on "Cloned Partition Properties", and you can specify the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing
[/end ignore]

Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD. This is not optional.
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD

(swapping cables is irrelevant with NVMe drives, but DO disconnect the old drive for this next part)
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
-----------------------------
 
USAFRet said:
Keeping the same motherboard, cloning to a different drive is a no-brainer.
Easy.

And incurs zero licensing/activation issues.

-----------------------------
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Both drives must be the same partitioning scheme, either MBR or GPT
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Magician (which includes Data Migration), if a Samsung target SSD)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, you may need to install the relevant driver for this new NVMe/PCIe drive.
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up

Verify the system boots with ONLY the current "C drive" connected.
If not, we have to fix that first.

Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive

[Ignore this section if using the SDM. It does this automatically]
If you are going from a smaller drive to a larger, by default, the target partition size will be the same as the Source. You probably don't want that
You can manipulate the size of the partitions on the target (larger)drive
Click on "Cloned Partition Properties", and you can specify the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing
[/end ignore]

Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD. This is not optional.
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD

(swapping cables is irrelevant with NVMe drives, but DO disconnect the old drive for this next part)
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
-----------------------------
Click to expand...
Man, you saved me a ton of time here. I thought you needed a fresh install or you would get little hiccups/errors in the OS from the NVME switch. Going from a Crucial P1 to a WD SN850x.

I am keeping the mobo and CPU, doesn't make sense to upgrade right now for me. I l will give this a go, thanks again for the tutorial.
 
Joe_182 said:
Man, you saved me a ton of time here. I thought you needed a fresh install or you would get little hiccups/errors in the OS from the NVME switch. Going from a Crucial P1 to a WD SN850x.

I am keeping the mobo and CPU, doesn't make sense to upgrade right now for me. I l will give this a go, thanks again for the tutorial.
Click to expand...
Assuming the clone finishes properly, zero issues.
 
USAFRet said:
Keeping the same motherboard, cloning to a different drive is a no-brainer.
Easy.

And incurs zero licensing/activation issues.

-----------------------------
Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
-----------------------------
Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Both drives must be the same partitioning scheme, either MBR or GPT
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Magician (which includes Data Migration), if a Samsung target SSD)
If you are cloning from a SATA drive to PCIe/NVMe, you may need to install the relevant driver for this new NVMe/PCIe drive.
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up

Verify the system boots with ONLY the current "C drive" connected.
If not, we have to fix that first.

Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive

[Ignore this section if using the SDM. It does this automatically]
If you are going from a smaller drive to a larger, by default, the target partition size will be the same as the Source. You probably don't want that
You can manipulate the size of the partitions on the target (larger)drive
Click on "Cloned Partition Properties", and you can specify the resulting partition size, to even include the whole thing
[/end ignore]

Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD. This is not optional.
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD

(swapping cables is irrelevant with NVMe drives, but DO disconnect the old drive for this next part)
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
-----------------------------
Click to expand...
Hey There, I am about to clone my NVME now, but Macrium Reflect has 2 features I am not sure of whether to include when I install it?

-Install CBT
-Install Image Guardian for ransomware

Also when cloning, there is an "Intelligent Clone" and "Forensic Clone" option. Which is the best for an OS drive? Thank you
 
Last edited:
Joe_182 said:
Hey There, I am about to clone my NVME now, but Macrium Reflect has 2 features I am not sure of whether to include when I install it?

-Install CBT
-Install Image Guardian for ransomware

Also when cloning, there is an "Intelligent Clone" and "Forensic Clone" option. Which is the best for an OS drive? Thank you
Click to expand...
Neither of those 2 things are 'necessary'.

Intelligent clone.
 
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USAFRet said:
Neither of those 2 things are 'necessary'.

Intelligent clone.
Click to expand...
Thank you, I will turn them off just in case they do anything negative. Simplicity is sometimes the best way.

Intelligent it is.

Thanks again, I appreciate it. Happy I don't have to install everything all over just to upgrade.
 
Joe_182 said:
Thank you, I will turn them off just in case they do anything negative. Simplicity is sometimes the best way.

Intelligent it is.

Thanks again, I appreciate it. Happy I don't have to install everything all over just to upgrade.
Click to expand...
Intelligent clone leaves of things not needed. Pagefile, temp files...things like that.
Forensic is if you needed a 100% bit for bit copy, if you were doing a criminal investigation.
 
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USAFRet said:
The only one you need to resize is the main C partition.
Click to expand...
Ahh, so my guess is that it only resized the C as intended, and the others are the "At least 1 partition....etc" that didn't get resized.

Everything looked normal as far as the menu goes. It's already almost finished. Incredible to have copied 500gb that quickly.....
 
Joe_182 said:
Ahh, so my guess is that it only resized the C as intended, and the others are the "At least 1 partition....etc" that didn't get resized.

Everything looked normal as far as the menu goes. It's already almost finished. Incredible to have copied 500gb that quickly.....
Click to expand...
Remember, when it finishes...

Power OFF
Disconnect the old drive
Let the system try to power up with ONLY the new drive.

Resist the urge to poke around in the clone to 'see if everything is there'.
There are a couple of hundred thousand files in there. No way you could tell.
 
USAFRet said:
Remember, when it finishes...

Power OFF
Disconnect the old drive
Let the system try to power up with ONLY the new drive.

Resist the urge to poke around in the clone to 'see if everything is there'.
There are a couple of hundred thousand files in there. No way you could tell.
Click to expand...
Welp, I saw this after, and I went into my BIOS and just changed the boot order.

The drive is working totally fine as far as I can tell, but I wish I saw your post first 🤦‍♂️ IDK what issues I could have just caused.

I'll take out the original drive now and see what happens. (And switch the new one into the correct slot on the front instead of the back with no Heat sink)
 
Joe_182 said:
Welp, I saw this after, and I went into my BIOS and just changed the boot order.

The drive is working totally fine as far as I can tell, but I wish I saw your post first 🤦‍♂️

I'll take out the original drive now and see what happens. (And switch the new one into the correct slot on the front instead of the back with no Heat sink)
Click to expand...
Those steps are outlined in my original, way above.
 
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USAFRet said:
Those steps are outlined in my original, way above.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I wasn't blaming you or anything. I read all of the guide before I started earlier today, but when the clone finished I totally forgot that last step. I should have taken my time and referred back to the guide. For some reason I figured changing the boot order would be fine in my head.

Hopefully I didn't mess anything up. The old NVME is still here, I didn't delete it.
 
Last edited:
USAFRet said:
Those steps are outlined in my original, way above.
Click to expand...
Everything is working great. Removed the original, kept the new in the main M2 slot. So far I've played a bunch of games, restarted, shut down, and booted 20+ times (while trying to fix Icue) and no issues.

Thanks again for all of your help, I appreciate the time you took
 
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