I need to install Windows 8 on my new hard drive

[joshieb3]

I bought a computer with Windows 8, which is what it originally came with. I want to install my old hard drive into the new computer, which has Windows 7, but change it to Windows 8. I want to keep all my data, if possible. I don't have a Windows 8 disk, and I don't find a Windows 8 COA on the computer like Windows 7 computers have. Is there a way to do this?

 

[n0ns3ns3]

you can use cloning program like this:
http://www.easeus.com/todo-backup-guide/disk-clone-guide.html

 

[mbarnes86]

Hi

If the Windows 8 is a OEM copy supplied pre installed on the PC then the Windows licence does not allow transfering to another PC.

Are you intending to have two PC's running Win 8 on one copy of Win 8 ?
again not allowed by your licence from Microsoft.

Why not buy a upgrade copy of Win 8.1 or 10 and upgrade the Win 7 to the latter version

This will cost you real money.

regards
Mike Barnes

 

[joshieb3]

Windows 8 came preinstalled on the "new" computer I want to use, so it's perfectly legal to have Windows 8 on this computer. I just want to install a larger hard drive, which happens to be my old hard drive with Windows 7 and all my data on it. Since the computer came with Windows 8, seems like I shouldn't have to pay again to have Windows 8. That's buying it twice for the same computer. mbarnes recommending cloning, but seems like I will have to clone the Windows 8 to the old hard drive, which will overwrite my data, right?

 

[n0ns3ns3]

there are few ways to clone.
you can shrink the partition on the larger drive and clone windows partition (not the disk) from the windows 8 drive.
Also, you can simply upgrade to windows 10 which is kinda better than 8

 

[joshieb3]

there are few ways to clone.
you can shrink the partition on the larger drive and clone windows partition (not the disk) from the windows 8 drive.
Also, you can simply upgrade to windows 10 which is kinda better than 8

 

[joshieb3]

Windows 10 isn't free anymore, and I was trying not to spend extra money. Would you mind telling me how to shrink the partition on the larger hard drive (it's not currently partitioned into 2, just a single). Then what cloning software do you recommend to do the clone? Thanks for the help.

 

[n0ns3ns3]

1. you can still upgrade for free. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/windows10upgrade
just enable some assistive feature and do the upgrade - disable it later. Kinda loophole, but who cares.
2. the link in my first post contains download of the cloning soft. I'm not sure if it resizes partitions, but most probably does.
install it on windows 8 computer, connect the larger drive to the windows 8 computer and check the options in the program.

 

[joshieb3]

Ok thank you. I'll look into the info.

 

[mbarnes86]

Hi

Installing a old hard drive into a new pc is not a good idea for reliability

Is there room for an additional hard drive in your pc?

Also many windows 8 pc's have a program which builds a bootable usb windows install disk in case you need to replace a dead hard disk


Regards
Mke Barnes