Question Move main SSD to new system (same model/specification, but other „hardware number“) - will Win10 work?

[XPS15HD]

Hi guys, short question:

My XPS15 9550 broke yesterday. If I bought a used one with the same specifications (CPU, GPU etc.) and replaced its main SSD by the SSD from the broken laptop, would I be able to continue working in my usual environment (same operating system, same software) without any problems? Or would Windows 10 (OEM, probably Win10 Home*) recognise that it runs on another computer and refuse operating?

* Probably Win10 Home (any other behaviour to expect if it should be Win 10 Professional?)

I need to replace the broken computer as soon as possible. Thank you so much in advance for your advice!

P.S. Please kindly refrain from recommending the purchase of a contemporary laptop (-; I know that it is outdated. However, I have to access both installed spezialised software and data stored on that computer urgently. Deciding for a new laptop model will require research time that I currently do not have. Moreover, it would require reinstalling a lot of apps. Thanks for your understanding.

 

[Aeacus]

If it is OEM, then no.

OEM versions are only for singe system and even just replacing MoBo, usually deactivates the Win. So, you putting the SSD into 2nd system, still has different MoBo ID, despite MoBo being the same.

Another issue, which happens when transferring the OS, is that OS doesn't work properly, or won't boot at all. So,

it would require reinstalling a lot of apps.

You may not be able to get away without clean Win install + activating Win with 2nd, unused, genuine key.

Now, you can get the data off from the old OS drive by hooking it up as data drive (where you have 2nd, new drive for clean Win install as OS), but programs installed under old OS, usually doesn't work, since those are ID'd to old OS. So, i wouldn't run any programs if i were you.

 

[XPS15HD]

Dear Aeacus, many thanks for the prompt reply and your advice!

Do you think Windows would start at least and require entering a license key within 7 days or so (in that case, I could do at least some urgent, last analyses using the installed software)? Or would it likely not start at all?

(Off topic - just in case a DELL XPS 15 expert reads this thread:
Pressing the power button results in brief activation of the fan and the power LED integrated in the power button (2-3 sec), then the laptop shuts down.
Replacing the battery and/or replacing the DC jack did not help.
I tried a new, original DELL charger; again to no avail.
I also tried the DELL power bank (fully charged) bought together with the laptop instead of or together with any of the two chargers.
Pressing the power button for more than 60 sec after disconnecting the battery did not help either.
Removing RAM resulted in the amber and white LEDs at the front of the laptop blinking, but the system still did not start; also not after reinserting the RAM modules.
Removing the CMOS/BIOS battery for 5 min did not help either.
I checked also the pins of both the DC jack plug as well as those of the battery cable plug, but all pins seem to be in place and are not crooked.

How did the problems start?

The battery charging status went down to 5% despite the laptop being plugged in. It then automatically hibernated. When switching it on again, it slowly went down to 0%. However, I could still use the laptop for several hours with the charger plugged it. I then ended the session by sending the system in hibernation state. The next morning, the laptop did not start anymore, irrespective of which charger (both original DELL chargers, identical to the one originally sold together with the laptop) was used.

Strange observation:
Using the battery that was in the laptop when the problems started but was at 0% last time the laptop worked (third party vendor; worked without any problems for the last couple of months; capacity sufficient for 2 to 3 hours), the power LED and the fan briefly turn on as described above after pressing the power button (only if plugged in). However, when using a newly bought replacement battery (probably sold partly charged?) or an old battery (third party, probably 0%) nothing happens.

Any sort of help is much appreciated!)

 

[bill001g]

The main problem with moving a SSD from one machine to another are the drivers, especially the motherboard drivers.

Hard to say exactly what will happen. If the machines are really identical it will boot and the worst you deal with is maybe the window licensee. Windows though tends to be pretty smart it will many times at least partially boot even if the motherboard or other parts are very different. You then have the ability to load different drivers to get it fully functions. This though is not as easy as it sounds. Many times it takes digging around to fix messed up drivers and you might not see all of them at fir

So far the windows license is mostly a watermark you can run a unregistered machine for a unlimited time. If the "new" machine has a window license it might just move that to your new os. Say your current laptop had a failed SSD and you purchased a new one and reinstalled windows. If you skip entering the key it would figure out the license based on the motherboard later so if the laptop you purchased had a license it might just move that to your SSD you swapped.

 

[Aeacus]

Do you think Windows would start at least and require entering a license key within 7 days or so (in that case, I could do at least some urgent, last analyses using the installed software)? Or would it likely not start at all?

It either boots or doesn't. And when it does boot, you may get BSoD at some point.

I can't tell what will exactly happen (boots, works fine; boots, gets BSoD; doesn't boot) but at least these are the options you may face. Also, when Win deactivates, you can still use it just fine. Win10 is lenient about using it without activation. Win7 was also. But older OSes, not so much (e.g WinXP didn't even work without activation).

(Off topic - just in case a DELL XPS 15 expert reads this thread:

Not an expert of laptops, especially Dell, but hardware wise, it could be a dead MoBo (namely MoBo VRMs).
Or some other proprietary issue when it comes to the battery.

Dell is known to make all sorts of proprietary hardware shenanigans. Heck, i've seen Dell PCs (desktop ones) that doesn't work with aftermarket RAM, only with Dell "genuine" RAM.

 

[XPS15HD]

Bill001g: That‘s interesting. Sounds as if it might be worth giving it a try at least. I agree that choosing one with identical hardware might be crucial to avoid driver problems.

Thank you very much for your assessment!

 

[USAFRet]

Bill001g: That‘s interesting. Sounds as if it might be worth giving it a try at least. I agree that choosing one with identical hardware might be crucial to avoid driver problems.

Thank you very much for your assessment!

Do you have a known good backup of any and all personal files you do not wish to lose?

If not, you are flirting with disaster.

 

[XPS15HD]

Dear Aeacus: Many thank for your explanations. I have also no other idea anymore than that the MoB could be broken. Good to hear that Win10 is behaving in that way. If I find an „identical“ one, I will give it a try …

 

[XPS15HD]

USAFRet: Good point. I should probably buy an external adapter and first try to rescue the data from the SSD. You are concerned that the process of moving the SSD from the old laptop to the new one could damage the SSD physically (i.e. by touching vulnerable structures; the SSD does not have any cover) or that the data structure on the SSD may be damaged if Windows does not boot properly in the new laptop?

 

[USAFRet]

USAFRet: Good point. I should probably buy an external adapter and first try to rescue the data from the SSD. You are concerned that the process of moving the SSD from the old laptop to the new one could damage the SSD physically (i.e. by touching vulnerable structures; the SSD does not have any cover) or that the data structure on the SSD may be damaged if Windows does not boot properly in the new laptop?

Yes and yes.
Multiple things could happen.


And...
If you have your actual files off on some other drive, you do not need to "move" the old drive+OS to a new system.
Just install whatever applications you use in the new system, and then your files.
Done. All problems avoided.

 

[geofelt]

Unless I am mistaken, an oem license allows you to replace a damaged motherboard with an exact replacement.
Presumably, the replacement is an exact replacement.
You may need to work with Microsoft if there is an issue.

But, if you have anything of value on the old C drive, take what steps you can to protect it before doing anything else.

 

[USAFRet]

Unless I am mistaken, an oem license allows you to replace a damaged motherboard with an exact replacement.

Generally, yes.

But it is NOT automatic.
OP would need to go through MS for activation.

 

[helper800]

I have taken old win7/10 keys from dead laptops that were definitely OEM keys and used them for authenticating friends custom PCs before. Did I get lucky or is there some sort of caveat I am unaware of?

 

[USAFRet]

I have taken old win7/10 keys from laptops that were definitely OEM keys and used them for authenticating friends custom PCs before. Did I get lucky or is there some sort of caveat I am unaware of?

Luck.

 

[helper800]

Luck.

For instance, I took an old win 7 key from a dead laptop from a decade ago and put it on my friends alderlake based build for win10 and then later he went to win11 with no issues.

 

[USAFRet]

For instance, I took an old win 7 key from a dead laptop from a decade ago and put it on my friends alderlake based build for win10 and then later he went to win11 with no issues.

So, the whys and wherefores of MS licensing is very opaque.

Using a Win 7 license to activate a new Win 10 license probably worked. And removed the OEMness of the original Win 7.

That has been cut off completely.

But, your original thing was simply discovering the old Win 7 license key from the laptop. That is not generally a known thing.
Having that, it would very likely activate a new WIn 10 install.


This case is different.
Taking the drive+OS and its actual OEM license to a new system...likely fail.

 

[XPS15HD]

Thanks again. Do you have any recommendations on how to best rescue the data on the old SSD (which is still in the broken laptop). Is there a particular usb adapter you would recommend? It is a Toshiba 512GB PCI Express SSD (THNSN5512GPU7) NVM Gen 3 4 lanes from 2016.

 

[helper800]

So, the whys and wherefores of MS licensing is very opaque.

Using a Win 7 license to activate a new Win 10 license probably worked. And removed the OEMness of the original Win 7.

That has been cut off completely.

But, your original thing was simply discovering the old Win 7 license key from the laptop. That is not generally a known thing.
Having that, it would very likely activate a new WIn 10 install.


This case is different.
Taking the drive+OS and its actual OEM license to a new system...likely fail.

For sure. Thanks for the information as always. I have never understood how the licensing works with Microsoft because their keys came with so many caveats. Personally, I bought a key for my first custom system when Win7 came out and have been transfering that to new PCs over and over, but obviously only ever had it on one PC at any time. My previous PCs that I then gave to family and friends have all been reactivated with defunct laptop win7 keys. Guess they REALLY wanted people to switch from 7 to 10.

 

[helper800]

Thanks again. Do you have any recommendations on how to best rescue the data on the old SSD (which is still in the broken laptop). Is there a particular usb adapter you would recommend? It is a Toshiba 512GB PCI Express SSD (THNSN5512GPU7) NVM Gen 3 4 lanes from 2016.

Personally, I like this style of enclosure. Shop around for one that is within a price range that is acceptable. You could also put the drive in pretty much any modern PC or laptop that is still working to extract the data without having to by an enclosure

 

[XPS15HD]

Just found that there is an article (11/2023) on Tom‘s Hardware on the topic of SSD enclosures: https://www.tomshardware.com/best-picks/best-ssd-and-hard-drive-enclosures