Moving HDD from prebuilt system to a new custom rig?

[Luke3079]

So im building a new rig next week, i kinda wanna know what would happen to windows if i literally move the HDD from my current prebuilt to the new rig ill be building next week.

 

[greens]

It won't boot. The HDD stores all the drivers and instructions for the computer on it. If you try to boot your new PC using that old HDD with old instructions, it isn't going to work.

 

[USAFRet]

The physical drive? Sure.

The drive with the OS, and expecting it to boot? Unlikely.
And if it does, it will unactivate itself.

 

[Luke3079]

So what am I suppose to do?

 

[greens]

You can
A) back up the data, wipe the drive and use it in your new build.
B) keep it in your existing build.

 

[USAFRet]

So what am I suppose to do?

Sell the current prebuilt.
With the proceeds, buy a new drive and OS for your new system

 

[imrazor]

You can in theory do this, but there are a few reasons you'll probably run into trouble. First of all is licensing and activation. Your Windows copy on the pre-built is an OEM license tied to the pre-built's motherboard. If you try to move it to another PC, it probably will not activate. Secondly, as another person mentioned is drivers. The pre-built has drivers installed for the drive controller, motherboard, etc. which are probably all incompatible with your new system. There is a way to get windows to reinstall drivers as if it's a fresh install with the "sysprep /generalize /oobe" command. But this will wipe all your drivers and your personal info in the process, and is not foolproof. I don't recommend it at all.

EDIT: More info here: http://www.howtogeek.com/239815/why-cant-you-move-a-windows-installation-to-another-computer/
Here's the procedure (sometimes works, sometimes not) for Windows 7. Windows 10 is probably similar, but I haven't tried it yet. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/135077-windows-7-installation-transfer-new-computer.html

 

[Luke3079]

can i still use the same hard drive and just buy a new copy of windows?

 

[aquielisunari]

can i still use the same hard drive and just buy a new copy of windows?

Yes you can use the same HDD and install a new OS on it. Absolutely yes!

What if you tried to transfer the drive as is?


First off you will have driver issues. You might just run into blue screen after blue screen and have too many issues. If you did get it to work Then your activation is the next issue. Previous to Windows 10 and included in the OEM Windows 10's standard disclaimer the activation becomes invalidated.

This https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/55398-microsoft-account-link-digital-license-windows-10-pc.html may be your saving grace.

https://www.extremetech.com/computing/230696-microsofts-windows-10-build-can-tie-licenses-to-your-online-account shows more.

Will that give you even less privacy(not possible if you are using 10 and its default privacy settings) if you link your account?

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change

License is now being referred to as entitlement. M$ wants to make sure we know where we stand.

 

[hydranix]

Just run this program before you move the drive.

C:\Windows\System32\sysprep\sysprep.exe

Choose option OOBE, tick generalize, and option shutdown.

Press ok and the computer will take some time to shut down. Once it does move the drive to the new computer and boot from it. Windows will install new drivers once it boots.

You will need to activate Windows, which can be done legally and freely if you follow USAFRet's advice.

 

[aquielisunari]

Just run this program before you move the drive.

C:\Windows\System32\sysprep\sysprep.exe

Choose option OOBE, tick generalize, and option shutdown.

Press ok and the computer will take some time to shut down. Once it does move the drive to the new computer and boot from it. Windows will install new drivers once it boots.

You will need to activate Windows with a new license though. This cannot be avoided legally.

Check out my answer and the link to Microsoft.

 

[USAFRet]

Just run this program before you move the drive.

C:\Windows\System32\sysprep\sysprep.exe

Choose option OOBE, tick generalize, and option shutdown.

Press ok and the computer will take some time to shut down. Once it does move the drive to the new computer and boot from it. Windows will install new drivers once it boots.

You will need to activate Windows with a new license though. This cannot be avoided legally.

And from the MS TechNet page on sysprep:
"Sysprep must be used only to configure new installations of Windows."
....
"You must not use Sysprep to reconfigure an existing installation of Windows that has already been deployed. Use Sysprep only to configure new installations of Windows.'

 

[Luke3079]

I might end doing what this guy did.


https://youtu.be/LbpqkiaO7q4

 

[USAFRet]

I might end doing what this guy did.

https://youtu.be/LbpqkiaO7q4

What's the short version? I'm not sitting through 30 minutes of this guy installing an OS.

 

[Luke3079]

I might end doing what this guy did.

https://youtu.be/LbpqkiaO7q4

What's the short version? I'm not sitting through 30 minutes of this guy installing an OS.

This guy basically bought an OEM key from kinguin, installed the windows ISO in a USB flash drive and hooked it up on his computer. He went through he installation process and typed in the windows key he got from the website.

I'm not sure whether or not I should buy a key from kinguin, I don't trust key sites.

 

[Luke3079]

I'll also need the drivers that comes with the motherboard, gotta download them from the website.

 

[USAFRet]

This guy basically bought an OEM key from kinguin, installed the windows ISO in a USB flash drive and hooked it up on his computer. He went through he installation process and typed in the windows key he got from the website.

I'm not sure whether or not I should buy a key from kinguin, I don't trust key sites.

There are many, many good reasons to not trust those key sites.

You're building a new PC. A valid OS is just as much a part of the new system as is the RAM or CPU.

You currently have a prebuilt.
Did you consider my earlier suggestion? Sell the current prebuilt, and buy a valid OS with the proceeds.

 

[Luke3079]

This guy basically bought an OEM key from kinguin, installed the windows ISO in a USB flash drive and hooked it up on his computer. He went through he installation process and typed in the windows key he got from the website.

I'm not sure whether or not I should buy a key from kinguin, I don't trust key sites.

There are many, many good reasons to not trust those key sites.

You're building a new PC. A valid OS is just as much a part of the new system as is the RAM or CPU.

You currently have a prebuilt.
Did you consider my earlier suggestion? Sell the current prebuilt, and buy a valid OS with the proceeds.

Yeah i'm probably going to sell this prebuilt computer.

 

[aquielisunari]

I might end doing what this guy did.


https://youtu.be/LbpqkiaO7q4

The step I suggested is free.

 

[Luke3079]

I might end doing what this guy did.


https://youtu.be/LbpqkiaO7q4

The step I suggested is free.

Ah, so as long as my system is at the version of 1607 I can link my microsoft account to this system and that should allow me to reactivate this windows key. Luckily this version of the OS is at 1607, i'm wonder how i'm suppose to reactivate windows. Do I just use the same product key I used to activate windows from the beginning? What about the drivers to the new motherboard?

 

[USAFRet]

Ah, so as long as my system is at the version of 1607 I can link my microsoft account to this system and that should allow me to reactivate this windows key. Luckily this version of the OS is at 1607, i'm wonder how i'm suppose to reactivate windows. Do I just use the same product key I used to activate windows from the beginning? What about the drivers to the new motherboard?

You don't use the same license key.
The OS gets linked to your MS account.

Read and do this, before you change any hardware:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-3164428/windows-build-1607-activation.html

That is for the licensing.

The actual install and operation is a completely different issue.
Reinstall the OS, and then the drivers.

 

[Luke3079]

I guess I have activation sorted.

So I guess i'll have to reinstall windows, download the latest drivers of the new board. How am I suppose to install the new drivers for the new board?

 

[USAFRet]

I guess I have activation sorted.

So I guess i'll have to reinstall windows, download the latest drivers of the new board. How am I suppose to install the new drivers for the new board?

After the OS is installed, install the relevant drivers.
You can obtain these now, and save on a USB stick.

 

[Luke3079]

I guess i'm ready for the build. I've got an issue with my laptop which i'll make another thread about it.

 

[hydranix]

And from the MS TechNet page on sysprep:
"Sysprep must be used only to configure new installations of Windows."
....
"You must not use Sysprep to reconfigure an existing installation of Windows that has already been deployed. Use Sysprep only to configure new installations of Windows.'

That is what the /generalize parameter is for. If you had read the third paragraph, you would have seen:

If you intend to transfer a Windows image to a different computer, you must run sysprep /generalize, even if the computer has the same hardware configuration. The sysprep /generalize command removes unique information from your Windows installation, which enables you to reuse that image on different computers. The next time you boot the Windows image, the specialize configuration pass runs. During this configuration pass, many components have actions that must be processed when you boot a Windows image on a new computer. Any method of moving a Windows image to a new computer, either through imaging, hard disk duplication, or other method, must be prepared with the sysprep /generalize command. Moving or copying a Windows image to a different computer without running sysprep /generalize is not supported.

I've used sysprep in this way for nearly a decade without any problems, and it's much faster than reinstalling and updating Windows.