Question Run an Existing Windows 8.1 install from a Mac?

[MacsAndPCs]

I have a hard drive from a dead laptop that already has windows 8.1 Professional installed on it, along with other software. I would like to use that drive with a Mac Mini, either installed internally as a second drive, or attached externally via USB/Firewire. Is there any way I can run and/or boot that existing Windows install from the Mac? It seems Boot Camp wants me to do a new install, which I'm hoping I don't have to do. Is there another way? Thanks!

 

[Calculagator]

Windows won't boot from usb. I'm not sure about firewire, but I wouldn't try it.
You can attach the drive and try to boot from it. Hold down the option key when you power on your mac and select the drive/partition with windows installed. It may work.
If that doesn't work, you may be able to boot it from Parallels or VMware as a virtual machine. Both of those (I think) have the ability to import a VM from a hard drive with windows installed. As long as you are not using 3d software, that option may have as good performance as running windows natively.

 

[McHenryB]

A fresh install is by far the best way to go. The hardware differences between the laptop and Mac are so great that I doubt that existing installation would ever work. And it would then need a fresh key and activation.

 

[Calculagator]

A fresh install is by far the best way to go. The hardware differences between the laptop and Mac are so great that I doubt that existing installation would ever work. And it would then need a fresh key and activation.

Fresh is best, but the rest of that stuff really depends on what the laptop hardware was. Macs use standard hardware, so it could be very similar or very different. If you were running an intel core series CPU, it may work. If you had an AMD cpu, it likely won't. Windows 8.1 is much better at adapting to different hardware than previous versions.
Whether or not you need a new license depend on what sort of license you had to begin with.