Super confused on how to boot up new pc from current hard drive

[JustAnOstrich]

Hello guys, I plan building a NEW pc but i dont want to buy a new OS or a new hard drive. So i plan on booting up the new pc from my current hard drive loaded with Windows 8.1 64-bit. This will save me money and i wont have to buy a transfer cable or a new HDD. Please help!

 

[lodders]

With Windows XP and Windows 7 it doesn't work unless your new PC has the same motherboard as your old motherboard. I have heard that Windows 8.1 is the same

 

[JustAnOstrich]

With Windows XP and Windows 7 it doesn't work unless your new PC has the same motherboard as your old motherboard. I have heard that Windows 8.1 is the same

Right now i have an AMD CPU and and AMD chipset board. I plan on moving over to an Intel board along with an Intel CPU.

 

[USAFRet]

Hello guys, I plan building a NEW pc but i dont want to buy a new OS or a new hard drive. So i plan on booting up the new pc from my current hard drive loaded with Windows 8.1 64-bit. This will save me money and i wont have to buy a transfer cable or a new HDD. Please help!

This probably will not work, for a couple of reasons - Operation and Licensing

Operation: That OS on that drive probably will not boot in the new hardware. At all. So you'd need to do a full reinstall.

Licensing: It almost certainly will become deactivated. Depending on what license the old OS is...that may be tied to the original motherboard.

Thirdly....even if you do get it to boot on the new PC, and if you can get it activated, now that old PC has no OS.

 

[JustAnOstrich]

So can i just buy a new HDD and put Windows 8.1 on it, then boot up the New PC with it. Then later plug in my current drive and transfer everything?

 

[USAFRet]

With Windows XP and Windows 7 it doesn't work unless your new PC has the same motherboard as your old motherboard. I have heard that Windows 8.1 is the same

Right now i have an AMD CPU and and AMD chipset board. I plan on moving over to an Intel board along with an Intel CPU.

That leads to even more of "It won't work. At all."

 

[USAFRet]

So can i just buy a new HDD and put Windows 8.1 on it, then boot up the New PC with it. Then later plug in my current drive and transfer everything?

Build the new PC.
Then install the OS.
With a new license key that has never been used. You can't use the same one on the new PC and the old PC.

 

[lodders]

Good choice going to intel, but I am 99% sure you will need a new windows installation.
When I built a new PC a few weeks ago, I put windows on a new SSD, and also installed the old HDD from the old computer in my new computer it because it has all my photos, books, music etc. (and steam games folder)
Had to re-install all my programs and applications tho

Nice to have 2 disks in one PC, easy for backup

 

[JustAnOstrich]

Good choice going to intel, but I am 99% sure you will need a new windows installation.
When I built a new PC a few weeks ago, I put windows on a new SSD, and also installed the old HDD from the old computer in my new computer it because it has all my photos, books, music etc. (and steam games folder)
Had to re-install all my programs and applications tho

Nice to have 2 disks in one PC, easy for backup

I have a disk with Windows 8.1 64-bit on it i'm just worried that it will ask for an activation key.

 

[USAFRet]

Good choice going to intel, but I am 99% sure you will need a new windows installation.
When I built a new PC a few weeks ago, I put windows on a new SSD, and also installed the old HDD from the old computer in my new computer it because it has all my photos, books, music etc. (and steam games folder)
Had to re-install all my programs and applications tho

Nice to have 2 disks in one PC, easy for backup

I have a disk with Windows 8.1 64-bit on it i'm just worried that it will ask for an activation key.

On a clean install on a new PC, yes it will.

 

[JustAnOstrich]

Alright well thanks for the help guys i really appreciate it! Without it i would of been supperr confused!

 

[RecklessRon]

EaseUS Todo Backup - paid not free - allows you to do a complete backup and then restore it to a different computer. I've only used the free version and it will restore to a different hard drive and work.