[SOLVED] Take out NVME SSD (Win 10 OS) from old PC – install into new PC (different hardware) and USB boot with Win 11 license for inplace upgrade

[Hard_ware]

Intention: Move from old PC (Z170,Win 10 Pro on M.2 NVME SSD) buy a new PC (12700K with Z690) and put the old NVME on motherboard of new PC.
I would like to avoid that I have to install on new PC all the software again, licenses, settings, games etc. which will cost me at least 2 days.

Therefore the idea: Put old NVME (Win 10) into new PC - buy a Win 11 license – and I try an inplace upgrade from USB stick during first boot.

Any suggestions how to make it work? Thanks

 

[Nine Layer Nige]

I stuck my NVME from my old Z170/i7-6600 into my new Z690/i5-12600k, fired it up and it worked fine once it had found some drivers online to make various Hardware components work. No problem. Then, to get the Windows 10 activated, I selected Trouble shoot ( ive got new hardware option) and follwed the instructions to activate Windows. NOTE: you will need to do this using your Microsoft account as logged in, then it will know that you were using it with your Z170 kit. I think you must have been using it on your Z170 kit to make it legit.

Then, do a free upgrade to Win 11.

 

[Lafong]

Might work and might not.

I've heard of lots of successes and failures. Never personally tried it. I'd probably try it, with the understanding I might bail out after X hours of frustration.

Possible issues:

Legacy BIOS (CSM) v. UEFI. Both computers should be set for the same type of booting.

SATA drive controller mode: IDE v. AHCI v. RAID. Ideally, both computers SATA controllers should be set for AHCI. If you had to switch modes for some reason, this would normally need to be done on the old computer to set Windows up for the switch when you put the old drive into the new computer.

Generally, Windows 10 is pretty good at adapting to new hardware when moved to a new computer.

Another option:

Make a Macrium image of the activated C only on the old PC. Do a clean install on the new drive and then restore that image to C on the new machine, overwriting the C that had just been created by the clean install. You'd then probably have to run Macrium's "Fix Boot Issues" to get up and running.

I wouldn't even worry about Windows 11 at all until after the smoke had cleared.

 

[Hard_ware]

I think you must have been using it on your Z170 kit to make it legit.

Thanks for sharing your experience.
What do you mean exactly with "I think you must have been using it on your Z170 kit to make it legit." On my old PC the Win 10 is an OEM Version and therefore I think this could bring some activation problems: Maybe I can avoid this if I buy a new retail or OEM Win 10 Pro license to get the Windows 10 activated on new PC?

 

[Hard_ware]

Might work and might not.

I've heard of lots of successes and failures. Never personally tried it. I'd probably try it, with the understanding I might bail out after X hours of frustration.

Possible issues:

Legacy BIOS (CSM) v. UEFI. Both computers should be set for the same type of booting.

SATA drive controller mode: IDE v. AHCI v. RAID. Ideally, both computers SATA controllers should be set for AHCI. If you had to switch modes for some reason, this would normally need to be done on the old computer to set Windows up for the switch when you put the old drive into the new computer.

Generally, Windows 10 is pretty good at adapting to new hardware when moved to a new computer.

Another option:

Make a Macrium image of the activated C only on the old PC. Do a clean install on the new drive and then restore that image to C on the new machine, overwriting the C that had just been created by the clean install. You'd then probably have to run Macrium's "Fix Boot Issues" to get up and running.

I wouldn't even worry about Windows 11 at all until after the smoke had cleared.

Ok, thanks: Will stick to Win 10 first. I have no SATA drive - just move one M.2 NVME SSD Samsung 970 Evo plus on motherboard from old PC to new PC.
Info: I have a second Samsung 970 Evo Plus to have it cloned for this procedure - therefore I can try several times always with an identical clone from old PC if necessary).

Just checked with command slmgr /dli. It says Win 10 Pro, retail channel, lincense status: licensed 🙂
I was not sure if I had an OEM Version.

 

[Lafong]

Because I have an OEM Win 10 Version on old PC I expect activation problems on new PC. So, if Win 10 starts on new PC I am willing to buy a Win 10 Pro licensen beforehand (OEM sufficient?) for activation on new PC. Good idea?

Not sure what kind of licensing issues you might run into....I'm not sure how fussy Microsoft is about it now. I have never had an OEM license.

I wouldn't bother with Windows 11 at all unless you have some over-riding reason. Win 10 will be supported for several more years.

 

[Hard_ware]

Not sure what kind of licensing issues you might run into....I'm not sure how fussy Microsoft is about it now. I have never had an OEM license.

Just checked with command slmgr /dli. It says Win 10 Pro, retail channel, lincense status: licensed

 

[Colif]

did the nvme boot when you put it on the new PC? Have you tried it?

there are 3 outcomes

1. it works fine
2. it works but you have weird bugs
3. it doesn't work at all

I would back it up before swapping it over if you haven't already

If it works fine after moving across, you should be able to upgrade to 11.
The differences between 10 & 11 are not very big on surface, but it depends how you use PC as to if you notice it or not

This is what you should do before/after moving the install - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...e-change-2c0e962a-f04c-145b-6ead-fb3fc72b6665
and that assumes you clean install windows.

if you have any problems with deactivation you would need to call MS and explain what you did. They can fix it from their end.

if you have a win 11 licence, ignore the last 2 sentences. Its assuming you moving win 10 licence since you can upgrade them.

 

[Lafong]

That's what I show on my retail license also.

Partial license key 3V66T, which is probably the same as yours?

You might still have some license issues because a retail license is "one license, one machine", but you should certainly be able to get by the issues with the troubleshooter or a call to Microsoft. Not sure exactly how that works lately.

Let us know how you make out on just moving the drive over. I'd like to know because I might eventually try the same thing.

 

[Nine Layer Nige]

I think you must have been using it on your Z170 kit to make it legit.

What I mean is that Microsoft needs to know that its "you" using new kit and that your old kit has become redundant. I always log in using my Microsoft account, and have been for years. My Windows licence was originally from a Windows 7 Home purchase, i bought years ago and upgrade free to Windows 10 but I always log in using my Microsoft account and Microsoft know what kit I am using. so, when I logged in using new kit, Microsoft would not activate the new kit until I verified that it was "me" and my new kit, at which point, they would have flagged my old kit as non licenced (incase I flog i and, the new owner would not be able to activate it with MY original key). That's my understanding anyway.
I cant comment about OEM licence transfer mind.

NOTE: Before I did any upgrades, I made sure I had 2 separate full backups of my system . One I did using AEOMI backupper - Clone feature. The other was a Windows System Image. Just incase stuff goes wrong.
So, belt and braces just incase.

 

[Alabalcho]

Intention: Move from old PC (Z170,Win 10 Pro on M.2 NVME SSD) buy a new PC (12700K with Z690) and put the old NVME on motherboard of new PC.

You're going to spend $XXX on new hardware. Add $30 for a cheap SSD. Clone your existing NVME on it, test it on your existing PC, and use that SSD for testing on the new hardware. That way, you'll always have a working system.

 

[USAFRet]

Intention: Move from old PC (Z170,Win 10 Pro on M.2 NVME SSD) buy a new PC (12700K with Z690) and put the old NVME on motherboard of new PC.
I would like to avoid that I have to install on new PC all the software again, licenses, settings, games etc. which will cost me at least 2 days.

Therefore the idea: Put old NVME (Win 10) into new PC - buy a Win 11 license – and I try an inplace upgrade from USB stick during first boot.

Any suggestions how to make it work? Thanks

2 things:

1. 1 license, 1 PC.
2. This may not work at all. There is NO guarantee of viability when moving a drive+OS from one system to another.

"which will cost me at least 2 days"....Starting now, a clean install will be done before the weekend.