Windows 8 hard drive change on a hp laptop

Arslan Qureshi

Honorable
Dec 17, 2013
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10,510
Hi, I will just cut to the chase. I want to replace my laptop hard drive with an SSD, but I don't want to buy windows 8(it already has windows 8 installed by the OEM), is there anyway I can change my laptop hard drive while using the original key which my laptop already has?
 
Solution
I would make a set of recovery disks anyhow.
Usually one of the DVD disks that it makes is an actual Windows 8 setup disk that you can use to do a clean installation without all of the crapware that computer makers put on their systems. You will probably have to reinstall a lot of the drivers though, so be prepared..
Normally, I just make sure that I have network card drivers and the chipset drivers saved onto a usb drive so that I can install them and get onto the Net. Then I just download and install the rest.



thanks for the reply but what if I do not want to use the software?
 
I would make a set of recovery disks anyhow.
Usually one of the DVD disks that it makes is an actual Windows 8 setup disk that you can use to do a clean installation without all of the crapware that computer makers put on their systems. You will probably have to reinstall a lot of the drivers though, so be prepared..
Normally, I just make sure that I have network card drivers and the chipset drivers saved onto a usb drive so that I can install them and get onto the Net. Then I just download and install the rest.
 
Solution


Thank You for the reply, here's the thing, My hp recovery software decided not to work and whatever I do does not work, so, can I use the system image back up option in windows as a work around?