Windows Activation problem.

[Michael Wade]

On my computer i have 3 hardrives. One full of games @500GB one with the computer @1TB and contains windows 8.1/recovery and other partitions. My last one which i recently received from a friend, @320GB and the one currently booting up with my system. Even tho in BIOS its set to use my 1TB one it still boots here, which is not a problem. except it has windows 8 illegally i think. my computer always asks for an activation key, my wonder is can i use the one from my other HDD with windows 8.1? Assuming i upgrade to 8.1 soon? because i'd rather use this 320GB HDD for my windows installation, and everything else on different HDD. possible? or not?

 

[USAFRet]

Do you have your installation DVD?

If so, I'd wipe that 320GB drive and reinstall. If that is indeed a pirated Windows OS, you have no idea of what it actually is. May contain all sorts of malware.

 

[Michael Wade]

Do you have your installation DVD?

If so, I'd wipe that 320GB drive and reinstall. If that is indeed a pirated Windows OS, you have no idea of what it actually is. May contain all sorts of malware.

No. My computer did not come with one. only a partition, ive already wiped the drive, which used my recovery from my other HDD i assume and installed windows 8.

 

[USAFRet]

Do you have your installation DVD?

If so, I'd wipe that 320GB drive and reinstall. If that is indeed a pirated Windows OS, you have no idea of what it actually is. May contain all sorts of malware.

No. My computer did not come with one. only a partition, ive already wiped the drive, which used my recovery from my other HDD i assume and installed windows 8.

What you should have done is create a DVD recovery set via whatever functionality the manufacturer has in that recovery partition.
But since that is gone....

A couple of options:
1. Remove the 320GB drive, and see if it still boots from the 1TB. If so, wipe that 320GB. You really don't want that pirated OS in there. No telling what it contains.
If it still boots corrently from the 1TB, how much used space is there? Possibly you could clone the OS and whatever from the 1TB to the 320GB (if it fits).

2. Obtain, from the manufacturer, a DVD factory recovery set. This will cost $.
Put in the 320GB, boot from the recovery set and make it install to the 320GB.

3. Buy an OS. Install on whichever drive you wish.