Posted: 3/12/2014 12:22:18 PM EDT
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I am going to install Windows 8.1 (fresh install) onto a 6 year old 250GB HD. I figure someday, I'll plan on upgrading it to an SSD. I'd rather not spend the money today, so I was wondering if there's any weird hoops I have to jump through to install 8.1 on an SSD 1 year from now after installing it today on another hard drive. I would NOT want to use any HD cloning software. I'd like to do a fresh install from scratch on the SSD later in time.
I've never installed 8.1 from scratch, but I've installed XP from scratch, and I've done system recoveries for Vista, and Win 7. The recoveries never ask for the product key, but the XP always did. I figured Windows has newer policies in place than they did back in the XP days. What does Microsoft do to ensure that I am not running the same key on two machines at the same time? Do I need a Live account to link the key to or something like that? |
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Good question. I haven't used anything but enterprise licenses in years but I think all you have to do is re-install and it'll allow you to re-activate online without any issues. At worst you may have to call them and let them know what you're doing and they'll give you a key.
I'm sure that someone with more experience doing this with single license keys can back that up or set you on the right path. |
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Best case scenario it installs and online activates just fine.
Worst case scenario you have to call an 800 number and punch numbers into the keypad and then punch numbers into an activation prompt on the computer *EDIT* It also can depend on which type you have. OEM the license is not transferable, Retail you can deactivate on one machine and move it to another. With something simple like just changing a hard drive you probably wouldn't run in to that either way but if you were doing something like replacing a motherboard or CPU you might actually have to call MS and make your case with a nice friendly guy in India named Matt or Bob or Steve. |
| I recently built a new pc and loaded it up with 8.1Pro. A couple weeks after this I decided to upgrade my hdd to a Samsung 840 EVO 250GB. The Samsung SSD came with a tool that migrated the OS drive to the SSD. No reinstall, just moved everything needed to the new drive and it started right up. |
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Quoted:
Since the HardwareID hashes will have changed, you will be asked to reactivate Windows.. with such a long window between installations, you shouldn't have any issues at all activating it again. This is basically the answer. You have an undisclosed amount of leniency with regards to HW changes and the time between reinstalls, but a year or more will rarely be a problem. It will likely reactivate online. |