Swap Windows Versions between 2 hard drives

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BEARaj87

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Oct 4, 2012
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This is kind of a weird scenario: I have built two PC's, one has Windows 7 installed along with all of my other data (call it hard drive A). The other is freshly built and has Windows 8.1, with no other data (call this hard drive B). I still have both installation discs that I purchased.

Basically, I want swap operating systems between hard drive A and hard drive B.

If someone could give me an idea of how to accomplish this, that'd be awesome.

Thanks a lot!
 
Solution
Onus
Are the drives of similar size? One way to do it would be to get a third drive also at least as large as the used space on the most full one.
Clone drive #1 onto drive #3. Install it in place of drive #1 and confirm that it works as expected. If it fails, repeat the cloning process (make SURE you go #1->#3 on subsequent attempts). If it works fine, then clone #2 onto #1. Test that one to make sure it works, repeating if necessary until it does. Once it does, clone #3 onto #2 (or just install #3 and be done), repeating if necessary until it works.
In this manner, at no time is a version of Windows used on a different motherboard, so you shouldn't have activation issues. When done, you'll also have a backup drive.
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Onus

Onus

Titan
Jan 27, 2006
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Are the drives of similar size? One way to do it would be to get a third drive also at least as large as the used space on the most full one.
Clone drive #1 onto drive #3. Install it in place of drive #1 and confirm that it works as expected. If it fails, repeat the cloning process (make SURE you go #1->#3 on subsequent attempts). If it works fine, then clone #2 onto #1. Test that one to make sure it works, repeating if necessary until it does. Once it does, clone #3 onto #2 (or just install #3 and be done), repeating if necessary until it works.
In this manner, at no time is a version of Windows used on a different motherboard, so you shouldn't have activation issues. When done, you'll also have a backup drive.
 
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Solution
elmo2006

elmo2006

Distinguished
Jul 27, 2009
406
1
18,960


You will need to introduce HDD C or a third drive so that you can migrate HDD B to HDD C or HDD A to HDD C and then from HDD C to HDD B or HDD C to HDD A.

Or you can create an image of HDD A and copy it to HDD B, then perform a restore back to HDD A to ensure operability. Once verified, then once the image is stored on HDD B then you can migrate HDD B to HDD A and vice versa.

I would seriously recommend that all your critical data be copied elsewhere as anything can go wrong.

Hope this helps.

 
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elmo2006

elmo2006

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Jul 27, 2009
406
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LOL, you beat me to it.
 
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