Help With Hard Drives!

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xIntended

Honorable
Mar 6, 2014
4
0
10,510
If anyone could help me that would be awesome!
I recently built a NEW Gaming PC and I though I would save a few bucks and reuse my old hard drive from my HP Pavilion.
I took out the hard drive and the SATA cable and power cable and though it would work just fine. Windows would not boot.
Anyone know what to do So I don't have to pay for Windows again?
Or so I can re-install a copy of Windows 8 On the old hard drive?
I don't really mind formatting the hard drive because I have a 1TB External Hard Drive.
Thanks for reading!
 
Solution
A
Installing a new copy of W8 on the old drive should work fine. Go into the BIOS on your new MB and make sure the HD is showing up in the Boot Order section. It is usually available on the main page and also in the advanced section. The advanced section will allow you to "show all available drives" which is sometimes necessary to get a drive into the initial setup. Your old drive has a very small, usually 100MB, hidden boot partition and it must be installed by the OS when you install the OS the first time. That hidden boot partition for your old computer is likely causing your problem. It can be seen in "Disk Management". If you use Disk Management on another computer with that drive you can "delete volume" as a right click...
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avjguy2362

Honorable
Jun 21, 2012
732
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11,360
Installing a new copy of W8 on the old drive should work fine. Go into the BIOS on your new MB and make sure the HD is showing up in the Boot Order section. It is usually available on the main page and also in the advanced section. The advanced section will allow you to "show all available drives" which is sometimes necessary to get a drive into the initial setup. Your old drive has a very small, usually 100MB, hidden boot partition and it must be installed by the OS when you install the OS the first time. That hidden boot partition for your old computer is likely causing your problem. It can be seen in "Disk Management". If you use Disk Management on another computer with that drive you can "delete volume" as a right click choice on both the boot partition and the old C drive partition. Then install the HD in your new computer and install W8. It will then be like a fresh install!
 
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Solution
drtweak

drtweak

Illustrious
Sep 17, 2012
6,343
75
38,640
What you're doing can't really be done.

He is trying to REUSE not just the HDD but WINDOWS as well. The thing is that version of windows is meant for THAT PC ONLY. Now if you Bought Windows 8 and upgraded that PC that is a different story. You can just install Windows 8, Make sure its a clean install, and then reuse your same Key. Then when it says it can't be activated because its already been used it will give you the option to phone in and activate. Just tell them your Old motherboard took a dump, got a new one, and need to reactivate windows on this new PC. If they give you issues and don't activate it just call back and hope you get someone else.
 
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drtweak

drtweak

Illustrious
Sep 17, 2012
6,343
75
38,640
He did say "Anyone know what to do So I don't have to pay for Windows again?" So we are assuming he has a paid version.

Also xIntended any kind of piracy or illegal downloading will get you no help around here FYI. What you do is your business. Out in the open public is NOT the place to talk about what you do that could get you in trouble.
 
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D

danny2000

Splendid
Sep 14, 2010
2,523
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21,460
If you have Windows 8 anad did the upgrade to Window 8.1, then you can install Windows 8 onto the old harddrive.
Once you do the upgrade to Windows 8.1 on a pc, the n the license becomes transferable as a full copy, and not just an upgrade.

so to
 
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