Moving ssd with windows 8 to another pc

Tauno M · Jul 15, 2014

Hi

I am about to buy new pc and i am transfering ssd with windows 8 from my old one to new pc.

Will i have to reinstall windows or can it handle all the new hardware?

If i have to reinstall, is there any way i could save all settings and apps and all that stuff from my current pc and apply on reinstalling? I have made a lot of tuning (changing settings and installing metro apps) to my win and id hate to do it all again, not sure if i even could.

My documents, pictures and other stuff is on another drive so i dont need to backup that. And i know all about reactivating windows. So these topics are covered.

Thank you for reading.

TechyInAZ · Jul 15, 2014

You need to reinstall windows.

I believe windows has a backup program that does what you ask for.

i7Baby · Jul 15, 2014

I'd just try it and see what happens. Partly depends on the license.

You'd have to at least change all the drivers (Control Panel, Device Manager)

Dark Lord of Tech · Jul 15, 2014

You need to backup and reinstall to avoid driver conflicts etc.

i7Baby · Jul 15, 2014

Agree - at least back up your data - just in case.

Tauno M · Jul 15, 2014

TechyInAZ :

Will it backup all my apps too, like chrome or xampp?

i7Baby · Jul 15, 2014

Chrome comes with windows. But I think you'll have to re-install apps. - if you need to do a re-install.

Tauno M · Jul 15, 2014

i7Baby :

So no matter what, its a hassle to get everything back to the way it was.

Thank you all for answering!

dodger46 · Jul 15, 2014

Tauno M :

I agree with i7baby, just drop it in and see what happens... I've been amazed on a few occasions as to just how adaptable 8 is to new surroundings, even from an Intel Board to an AMD... suck it and see, give it a few hours, check Device Manager for yellow exclamation marks (Remember to view hidden devices)

Tauno M · Jul 15, 2014

dodger46 :

Tauno M :

I agree with i7baby, just drop it in and see what happens... I've been amazed on a few occasions as to just how adaptable 8 is to new surroundings, even from an Intel Board to an AMD... suck it and see, give it a few hours, check Device Manager for yellow exclamation marks (Remember to view hidden devices)

Thank you! Ill try that and if something goes wrong ill format and reiinstall.

FilmEdDerr · Jul 21, 2014

Yes, you can move a Windows 8 drive to a new pc, IF it's not an OEM version that came with a machine made by one of the companies that cooperate with Microsoft in making your life miserable.

An OEM version of Windows 8 is tied to the motherboard, bios, and serial of the PC it was sold with.

If you bought a fresh version of Windows 8 directly from Microsoft not with a new pc, your license allows you to use it on any pc that you want to, but of course on only one pc at a time. Windows 8 is still installed in sync with your motherboard and bios, but the license can be de-activated on the old pc and re-activated on the new pc. A Windows 8 license can be activated 1000 times.

In keeping with Microsoft's policy of contempt for it's customers, and of keeping every really useful function of Windows 8 a secret from it's users, instructions about things like this are maddeningly difficult to learn.
You can view your license info at an elevated command prompt with "slmgr /dlv"
Find out all about your Windows 8 license with "slmgr /?"

An elegant method of moving a Windows 8 hard drive form one pc to another is to de-activate your license on the drive before removing it from the old pc.
At the elevated command prompt: "slmgr /upk"

After installing on the new pc: "slmgr /ipk" to re-activate.
If there are problems with the activation, it can be easily and courteously activated by telephone.

Please be aware that you will probably still experience driver and software "adjustment" or incompatibility problems that may very well drive you crazy enough to re-format the drive and start fresh. Of course that's exactly what we're trying to avoid here. Microsoft will not courteously help you with that issue.

Cheers!

dodger46 · Jul 22, 2014

FilmEdDerr :

Yes, you can move a Windows 8 drive to a new pc, IF it's not an OEM version that came with a machine made by one of the companies that cooperate with Microsoft in making your life miserable.

An OEM version of Windows 8 is tied to the motherboard, bios, and serial of the PC it was sold with.

If you bought a fresh version of Windows 8 directly from Microsoft not with a new pc, your license allows you to use it on any pc that you want to, but of course on only one pc at a time. Windows 8 is still installed in sync with your motherboard and bios, but the license can be de-activated on the old pc and re-activated on the new pc. A Windows 8 license can be activated 1000 times.

In keeping with Microsoft's policy of contempt for it's customers, and of keeping every really useful function of Windows 8 a secret from it's users, instructions about things like this are maddeningly difficult to learn.
You can view your license info at an elevated command prompt with "slmgr /dlv"
Find out all about your Windows 8 license with "slmgr /?"

An elegant method of moving a Windows 8 hard drive form one pc to another is to de-activate your license on the drive before removing it from the old pc.
At the elevated command prompt: "slmgr /upk"

After installing on the new pc: "slmgr /ipk" to re-activate.
If there are problems with the activation, it can be easily and courteously activated by telephone.

Please be aware that you will probably still experience driver and software "adjustment" or incompatibility problems that may very well drive you crazy enough to re-format the drive and start fresh. Of course that's exactly what we're trying to avoid here. Microsoft will not courteously help you with that issue.

Cheers!

Thanks for posting that, wasn't aware that slmgr was still applicable to win 8. Used to enter slmgr.vbs -upk to deactivate Win 7, it would appear that the same works for Win 8... not sure what the vbs is for!

FilmEdDerr · Jul 22, 2014

Hello, Dodger
.vbs is the file extension for a "Visual Basic Script".

At the command line you can use 'slmgr' without the extension.
Using the "Run" app, you would enter 'slmgr.vbs'

Microsoft does not seem to want you to know that Windows 7 and Windows 8 use a nearly identical command set. The new Windows 8 graphical interface is mostly smoke and mirrors to make us think the OS is some radically different magical mystical new idea. The more confused we are the more money Microsoft can make selling you things you don't need.

Search

Moving ssd with windows 8 to another pc

Tauno M

Distinguished

dodger46

TechyInAZ

Titan

i7Baby

Titan

Dark Lord of Tech

Retired Moderator

i7Baby

Titan

Tauno M

Distinguished

i7Baby

Titan

Tauno M

Distinguished

dodger46

Splendid

Tauno M

Distinguished

FilmEdDerr

Reputable

dodger46

Splendid

FilmEdDerr

Reputable

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page