Replacing Windows 8 with Windows 7

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jamn805

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Feb 20, 2011
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Hey guys,
I am getting a laptop soon with Windows 8.1 already installed. I plan on upgrading the hard drive of my laptop with an SSD.

At fist, I was going to clone the hard drive (windows8) onto my SSD, but since I do not like the windows 8 layout so much, I might do this:
My desktop's C drive is a 128 gb SSD with windows 7 and essential programs that I need already installed. I could clone my desktop's SSD (windows7) onto my SSD and take out my laptop's hard drive and replace it with that.

Yes, the replacement ssd will be a large enough capacity to take all of my Desktop's SSD storage.
What are your thoughts on this?
 
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drtweak
yea you could clone it from the desktop if you wish. Yank out both drives. Plug them in (Either though SATA or USB adapter) then run the cloning software on there, clone from the old drive to the new drive, then put new drive back in laptop.
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drkatz42

drkatz42

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You will have issues activating the same copy of windows 7 on the new laptop.(if I understand correctly, you'll be trying to run the same copy of windows 7 on two different machines?)

I've played around with windows 8.1 and with the addition of a free "start button" and having it boot directly to the desktop, it runs extremely well.
 
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Dogsnake

Dogsnake

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Win7 will look to reactivate the new hardware config. Also you are violating the user agreement on Win7 unless you have a multi use retail version. The legality and ethics aside, the massive hardware differences will prevent the cloned version from operating properly if at all on the lappy. If it was me, I would stay with the win 8 as 9 is just around the corner. The current buzzz is a free upgrade from 8 versions. Cloning dives is for duplicating on same hardware configs. If you want 7 just buy an oem version and save yourself a lot of grief.
 
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drtweak

drtweak

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Yea you'd have more of an issue with activation than cloning. A lot of OEM PC's use the same intel driver but depening on it it may or may not work on cloning. I have tossed hard drives from a dell Optiplex 790 into a Optiplex 740 and the only reason why they worked is because of the RAID 1 and it using the Intel Raid Drivers. But again you won't be able to activate it. different hardware.
 
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jamn805

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Will it work if I clone windows 8 onto an SSD and then replace it? If so, I would have to do all this on my laptop correct? I wouldn't be able to take the hard drive from my laptop and the new ssd, connect to my desktop, and clone from there? That to me, would just be easier.
 
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drtweak

drtweak

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Sep 17, 2012
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yea you could clone it from the desktop if you wish. Yank out both drives. Plug them in (Either though SATA or USB adapter) then run the cloning software on there, clone from the old drive to the new drive, then put new drive back in laptop.
 
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