Can a HD with Win 7 + apps be moved from one computer to another?

[Doomer]

Activation isn't the problem as this is a Retail version of Win 7. My question is will win 7 pick up the new HW like Win 98 used to do back in the good ole days or will I be opening up Pandora's Box?

Sure would be nice not to have to reinstall all my apps.

 

[hennessy1]

There is usually registry entries that need to be created when installing apps. So I believe you will need to reinstall them unless your just moving the win 7 installation and apps drive into new hardware together.

 

[corkyg]

Generally speaking, the answer is "No!" It would just about require identical hardware, especially mobo and chipset.

 

[Matt1970]

Windows 7 is a lot more forgiving that XP used to be. Ultimate a lot more so than Home Premium. Give it a shot and shee what happens.

 

[tweakboy]

You can try installing over it, but that should give you a BSOD.

 

[Gillbot]

here's an old thread, but lots of good info
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=265026&highlight=sysprep+install+windows

 

[Doomer]

Wow, thanks for the link. Interesting reading indeed.

I decided to go with a clean install. Hate reloading all my apps again but even if I did successfully move the drive, any future glitch woulds have me thinking it might be due to the move. I'd rather have the peace of mind a fresh install gives.

 

[Matt1970]

So now thanks to the smart phone I have to start refering to my "programs" as "apps"?

 

[kmmatney]

I've never had too trouble moving an OS hard drive to a new computer, but a repair-install is often needed. This is fairly painless, but you need an install disk, and the windows key.

Also, activation may be an issue. At least I have a copy of Windows 8 retail, and I'm getting activation issues now, just by using a few different video cards and temporarily connecting hard drives to copy or clone them.

 

[Bubbaleone]

I've never had too trouble moving an OS hard drive to a new computer, but a repair-install is often needed. This is fairly painless, but you need an install disk, and the windows key.

Also, activation may be an issue. At least I have a copy of Windows 8 retail, and I'm getting activation issues now, just by using a few different video cards and temporarily connecting hard drives to copy or clone them.

I think you must be referring to the old Windows XP repair installation procedure. The OPs running Windows 7, and the equivalent to the XP repair install for Windows 7 is called an in-place upgrade installation. An in-place upgrade installation can only be started from the desktop. So unless the OP got lucky, and his HDD actually booted to the desktop on the new hardware, that isn't an option. A Windows 7 in-place upgrade installation isn't available by booting from the install DVD.