concerns when upgrading mboard with Win 7

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

I spent about 3 hours on the telephone trying to properly register my copy of Windows 7 with Microsoft, so I have some concerns about upgrading my current system. (it wasn't taking the registration code my copy had on it - it said "upgrade", but when I bought it I was assured by numerous folks that they had successfully used it to install a clean, full copy. In the end, MS tech support was no help at all, and I had to simply try doing an install, & then do a second install over the top) It uses a roughly 2.5 yr. old Asus board, Athlon II 2.8GHz processor, DDR2 memory, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. I'm also thinking about upgrading the hard drive, which is a slower 'green' model. Of course, the hard drive has the operating system on it. I'll be using my new Biostar TA880GU3+ board to upgrade it. ($70)

I've heard that newer versions of Windows like this one check to see if you have perhaps just taken the hard drive out of the system and installed it in a new PC. I'd like to benefit from the experience of folks out there who have upgraded their systems recently, because I certainly don't want to spend another 3 hours on the phone.

Here are my 2 questions:

1) are there any pitfalls I need to avoid when installing the new motherboard/cpu/ram ?

2) Are there any easy ways to somehow xfer the OS and all the data over to a newer,
faster hard drive? This is an older sata 2 "green" drive, and the new mboard will
support sata 3. While I might use this drive for data storage that isn't accessed a
lot, I'm thinking it might be slowing some things down day to day with the OS on it.

Thanks!

 

[Gillbot]

I've had to reactivate windows when migrating an existing install to another set of hardware. It is likely you'll have the same fight all over again.

 

[JimKiler]

2) Are there any easy ways to somehow xfer the OS and all the data over to a newer,
faster hard drive? This is an older sata 2 "green" drive, and the new mboard will
support sata 3. While I might use this drive for data storage that isn't accessed a
lot, I'm thinking it might be slowing some things down day to day with the OS on it.

Thanks!

Use Acronis true image which has free versions for WD and Seagate drives i believe, you only need one of those brands in your rig to use it, you do not need to transfer to that drive to use the free version.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Which type of Win 7 install disc/license did you get? the Retail box/version? Or an OEM (white-envelope) version? The Retail includes both 32-bit and 64-bit; the OEM will be one or the other but not both.

BUT ESPECIALLY, the OEM will be bound to a hash-code of hardware identifiers from your system. You can upgrade memory, HDD, or even the processor. But changing the motherboard will require re-activation. Last time this happened to me, the MS tech-support helped with reactivation, but it depends on what you're doing.

IN my case, I had to RMA a motherboard, didn't want to wait for the return, and bought a spare -- same make, model and revision. But -- different hardware code. With this explanation, MS was good to reactivate.

You COULD LIE about it and say your "OEM" computer motherboard went south and you had to replace it. No certainty about that outcome. Once remarked, in a web-news-item posted about this issue, that "Liars don't get ice-cream."

For Retail box, you should be able to move the OS from one set of hardware to another and reactivate with no problem.

Personally, just for saving money and thinking of myself as a "pro" and "enthusiast" and not one of them there "Mainstreamer" hoopleheads, I buy the OEM and take my chances.

There is at least one forum which is "OS-specific" and takes a dim view of end-users buying OEM licenses LEGALLY from LEGALLY SELLING RESELLERS and then using them. There is this attitude and thought that "YOU'RE NOT QUALIFIED TO USE IT, EVEN IF YOU BOUGHT IT LEGALLY."

That's not what the advice from several tech-news web-sites says. Instead, they say "You take your chances: (a) that you "know how" to install the OS and drivers, (b) you don't need MS tech-support or you're willing to pay for it by the incident, and (c) you're "installing the OS on a new computer (as do the corporate "OEMs"). I don't believe they can "police" your installation of an OEM license on a computer you built last year, or a used OEM computer sold to you without its own OEM disc and license.

But I DO KNOW that MS tech-support helped me re-activate after swapping the same make/model motherboard, and I had explained to them "Yes -- I'm an enthusiast. Occasionally service and build machines for friends. I bought this OEM license from a reseller who apparently sells it legally."

Why would they HELP me if I was "BAD?" OR . . . Heaven for-BID!! "UN- FREAKIN'- ETHICAL!!

 

[sticks435]

I just upgraded to a totally new system, CPU/MOBO,memory. All I had to do was call an automated number, put in 9 sets of 6 digit numbers, then tell it how many computers I was using this copy on. It looks up the info and then spits back a conformation number, which you enter and everything should be fine. I also have the upgrade only student version, which I did a clean install with. I had to use the command line bypass when first activating it, but reactivating was painless.

 

[GrumpyMan]

Yeah I went through this hassle since I have an upgrade version, made the mistake of talking to a live rep in India, took an hour. Just try what sticks435 did to make it easier on yourself.
If I purchase another MS operating system next time, I'll spend a couple of extra bucks and get the full version. Seems like MS makes it harder on legal customers because of a couple of pirates who are going to steal it anyway no matter what MS does.