Moving my Windows 8 install to a new PC

[dlock13]

Well, the time has come for a complete overhaul of my system parts. I'm essentially going to be building a new computer save for the HDDs, RAM, and PSU.

What needs to be done for my Windows 8 install to work properly on my new build? The reason I ask this is because I'm sure I can't just uninstall this and reinstall it onto that PC.

I honestly have no idea what version I have and if it's capable or not to be moved. It's the Windows 8 Pro version that was $40 for the longest time. I believe it's a single-use license. Please let me know! Thanks!

 

[mechBgon]

The $40 Pro deal was an upgrade license, so you'll need a base license for the new system if you want to legitimately qualify for Upgrade. If you don't have one, you might want to just sell off the old system complete with its base and upgrade licenses, and pick up a new Win8 Pro System Builder license that doesn't need a qualifying previous version at all.

If your new mobo supports Secure Boot, enable it in the BIOS. If it's got a UEFI BIOS, then set it to boot only EFI, not Legacy. Then install Windows, and you'll have it booting EFI with Secure Boot so it's resistant to bootkit infection. I have some remarks on that here: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2303403

 

[dlock13]

So you're telling me it is attached to this computer I'm currently on with no way of transferring it?

That's quite disappointing. I wonder if I call MS, if they can do anything about that. Damn. I should have checked into that further beforehand.

Thank you for your knowledge. I'll look into the UEFI BIOS setting when my new build comes in.

 

[mechBgon]

So you're telling me it is attached to this computer I'm currently on with no way of transferring it?

Actually I'm not saying that. Think about the word "UPGRADE," it means you need to have a previous version to upgrade from. If you uninstall your Win8 Pro UPGRADE from your old computer, you can use it to UPGRADE another computer's existing OS to Windows 8 Pro.

So, do you have a qualifying previous version of Windows, so that you can use your Win8 Pro Upgrade on your new computer, that's the question. In most cases, the person had an OEM-licensed Windows that is permanently married to the original computer. Since it's not OK to transfer OEM licenses, you're left with nothing to base your Win8 Pro upgrade on. You might pull it off anyway, but if your goal is a legit license, that's not kosher.

The easy solution is to pick up a full-version Win8 System Builder and be done with it. No previous version needed, and it's OK to transfer System Builder to your next computer without these entanglements.

That's quite disappointing.

For $200, it might be disappointing. For $40, it was a smokin' deal

 

[dlock13]

I do actually have a Windows 7 license I can upgrade. The funny thing is when I installed Windows 8 the first time, it was actually a 100% clean install. I didn't have to have Windows 7 installed.

But say I do have to have Windows 7 installed beforehand, how do I go about deactivating my current Windows 8 build so it will activate on the new PC?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

No, you can migrate your HDD over using the Sysprep trick.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/135077-windows-7-installation-transfer-new-computer.html

I'm assuming it's the same or similar process in Win8. Haven't tried it yet.

 

[DooKey]

If you have Windows 8 installed on your boot drive now all you have to do is install the new boot drive on your new system and let it detect all of your new stuff. All you'll have to do then is just do a new activation.

 

[mechBgon]

If you have Windows 8 installed on your boot drive now all you have to do is install the new boot drive on your new system and let it detect all of your new stuff. All you'll have to do then is just do a new activation.

With the caveat that if he wants Secure Boot enabled, he'll want to force the BIOS to boot UEFI only, enable the Secure Boot feature in the BIOS, and then most likely reinstall Windows if it wasn't installed in EFI mode the last time.

It would be a good idea to back up all data before starting, and running the Easy Transfer Wizard too. Easy Transfer will save your account's data and also settings and preferences.

 

[Berryracer]

An upgrade key will work on a clean install. It just means you attained it by providing Microsoft with your previous OS key but it is not like in the past days of Windows 98 where you had to actually do an upgrade from an existing OS.

I am running Windows 8 on my current laptop and it's an upgrade key but I did a clean install and activated it just fine

 

[RMcHan]

So I also did the very inexpensive upgrade from Win 7 to 8 back in the day. Now I have a brand new Win 7 PC that I want to move this upgrade over to, making my old PC a Home Server. But when I try to run Windows 8 setup from MS's "Upgrade with only a Product key" site it kicks me out saying "The Product key you entered is an upgrade key and can't be used to install WIndows8." Is there any way around this?????

Thanks/R