Windows 7 Ultimate reinstall licensing question

d31b0y

Hi all. First off, sorry if this has been posted before (In fact, I am sure it probably has, but I can't find anything at the moment).

I got a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate at the technical launch in Dublin and have installed it on my PC. Now I am looking to upgrade to an SSD and would like to install the version of Win7 that I have onto it. My old HDD will be staying in the machine as a secondary drive.

What I want to know is, will I run into any licensing issues? If so, is it possible to get around them? Is there a way that I can "remove" the license from the old install before starting so I can reactivate on the new drive?

Hope this is clear...
Cheers,

d31b0y

Big Lar

Nope, you should be OK

The licence key on (OEM versions only) is tied to the motherboard.

Gordon West

Check out this site

http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/

Cheers

d31b0y

Big Lar wrote: »

Nope, you should be OK

The licence key on (OEM versions only) is tied to the motherboard.

Thanks, but my version isn't an OEM. It's a full version that I got from the tech launch back about a month or so ago.

Gordon West wrote: »

Check out this site

http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/

Cheers

Had a look through this site, but couldn't find a scenario that matches my query. Thanks though, looks like an interesting site.

Thanks for the feedback so far. I have posted the question on the MS website as well, so if I hear definitive answer back from them I will post it here also.

TouchingVirus

No, there is no issue with this at all. Your license is for just one computer, the hard drive it's installed on is not important.

Use drive imaging software to image your C drive, install the image on the SSD and blank the old hard drive. Windows could ask you to reactivate but it's a simple process.

d31b0y

Thanks TV, although I don't think I would be able to fit my c drive image onto the SSD I intend on buying. I didn't think there would be any issues, but you never know these days. Kinda didn't want to have to wipe my other HDD, but I can survive.

For anyone who is interested, this is the reply I got 21 minutes after posting on MS "answers" forum.

You'll have to remove Windows 7 from your old hard drive by reformatting it, then you can install Windows 7 on your new drive. When it is time to activate, if internet activation is not successful, then activate by phone using the following method:

1. Click on the Start button and in the Start Search box type in: slui.exe 4

2. Press the Enter key on your keyboard.

3. Select your Country.

4. Follow the instructions for phone activation (no charge).

TouchingVirus

d31b0y wrote: »

Thanks TV, although I don't think I would be able to fit my c drive image onto the SSD I intend on buying. I didn't think there would be any issues, but you never know these days. Kinda didn't want to have to wipe my other HDD, but I can survive.

For anyone who is interested, this is the reply I got 21 minutes after posting on MS "answers" forum.

I only suggested the imaging route in case you didn't want to have to reinstall Windows, I'd always go with the Image (in case I forget something or remove something by accident) and the complete reformat and program reinstall because I'm the type of guy who loves being up to the guts in installers and operating systems

The only practical thing Microsoft require of you to is not run two Windows installations using the same license. You don't have to reformat your old C drive to achieve this (thereby removing the non-windows related data too) - deleting the system32 folder or other vital windows files is sure-fire way to render your old C drive's Windows inoperable and I'm pretty sure it would satisfy the requirement.

Whatever your choice, be sure to back up your data

d31b0y

TouchingVirus wrote: »

Whatever your choice, be sure to back up your data

Already have

Thanks for the input everyone.