It's been one of those days.
It's been one of those days.
Hey everyone. I just finished setting up my new PC. After installing Windows on a 256GB SSD and enabling it, my nephew accidentally pulled the power cable to the SSD and broke it off. Now the drive isn’t working properly. I replaced it with a 120GB SSD and loaded a disk image of the original 256GB drive. In Windows, the 120GB drive still appears as a 256GB one. Can I just reinstall Windows again using the same key?
Technically, if you set up a Microsoft account, your license is linked to it. Simply reinstall the software, log in with Windows, and select: I made hardware changes to this computer (or similar).
Initiate a complete restart; the device should appear as 120. The shutdown in W8 and 10 doesn't fully power off but places the system in hibernation. No reinstall required. A reinstall is optional—your key works fine. If it's an OEM key, it's tied to your motherboard. After replacing boards, the license becomes invalid.