Modernized computing device
Modernized computing device
I recently upgraded a friend’s machine with an Intel i5-14500 CPU, a new NVMe storage and DDR5 RAM. I tried to transfer the data to the new drive but noticed the old one still present inside the case. When I inserted it, the system refused to boot. I used an installation media to investigate and ran CHKDSK on the old drive, which reported it couldn’t write to the disk. It seems the old drive is still bound to its original hardware, but it’s hesitant to accept new data.
I also performed a fresh installation on the new storage and confirmed the previous drive is still available in the Windows setup.
It seems the old disk setup includes the MBR, and you've installed Windows 11. The MBR won't be bootable during UEFI setup for Windows, but you can still reach it from the operating system. If you're replacing the mainboard's CPU drive or memory, it's a good idea to reinstall everything.
It was a Windows 10 setup, and the sole thing I wish to remove from that old storage is the Windows key if that’s feasible
If the Windows setup was linked to a Microsoft account, you should see it listed under your user on www.microsoft.com and have the option to restore it to the latest version.