No, you don't necessarily need to re-purchase windows.
No, you don't necessarily need to re-purchase windows.
I suggest obtaining or using the Windows 10 Insider Preview. You’re already a beta tester and you have it at no cost. For students, Windows 7 or 8 (including Vista and the upcoming Windows 10) are available free. If your institution participates in MSDNAA or DreamSpark Premium, reach out to your school’s IT team for details. Alternatively, you can find discounted Windows 8 keys on the Microsoft Store. Some users have managed to purchase genuine keys for $20–25, which might be worth exploring.
You might still have your old HD available, but files related to Windows could be affected. It depends on how the system is set up and whether you keep the old HD connected or not.
You have a typical setup with C:\ drive and everything inside. After connecting the drive to your new computer, two scenarios may occur: either a BSOD appears during startup, or the system boots normally but activation fails, making Windows non-genuine and not functioning optimally. In either case, you’ll likely need to reinstall Windows, which requires formatting and will erase all your data. During installation, you can skip the format option if space allows, moving files to a folder named "Windows.OLD" before reinstalling—but this is risky and could result in data loss. Always back up your files before proceeding to avoid any issues.
I would hesitate to suggest this without a warning, particularly given the CoC requirements. Many of these licenses are OEM bundles rather than retail versions. http://www.microsoft.com/oem/en/licensin...CJTuQo1YFU Based on System Builder licensing, using OEM/System Builder licenses for personal purposes violates Microsoft terms of use. Extra fees apply—$20 for Home or $60 for Pro Retail packs. @ Christoffer – Exercise caution with the usual recommended G2A and Reddit discussions; though they might seem legitimate, the safest route is directly from Microsoft or a verified reseller (like Newegg or NCIX). Yes, you could reset your drive and start fresh with a new Windows installation.
I understand it allowed me to set it up on another drive using the same key, but the computer was still the same with swapped drives. I’m planning to upgrade from an APU to a 4690K soon and find myself in the same situation. I purchased an OEM license and am unsure if using it with the new board will cause issues. Previously, as long as I had the key, it didn’t matter much. In reality, when I swap boards, I won’t be using the old one and it might not even matter. If they ask me to reset or replace my key, that should resolve the problem. Unless I avoid all those steps and just reinstall it easily, they might be willing to cover the difference if I explain my confusion about OEM versus retail.