Often changing motherboards regularly
Often changing motherboards regularly
You're looking for a way to easily switch between two motherboards while keeping your Windows installation intact. It sounds like you're interested in avoiding the hassle of reinstalling or re-seating your key each time you change the board. There might be some tools or methods that allow you to manage multiple installations without needing to restart everything from scratch. Let me know if you'd like suggestions on how to achieve this!
I've tried that system, but it seems unreliable. Had to contact microsoft support twice just because I swapped in an ssd, and they said something about reaching the max limit of re-doing the key. I'm fine with having two keys, but it seems to freak out anyways when you have one key tied to the account, and swapping motherboards. Could be wrong, I'll try it soon, but if there's a way with two keys so I didn't have to call support every time, that'd be great.
If you've already attempted this, you'll need two distinct keys. Having two separate Microsoft accounts is recommended, especially if a motherboard fails—this prevents losing your access.
It definitely needs to be an OEM Windows build. The Box version works better here—it's linked to the person who purchased the product, not any specific hardware. Of course, there might still be reactivation issues since Microsoft could have set up obstacles, but legally it should be fine.
Sorry for the delay in replying, but a separate boot drive wouldn't seem practical. I have an ITX system and I'm uncertain if that would work. However, with an M.2 SSD it might be feasible. It looks like the OEM Windows version is still available, though I suspect I might give up on this plan. Instead, I'm considering a larger, higher-quality mini ITX case so everything can be moved easily without worrying about the setup. Thanks for all the feedback!