Yes, it is possible to move the operating system.
Yes, it is possible to move the operating system.
I can transfer the Windows 7 OS from your current laptop to the older Vista machine. The new HDD won’t be part of it, so you’ll need to install the restored system there. This process will restore the Windows 7 environment onto the old laptop, but it won’t automatically make it boot from the new HDD—you’ll have to set up the OS manually.
You can swap the HDD, but are you referring to copying the OS to the previous drive? You'd need two Windows keys since one installation can't run on both. EDIT: If you move the WIN7 HDD into the older drive, it would stay on Win7 until you remove it and reinstall it elsewhere. Operating systems aren't tied to a specific device, just the drive they're on. Edited March 18, 2015 by Wauthar
I'm just clarifying the whole process without using cloning terms. If I swap the drives like that, W7 should stay on the original drive. That sounds good. Thanks!