So I'm going to format my HD and install my one copy of win 7 on a different machine. My question is do I have to also "uninstall" the product key? thanks!
No need to do a complete reinstall... Just take the HDD out of your PC and plug it into the new one. All done. Is it an OEM version or a retail copy?
If it's OEM, you can't install it on another machine. If it's retail, just install it on the other machine, or move the HDD and sysprep Windows 7 before.
i see Its the full win 7 rpo retail version. gotcha... well I cant really move the hardrive since its actually installed on a BOOTCAMP partion
A hamburger, I think. For my XP I have a crack and when I have had a gut full of garbage, I wipe my C drive and re-install. I use the crack to add the initialize as I got sick of ringing America. When some moron from Microsoft says I don't believe you own the disk ya gotta bypass the moron. Okay? I wonder if somebody has a crack for 7? I want to buy 7 and a GTX580, eventually.
Anyway you can't just move a HDD to a diff PC, can result in instabilities. Of course there is a crack, not going to give you it though, and this isn't the right site either.
Maybe you think not ringing Microsoft is bad?????????????????? If it was the only option I would do it. But if I wipe windows off and re-install and do the initialize in 10 seconds for no cost why would anybody object. After all, it isn't piracy. PS: Back in the late nineties we changed hard drives all the time. Today's hardware is more finicky though. Like a highly tuned car it is open to more problems. The old stuff was just mobo's crapping out every 8 months or so. I remember when I replaced three top end cards in 3 months. Wound up buying Asus Crosshair version one and it ran for about 5 and a half years.
Two days ago, I tried to do clean installation of Windows 7 Home Edition 64-bit and some programs but I got a message telling me that the CD-Key code isn't valid on my computer even if I used that key on my computer a few months ago. I tried some of the legal work-arounds from a web site but they didn't work. I had to go to Staples store and buy another copy of Windows 7 Home edition 64-bit. I entered the new CD-Key and it worked.
I did a fresh install on my wifes laptop with an upgrade version of 7 and did the registry work around so I did not have to install twice and still had to call Microsoft and was able to activate it without an issue. I have never ever had an issue activating windows when I had to call Microsoft.
My Dell OEM copy, came with my XPS 630, of Win 7 Home Premium 64bit works great on my new non-dell system. I have done several different installs and activations with various components and hard drives with no issue. Maybe cause it's a Dell version. hmmm
what i did in order to install win7 (retail copy) on new/other pc, i contacted microsoft support and they gave me a new serial number ( after i proved that i do own a genuine windows). I tried installing it on new pc before i contacted microsoft, but when i tried to validate it i got a message ("this serial key is already registered to another machine" or something like that, can't remember exactly now), so i had no other choice but to contact microsoft. They were very helpfull and gave me a new serial key in like 10 min. Hope it helps. P.S. And as some ppl said, i wouldn't recommend putting ur old HDD with windows installed in another PC as it will have hardware compatibility problems on new pc. it might even result in hardware failure.
Iv never had a hardware problem putting a Windows HDD in a new computer when I would upgrade my mobo/cpu and whatnot. It always just said that the system has changed too much or something like that and that you have to reactivate it. But you do have to wipe all your old drivers and pretty much the whole registry. I probably had to call Microsoft 3 times with Windows XP which I had 3 discs for everytime I replaced the smallest thing.
