Using existing Win7 Key on COA sticker to install on new SSD

Lloyd · August 28, 2015

Hi All,

I hope this is the right forum for this, if not, please let me know and I will restart in the correct forum,

So, I have an HP Pavilion p6235uk PC, purchased waaaaaaay back in 2010. I'm in the process of migrating to an SSD and re-purposing the original 640GB HDD for mass storage.

After contacting both HP and Microsoft, both of which were ultimately useless, (but hey, I've got a 5yr old system so I suppose I shouldn't really expect any kind of useful support for a product THAT old!) I've learnt that the licence I have is an OEM licence.

If I were to use a Windows 7 Home Premium ISO that came from the old Digital River sources, could I use my OEM licence from the COA sticker to activate Windows?

Alternatively, I do have a set of recovery discs for this machine. Could I use these to install Windows (and other programs that came with the PC when I bought it) on to the SSD?

Would I have any issues with two activated version of Windows on two separate drives connected to the same mobo? Or would this be negated as long as I formatted the original HDD before I reconnected to the Internet.

Any help would be very much appreciated

dalekphalm · August 28, 2015

Hi All,

I hope this is the right forum for this, if not, please let me know and I will restart in the correct forum,

So, I have an HP Pavilion p6235uk PC, purchased waaaaaaay back in 2010. I'm in the process of migrating to an SSD and re-purposing the original 640GB HDD for mass storage.

After contacting both HP and Microsoft, both of which were ultimately useless, (but hey, I've got a 5yr old system so I suppose I shouldn't really expect any kind of useful support for a product THAT old!) I've learnt that the licence I have is an OEM licence.

If I were to use a Windows 7 Home Premium ISO that came from the old Digital River sources, could I use my OEM licence from the COA sticker to activate Windows?

Alternatively, I do have a set of recovery discs for this machine. Could I use these to install Windows (and other programs that came with the PC when I bought it) on to the SSD?

Would I have any issues with two activated version of Windows on two separate drives connected to the same mobo? Or would this be negated as long as I formatted the original HDD before I reconnected to the Internet.

Any help would be very much appreciated

Basically, as long as the COA code is for Windows 7 Home Premium, then yes, you can use the ISO you got from Digital River.

Automatic Activation over the Internet may fail though - if it does, just use the 1-800 provided on the screen, and activate over the phone. If it forces you to talk to a person to get authorized, just tell them you are reinstalling Windows, and don't mention anything about using a new storage drive.

Lloyd · August 28, 2015

Excellent! Thanks dalekphalm!

Coincidentally, I was listening to the soundtrack to Doctor Who Series 5 when I saw your name in your response! :lol:

Lloyd · August 31, 2015

Basically, as long as the COA code is for Windows 7 Home Premium, then yes, you can use the ISO you got from Digital River.

Automatic Activation over the Internet may fail though - if it does, just use the 1-800 provided on the screen, and activate over the phone. If it forces you to talk to a person to get authorized, just tell them you are reinstalling Windows, and don't mention anything about using a new storage drive.

Thanks very much for this dalekphalm, I've just input my existing key into the Windows Activation window and it worked first time! Didn't even have to use the phone activation!