Windows 8.1 Pro license

[Bossotronio1337]

Hi, I am planning to upgrade my motherboard, cpu, ram, and power supply in my system. I'm guessing Windows 10 will want me to reactivate but can I just use the code that I had for my windows 8? I used a windows 8 upgrade license and then installed 8.1 from there (I am running windows 10 right now). My license wouldn't work on 8 because you needed to upgrade from an existing operating system but once I upgraded to windows 8.1, it worked so if I change my hardware, can I use my old windows 8 code? And also, what would happen if I changed my hardware and booted from my existing hard drive (would I need to reactivate or clean install or anything like that?) Thanks

[Jacktastic-Mofo]

If you use the same drive than it'll most likely not require you to re-enter a key. I moved a HDD from one system to another and it worked flawlessly- they even had completely different sets of hardware.

[Bossotronio1337]

But did you have Windows 10 on that drive?

[Serbian2G]

If you performed an upgrade from windows 7/8.1 to windows 10 ot will tie it to your Motherboard/CPU. If you swap-out either one of those windows will not detect it as a same machine and therefore will not activate. You will need to install your genuine Windows 7/8.1, activate it and perform the upgrade process again for Windows 10 to be activated. It's weird what Microsoft did there but once you upgrade to 10 regardless of your license being retail or not, you will have an OEM (tied to the Mobo/CPU it was performed on) license for the win 10. You swap the core components and system no longer recognizes the machine it was activated on. F.Y.I your Win 7/8.1 lincense that you upgraded from will still remain valid but wont be usable as long as windows 10 that was upgraded from it is installed.

[Bossotronio1337]

If you performed an upgrade from windows 7/8.1 to windows 10 ot will tie it to your Motherboard/CPU. If you swap-out either one of those windows will not detect it as a same machine and therefore will not activate. You will need to install your genuine Windows 7/8.1, activate it and perform the upgrade process again for Windows 10 to be activated. It's weird what Microsoft did there but once you upgrade to 10 regardless of your license being retail or not, you will have an OEM (tied to the Mobo/CPU it was performed on) license for the win 10. You swap the core components and system no longer recognizes the machine it was activated on. F.Y.I your Win 7/8.1 lincense that you upgraded from will still remain valid but wont be usable as long as windows 10 that was upgraded from it is installed.

Ok thanks.

[Bossotronio1337]

If you performed an upgrade from windows 7/8.1 to windows 10 ot will tie it to your Motherboard/CPU. If you swap-out either one of those windows will not detect it as a same machine and therefore will not activate. You will need to install your genuine Windows 7/8.1, activate it and perform the upgrade process again for Windows 10 to be activated. It's weird what Microsoft did there but once you upgrade to 10 regardless of your license being retail or not, you will have an OEM (tied to the Mobo/CPU it was performed on) license for the win 10. You swap the core components and system no longer recognizes the machine it was activated on. F.Y.I your Win 7/8.1 lincense that you upgraded from will still remain valid but wont be usable as long as windows 10 that was upgraded from it is installed.

So what do I need it do? Clean install Windows again and activate it or what?

[Bossotronio1337]

So would I clean install Windows on my new system or before I swap out my components? And also my Windows 8 license was supposed to be an upgrade one so when I installed it, it wouldn't work until I updated to Windows 8.1 because I was supposed to have upgraded from an existing Windows. So if I use that license again from Windows 8 and then upgrade to 10 it will work right?

[Serbian2G]

So what do I need it do? Clean install Windows again and activate it or what?

As i said, you will probably be required to carry out the whole free upgrade process again in order for Windows 10 to activate. That means,  once you have the new hardware installed, installing your legit copy of Windows 7/8.1 and going trough the upgrade process again..

[Bossotronio1337]

As i said, you will probably be required to carry out the whole free upgrade process again in order for Windows 10 to activate. That means, once you have the new hardware installed, installing your legit copy of Windows 7/8.1 and going trough the upgrade process again..

Ok

[Bossotronio1337]

As i said, you will probably be required to carry out the whole free upgrade process again in order for Windows 10 to activate. That means, once you have the new hardware installed, installing your legit copy of Windows 7/8.1 and going trough the upgrade process again..

Just to verify, install new hardware, use the Windows usb with 8 on it, then upgrade to 10 right?

[Bossotronio1337]

So there's no way to save all my programs and files?

[Serbian2G]

So there's no way to save all my programs and files?

You can backup your data on a spare partition or external hdd. What i'm saying is that once you swap out ypur motherboard your current OS will no longer work. You will need a new one. Now if you're going to wipe everything during the OS installation or just the system partition, that is entirely up to you.

In short, yes ypu can save your data, you don't have to lose it.

[Bossotronio1337]

So I am backing up my data to an external hdd right now. If I install the new hardware, update from windows 8 to windows 10, will I be able to access all my old files and data from my hdd? I am using an ssd right now. 

 

You can backup your data on a spare partition or external hdd. What i'm saying is that once you swap out ypur motherboard your current OS will no longer work. You will need a new one. Now if you're going to wipe everything during the OS installation or just the system partition, that is entirely up to you.
In short, yes ypu can save your data, you don't have to lose it.