Procedures for moving MB from one PC to another

Before I uopgrade to Win 10.....

I have 2 Win 7 Pro installations. On The 32bit machine...I want to move the MD from the 64bit machine to the 32bit machine.

Have read many post but I seem to get more confused the more I read.. Will I have to call Microsoft after move motherboard in box A to box B and replacing in the A box with a new MB/CPU combo ?

If not...what's the best way to proceed if I can avoid calling MS ( although I did previously with one of this systems when reinstalling) ? Both are licensed registered (with MS) copies of Windows Pro with serial number pockets in-tact.

Some posts say Acronis...some say Paragon(?) free product...some say (sysprep ?) I have Acronis 2013 and create 'clones' fairly regularly stored on external USB drive(s)

We have the licensed installation DVD for both OS's on the two machines

Thanks...TiminAz

Could you supply some more info. Are you planning just to move the MB from A to B & still use the 32 bit drive in B. If you want to have B with a 64 bit drive you will have to reinstall Windows in the old 32 bit drive.

Or, you could move the MB from A to B as planned & change the A hard drive to B as well. That should be fairly easy. That will leave you with a 32 bit hard drive that is of no use, unless you can use it for something else.

Do you want to do a fresh install of Windows 10 or just do an upgrade. If you want to do a W 10 upgrade on A after the hardware change, you will have to have a copy of Windows 7 on the hard drive & this could be a problem if you want the 64 bit version of W 10 & you have moved that hard drive to B.

The problem seems that you might end up with 2 installations of the same Windows 7 Pro 64 which is a breach of the license.

Unless you have full Retail Windows 7, the motherboard is tied to the Windows 7 that was install on the system while with that motherboard was installed.

Another way to say it.
If you move the motherboard from system (A) to system (B) the installation of Windows 7 on system (B) will be considered counterfeit. The installation of Windows 7 will not match the now installed motherboard.
Microsoft considers replacing the motherboard as replacing the computer system.

A OEM/SLP, OEM Builders Windows 7 is only proper on the first computer (motherboard) it was installed on first.

A Full Retail Windows 7 can be moved from one computer to another as long as it is only installed on one system at a time.

If the operating system that was first installed on a motherboard stays with the motherboard I don't think you will have a authorization problem.

I have never tried it but I'm thinking if the motherboard, operating system and COA key stay together as a unit things should work.

What I would try is:
1. Install motherboard (A) in Case (B).
2. Do a Clean install of the same Windows 7 again using the same COA key that was use with that motherboard the first time it was used.

My understanding is Microsoft looks at the motherboard, operating system and COA key.
That is why they need to be kept together. Other hardware you change they don't seem to care.

I know very little about W-10 but there is our sister forum you can join also.
Many of the same members you find on this forum and the same owner.

Windows 10 Forums

Hi,
Yep swapping cases is nothing as long as the os install goes with it,
Heck a upgraded a cpu and didn't have any issues so far,
Modifing old desktop machine in new case

New mother board must use a new 7 disk unless it's retail and not oem which you can use this to figure that out,
Windows Genuine and Activation Issue Posting Instructions

trinaz said:

Yes...both systems were clean installs of Windows 7 via purchased and licensed Windows 7 Pro installation dvd's which we have

Am I correct then in not anticipating any issues in (1)moving the mother board from A to B and then upgrading to 10 with the original installation on the same HDD in B.....and (2) inserting another brand new motherboard into A with the original Win 7 on the SSD and upgrading to 10 ?

Thanks TRinAz

(1) If you are saying you are moving the MB from A to B and upgrading to W10 with the HDD that you also moved from A to B it should work. If you do not move the HDD your drivers will be incorrect and it won't boot.

(2) When you install the new MB in A, you also need a Clean Install of Win7 on A because the drivers that were there originally are not going to work since it is a new MB. After Win 7 is installed you can then upgrade to Win10. The free Win10 are upgrades which means you need to have an OS installed. You can't just install Win10.

What would happen if my current mother board in (A) would fail tonight...would all my programs/data/files etc be lost and unrecoverable from the current ssd ?

This can happen any time.
That is why one should have Backup and more Backups.
Back up everything you want to save to a external drive.

When you move your motherboard to the different case with different hardware you will need to
do a clean install of the Windows 7 and it's proper COA key. When you Clean Install Windows 7 Windows 7 will pick up the needed drivers for it's new home. Once your happy with the new installed Windows and it's activated properly then you move what ever you want from the backup.

Remember that the motherboard, Windows 7 and the proper COA key move as the threesome.