Transferring Windows 7 from one computer to another

ChasGrad · 04 Oct 2014

I couple of weeks ago I learned here how to download a Win7 iso from Digital River and use the product ID from my Win7 installation disk to activate it on a rebuilt computer (the same one the licensed copy of Win7 was originally installed on). That experience makes me think it would be possible to buy a refurbished Core2 Duo machine with Windows 7 Home Premium on it for about the cost of the OS itself and use the product ID number to activate Win7 Home Premium installed from the iso on a more powerful computer (new build). That would leave a perfectly functional computer for playing around with Linux (or just parts). Is there any reason that wouldn't work?

Gator · 04 Oct 2014

The only way this will work is if you buy one that isn't an OEM key and/or get lucky and call Microsoft and get the lucky guy whos willing to transfer your key to another motherboard. If you buy a PC that has a retail key, I believe you would have much more luck as I think you can move the product key to another motherboard.

ChasGrad · 04 Oct 2014

Gator said:

The only way this will work is if you buy one that isn't an OEM key and/or get lucky and call Microsoft and get the lucky guy whos willing to transfer your key to another motherboard. If you buy a PC that has a retail key, I believe you would have much more luck as I think you can move the product key to another motherboard.

Hmmm; I'm not sure what "isn't an OEM key" means. The one I saw that made me think about it was a refurbished Dell from Newegg. That one would have an OEM key, right? And your thinking is that I would not be able to use that key on a build of my own, right?
If I understand you correctly, my contemplated approach sounds like it would not be worth doing unless I had a use for a $115 Core2 Duo machine with Win7 in (the likely) case it didn't work.
I see a lot of places on the Internet that advertise Win7 Home Premium for $50 - $60 (presumably downloads). Do you think those are legit?

Gator · 04 Oct 2014

OEM just means the product key is tied to that motherboard and Microsoft generally wont let you use it on another motherboard. The only thing you could do is if the motherboard died, you can buy the exact same one and install it and everything would work fine. If the PC you find was built by someone or for some reason had a full retail copy of Windows, Microsoft typically allows you to use that product key on another PC (usually).

As far as buying Windows, I'm pretty sure you can go here and buy a product key.
Discounted Microsoft Products mysoftwaredistributor.ca

RichardTheGreat · 04 Oct 2014

Gator is correct, you need a license that is not OEM.

Beware, licenses come in OEM and non OEM versions in stores. Once an OEM license is installed on a motherboard, it is tied to that motherboard.

If you use Anytime Upgrade to upgrade an OEM license, for example, from Premium to Ultimate, that does not remove the OEM restriction. (You will have two licenses: The original OEM license, and the upgrade license attached to it.)