New laptop, use old hard drive?!

You'll need a retail Win7 license for the Win7 version, whether you use the old install or Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7.

If you want to try starting the old Win7 HD or image to see if it will start, first go into BIOS setup to disable Secure Boot, and unless you had UEFI on the old laptop (doubtful) enable Legacy BIOS, or if there is a Compatibility Support Module choose Dual or Legacy choice - providing that's what your old Win7 was installed as.

Now see if it starts. If so it will swap out a bunch of drivers requiring several restarts so monitor that closely. You 'll need to change to a retail Activation key at Computer>Properties.

If it won't start and you're sure it's a Legacy BIOS install with the current BIOS set to that, you can either Clean Reinstall or try adjusting the OS to boot on the new hardware with Paragon Adaptive Restore CD freeware.

Hey Greg,

So to start off, I do have Windows 7 License Key (I bought one for my dad which he never used). Second, I am using UEFI with my SSD, so I guess I do not need to enable Legacy BIOS?

Third, will the Drivers be the most optimized Drivers? or just the generic Windows Drivers?

The one thing I don't get is why do I have to activate Windows 7 again when it is already activated on my current machine?

PS: If I just buy another same laptop and with Windows 7, then for sure 100% it will work? So by having Windows 8 on the exact laptop which I am planning on buying, the only question mark is the Activation?

Thanks again!

You should stick with the drivers Win7 issues as they are vetted by MS to be what's needed for Win7. Only change out drivers given by the installer and Windows Updates if there are performance problems pointing to that driver, or you only receive the placeholder Standard VGA display driver.

It's very doubtful a Win8 machine has the exact same hardware signature including identitical mobo that will not foul out reactivation on a moved SSD or image, and that license does not belong to that machine anyway. Under the EULA you can reinstall and activate with Product Key only the same licensed version on the COA sticker affixed to machine.

But if you have a retail Win7 product key for that version then you only need to swap it out at Control Panel>System activation link.

Layback Bear said:

Just so their is no confusion for RunOrDie.
When you buy a computer with Windows 7 installed that will be a OEM version not a Retail version. Therefor tied to that computer.

I clean installed my hard drive, so it is not OEM anymore, it is indeed the retail version..

Hi there
There seems to be some incredible mis information on this thread.

The OP said he was getting a new laptop with the identical hardware specifications as the old one -- therefore SIMPLY REPLACING the HDD in the new laptop shouldn't cause any W7 request for activation -- Why on Earth should it -- the hardware is the same,

If the hardware is NOT reasonably identical then the original question was badly phrased and the laptop might well request activation.

If the hardware is only slightly different but enough to require re-activation the computer should still activate --even on an OEM copy -- OEM machines could also have their hardware upgraded. As far as the W7 license activation servers are concerned the computer is simply a "Clone" and therefore indistinguishable from the original PC.

I would though instead of swapping drives save the image of both the W7 and W8 disks using something like acronis or other stand alone imaging / restore program to external media (Keep the W8 image too in case you ever want to use it again) and then restore the original W7 image to the new computer disk - so you don't need to open the cases to swap the disks.

Windows 8 can if the BIOS is UEFI protected store a serial number in the BIOS but unless I've read the OP's post wrong he wants to get W7 on to the new computer and W7 activation works somewhat differently - and the hardware change isn't triggered unless it finds something like HUGE RAM or Processor change and even then the activation servers will allow activation.

Mobo SERIAL numbers were never captured by the W7 activation process -- MOBO type -- another matter.

Note though however you install W7 on the second computer you wouldn't be allowed to retain that same copy on the original machine -- you are licensed for ONE COMPUTER even if W7 worked on both without activation.

Cheers
jimbo