Does new SSD = Activation?

[Chrisroman]

Just installed Windows 8, but thinking about picking up a new SSD. If I transfer the image to the new SSD will it trigger a reactivation of windows? Wondering how that works since this was technically an OS upgrade

 

[Kaos_Drem]

The activation in Win8 is tied more to the motherboard than the Drive. You will probably not need to reactivate but there is always a chance with windows...

 

[schmuckley]

if you image it right..should be hunky-dory

 

[plugwash]

At least with XP activation for retail and system builder copies worked on system of counting the number of hardware characteristics that have changed (with a few special rules). The "hard drive" serial number was one of the hardware characteristics considered. I beleive that newer versions work in much the same way though I don't know if the details have changed.

So changing the "hard drive" alone shouldn't trigger reactivation but if you have already made a load of hardware changes then it may be "the straw that broke the camels back".

 

[B00nie]

Just installed Windows 8, but thinking about picking up a new SSD. If I transfer the image to the new SSD will it trigger a reactivation of windows? Wondering how that works since this was technically an OS upgrade

If the original image was not installed on SSD you may have some undesired effects on moving the image. You'll have to make sure windows will activate the SSD optimizations and manually align the drive.

 

[bigdogchris]

I do not think cloning from HDD to SSD, or the other way around, is a good idea in any scenario. I would reinstall without question.

 

[Eman D. Rahym]

I do not think cloning from HDD to SSD, or the other way around, is a good idea in any scenario. I would reinstall without question.

+1 for this. You're asking for trouble by not doing a clean install.

I wouldn't worry too much about needing to reactivate your license for Windows 8. If you read the license terms they are actually quite liberal (for the upgrade version at least). The terms explicitly allow you to transfer the license to a different computer that you own. You just can't leave it installed on the original computer as well. There is no limitation on the number of times you can transfer the license to PCs that you own.

I do not have a "System Builder" version of Windows 8. If anyone has one, perhaps they could read the terms and share them with the board? They can be found by going to the System Control Panel, and clicking on "View Details in Windows Activation." This will flip you to the "Windows Activation" window where you can click on "Read the Microsoft Software License Terms." Surprisingly, they are now pretty much in plain English.

 

[x509]

I do not think cloning from HDD to SSD, or the other way around, is a good idea in any scenario. I would reinstall without question.

Respectively disagree with you and the guy who gave you a +1. My Corsair "upgrade kit" included a cable and software from Apricorn that automatically resized partitions on the target SSD, simple process. And when I swapped out the HDD on my laptop for an SSD, it just booted up.

I would agree that if you try to use various tools not designed for this process, you might have an issue. But with the right tools and if the new drive is going into the same system as the old drive AND you already were set up for AHCI, this should not be an issue.

 

[bigdogchris]

Respectively disagree with you and the guy who gave you a +1. My Corsair "upgrade kit" included a cable and software from Apricorn that automatically resized partitions on the target SSD, simple process. And when I swapped out the HDD on my laptop for an SSD, it just booted up.

I would agree that if you try to use various tools not designed for this process, you might have an issue. But with the right tools and if the new drive is going into the same system as the old drive AND you already were set up for AHCI, this should not be an issue.

I understand what you are saying, but if I was given the choice to do a clean install or to use a clone utility, I would do the clean install 99/100 times. It's my preference, and that preference varies per individual.