windows 7

[harrytool]

Can you boot a new hard drive and install windows 7 if you have upgraded the original hard drive?
it was registered to the first hard drive but now I want to put a new drive in.
the numbers are on the side of the pc, although I have lost the boot cd aswell!!
it is xp 7 professional

[pr0xibus]

I dont understand do you mean dual boot?

If you wanted to upgrade the HD. just take the old one out, put new one in and get a copy of the OEM CD and use your serial key on the side of the computer

[harrytool]

Originally Posted by pr0xibus

I dont understand do you mean dual boot?

If you wanted to upgrade the HD. just take the old one out, put new one in and get a copy of the OEM CD and use your serial key on the side of the computer

what you just said is what I want to know,
where can I get a copy of win 7 prof, as I have the number on the machine, although I registered it with the old hd, so will Microsoft not let it run with the old number if it's already been registered once ?

[mlawlan69]

it sounds like a pre built pc from a shop that comes infested with lots of shit offers like norton etc...

if im right, you wont actually have a cd as the HD originally in it will have a partition with a kind of image of windows 7 there already, incase anything goes wrong.

windows vista upwards are really shit with upgrades and as soon as something changes on the computer it will start getting bitchy.

surely you can just install the second hard drive and run two. would need a SATA cable most likely.

sorry if that's totally wrong but it's how im interpreting it

[harrytool]

sorry ive not explained it that well
all I'm trying to do is to remove the old drive and put in a new one
I want to be able to find a wind 7 prof disc and use the number on the pc to register the wind 7
what I'm trying to find out is that as the the old hard drive that is now, not in the machine has already had these numbers registered, will I be able to use them on the new hd?
I was thinking that maybe you can only register the number on the side of the machine once?
what's stopping me from buying wind 7 and putting it on say 50 pc's for all my mates? surely you can only use the reg numbers once? when you register a copy I would have thought that it would be noted at Microsoft and not work if you put the same numbers on a new hd?
that's what I'm trying to find out

[haz_pro]

Mass production pcs use the same code, but there is a key in the bios that has to match with a certificate on the windows 7 installation for it to all be activated(usually).

I will pm you in a little bit about some information you may find useful. If I dont in a couple of hours then PM me to remind me!

[markpitchford]

if its win7 professional retail, you should be fine to use the number to re register.

oem versions tend to only allow you to register to one "pc", usually it links to the motherboard, so if the motherboard fails "legally" you should buy a new copy of win7.

as mlawlan69 mentioned some pre built systems come with a partition on the hard drive, or recovery cd's.