In message <qn4f11$jd3$***@gioia.aioe.org>, krw <***@whitnet.uk> writes:
[]
Post by krwI have to say that most of the time dear old Windows looks after itself
pretty well these days. This PC is nearly 7 years old and is on
continuously so being safety conscious I want to replace the main
machine but move the SSD (which has been upgraded since original
purchase) into the new carcase which will be equipped with new
motherboard and so on. Then in a couple of years I will replace the
SSD. But I cannot get a straight answer on the licence arrangements.
If you mean the _Windows_ licence, then it is tied to the hardware of
the PC, but you _can_ change the main drive. You can't just transfer it
from one machine to another, though; you need to image the Windows drive
C: in any machine you're going to change the drive on, and transfer that
image to the replacement drive. (I always partition my drive, so C: is
for Windows and installed software, and D: is for all data; you don't
have to do this, it just makes imaging quicker so you're more likely to
do it more often. [You should still back up the data too: if you're just
going to image the whole drive there's less need to partition; I just
prefer a simpler method for backing up my _data_.] FWIW 100G should be
more than enough even for Windows 10 plus software [50G more than enough
for XP plus software].)
You _can_ reinstall from scratch re-using the licence keys (though I'm
not sure which keys you use), but you need a Windows disc which you
probably don't have, and it's a much more tedious process - and that's
before you install all your software, as well as tweak Windows itself to
how you like it; imaging then restoring from the image is much quicker
and less complicated, and at the end of it you have a system - with all
your software - set up exactly how you had it when you made the image
(other than with a different drive). I think I'd even use imaging for a
brand new PC, to change its drive: yes, I'm sure I would.
So it would go like this: assuming you're going to put a conventional
drive in the old PC (so you can use as a reserve PC or so you can give
it away): image old PC's drive C: and any hidden partitions onto an
external drive. Take out SSD, fit conventional drive, restore from image
to conventional drive. Make sure it boots. Then on new PC: repeat but in
reverse: image C: and any hidden partitions onto external drive; take
out drive it came with; fit SSD; restore from image to SSD; check it
boots. If you're going to _use_ the conventional drive that comes with
the new PC to put into the old PC, make sure your external drive is big
enough to store the image from both machines, obviously, as you'll have
to do things in a slightly different order. (It doesn't have to be as
big as both _drives_, only the _used_ space on them. [Or even slightly
smaller if you use the imaging software's compression option.])
I use Macrium for my imaging - always booting from the CD it lets you
make, rather than making images from inside a running Windows. (I feel
happier that way; also, using the CD even when _making_ images [which I
do from time to time as backup] checks that the CD itself hasn't gone
bad, which I _don't_ want to discover just when I actually _need_ it,
such as when I want to restore an image onto a new drive because the old
one has failed.) Other imaging software is available - Acronis being the
main other one. Both Acronis and Macrium (version 7 I think it is now)
have free versions, which are quite adequate for the home user. (Note
that Macrium _5_ won't image the latest Windows 10 [it did earlier
versions of W10]; that is only relevant to anyone who made their CD
under Macrium 5 and has been using it ever since, like me.)
Macrium can handle restoring an image to a larger or smaller drive
(provided it's big enough for the actual space needed, of course); if
restoring to a larger, I usually don't take advantage of that ability
but enlarge after the restore, as I'm happier doing one thing at a time.
I suspect Acronis and the others can do so too, I've just never used any
Post by krwThen when I was looking at it yesterday I was in a Microsoft hell where
it decided I needed a new logon account and as part of creating that
account insisted I needed a pin (no I don't) so I pressed cancel which
did nothing of the sort and it told me to create a pin (and would not
accept 1234 or 9876) and so I pressed cancel again and we went around
the cycle again.
So whilst Microsoft might have got Windows working at the tenth plus
upgrades attempt it is still not behaving sensibly.
There _are_ utilities to control the W10 upgrades if you want: one is at
https://www.sordum.org/9470/windows-update-blocker-v1-5/ (I haven't
tried it, being still on 7).
Post by krwI did warn you about rants.
That wasn't really a rant - justified comment, IMO!
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)***@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
... social media's tendency to knock on front doors and run away.
Andrew Collins, RT 2017/8/5-11