SSD for OEM's Windows 8: still possible?

Edited post.

 

Probably incompetence, you should be able to install on a new hard drive, since the key is stuck on the laptop somewhere, that will enable you to use it on fresh install on another hard drive.

 

If it is an OEM version vs retail, it is tied to the hardware. If you change the HDD it will not activate. However, in the past I have been able to call Microsoft and get it activated, just have to tell them you changed the drive. This is because they sell OEM versions of windows cheaper and this is a way to prevent piracy.

 

The licensing mechanism for Windows 8 is vastly different, but if you're just adding an SSD with a cloned copy of the original hard drive installation of the OS (properly activated/licensed, and yes I'm well aware we're talking about an OEM install), it shouldn't even blink at the swap save for Device Manager installing necessary support and then requiring a reboot because of the new storage device.

And as just noted above, if there is an issue of any kind, it's an OEM machine and as long as it has the Windows 8 COA sticker on it, you're entitled to swap/replace hardware - a phone call to Microsoft would get you situated if needed.

 

I installed Windows 8 on my AMD Trinity Notebook that came with Windows 8 after swapping out the HDD with an SSD and it never even asked to activate.

 

Windows activation is tied to major components like cpu or motherboard not use replaceable components like ram or drives of any kind.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

 

That is good to hear, I'd hate to get screwed on the licensing end by just replacing a part.

 

Read my earlier post. I know it can be done and it is very simple. The second it boots with your new SSD windows 8 is activated. I have done it three times. I just created recovery media on and External USB drive. Installed the new SSD drive. Boot to the USB and do a complete recovery including the recovery partition. Done. As you could see from my post, you may have a issue booting to a USB after the SSD has a working OS.

 

How has licensing changed? In the past, the computer was the mobo as far as Microsoft was concerned (you could upgrade anything else, but the mobo had to stay the same model). Is that no longer the case?

 

That was never the case. It was some funky combination of your hardware, not just motherboard. I had an issue with XP before where I swapped the hard drive and it said my license was no longer valid. I called Microsoft and they said "nope, sorry". It was an OEM license, which I had plenty extras at the time, just frustrating that my HDD died so I replaced it and all of a sudden my XP license was no longer valid?

 

If you replaced parts in your computer and windows says the license is no longer valid, you can call MS. However whether it's yay or nay depends on who you're talking to. For example, if you were to swap a dead mobo in a desktop for a different model, sometimes you'll get a yes, but you could get a no too.

I'm not too sure how it worked for XP, but for 7, i'm pretty sure it's a few components that are on the mobo.

 

I'm asking specifically about Windows 8 licensing as in the legally binding... well, legalese, not activation as in the sometimes faulty process/technology. From Microsoft's Licensing FAQ ( http://www.microsoft.com/oem/en/licensing/sblicensing/pages/licensing_faq.aspx):

So at least up until Windows 7, different motherboard = different computer and different everything else = same computer.

 

Well licensing is tied to activation. If it doesn't meet the license terms it will fail activation.

And notice the words ... "generally"

See here, best I could find short order for XP, I believe same is true for Vista and 7:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...ed?msgId=3ab9588b-632a-4186-b17c-49d221525b16

After some combination of those things it would request activation and on occasion would not let me reactivate.

To summarize:

The WPA system checks ten categories of hardware:

Display Adapter
SCSI Adapter
IDE Adapter (effectively the motherboard)
Network Adapter (NIC) and its MAC Address
RAM Amount Range (i.e., 0-64mb, 64-128mb, etc.)
Processor Type
Processor Serial Number
Hard Drive Device
Hard Drive Volume Serial Number (VSN)
CD-ROM / CD-RW / DVD-ROM

If WPA determines that a number of components do not match the original check point (when Windows was initially activated) it will require you to call Microsoft for activation. You will be given a 42-digit number to type in. This will reactivate your copy of Windows.

 

The purpose of activation is to enforce licensing, but the 2 are not completely aligned due to flaws in Microsoft's implementation of activation and gray areas in the licensing legalese that could only be clarified by a judge in a court of law.

From an activation standpoint, many people have moved OEM system builder copies of Windows to completely different systems and have even succeeded with online activation, so long as the particular copy of Windows being moved was sitting idle for a while - 6 months is the number I usually hear being thrown around. This is a violation of the OEM Windows EULA from a licensing perspective, but the point is that there are no barriers preventing you from illegally transferring the software aside from the extremely remote chance that Microsoft will sue you.

On the flipside, it's also possible that you could be well within your licensing rights and activation would still fail, as you personally experienced with your copy of Windows XP. You could have taken Microsoft to court, but given the expense and the hassle it's unlikely that anyone would bother to do so except for lawyers who want to milk class action lawsuits.

Maybe we should stop now - we've gone way too far off topic. Besides, non-FOSS technology enthusiasts generally have no interest in EULAs. As an example, the best threads on NBR about disagreeing with the Windows EULA and seeking a software refund from the OEM are in the Linux Compatibility and Software forum. Most Windows enthusiasts have never actually read the EULA and thus aren't even aware that such a provision exists.

 

I think one problem particular to Windows 8 Home Premium is one cannot easily find an installation disk around. I guess you were lucky to have it because laptop manufacturers no longer provide an installation disk (for s fresh install) and finding an Windows 8 installation iso is not as easy as the previous versions of Windows.

 

Hopefully one will be made available. I have a TechNet license, so I just used that, although quite odd that it didn't ask for activation info.

 

This will never be available - no such thing as Windows 8 Home Premium...

 

Indeed, MS has cut back on the number of editions available for Windows 8, it was getting kind of ridiculous with all the various editions anyways. I wouldn't mind the .iso for windows 8 Pro, although I'd bet my upgrade disc contains the full version.

 

Each Hardware have its own ID. Each hardware are sort of added together and the product is a machine ID.
Change one of the hardware, say the HDD, and the new HDD will have its own unique ID which again creates a different product with the rest of the hardware, ie a new machine ID. This ID is not identical with the ID that was matched with the OEM version of Windows you currently have.

That is why you could face issues with a simple thing as changing HDD. Not only Windows use this but is embedded in some security systems, like certain anti cheater software you find on lets say a pokersite like Pokerstars. Some only register IDs for big components like the motherboard, some only monitor the MAC adress, or even hardware IDs like the HDD. Some IDs are easy to spoof (rename), some are impossible, hence difficult to trick the security system.

 

I meant non-pro version, whatever it is called (which I don't recall). I do have a Windows 8 professional disk I purchased for my desktop. However, the Asus Zenbook pro I just got, comes with the non-professional version so I can't use my disk with it.

 

I have just got an Asus DX32VD-DH71. People have successfully upgraded the HDD and RAM and have cloned their system to the new device. Obviously, HDD and RAM are not part of the MS licensing in this case. And they shouldn't be by any common sense, I think. They are the most necessary updates one can do on a laptop with essentially changing its identity. And I don't think this is all that about security, etc. If MS starts writing down all hardware ID, the hackers will then start including all hardware ID's as well so we are back to level one. If there is one hardware which is impossible to hackers to hack its ID, MS could just use that specific one and forget about those hackable ID's.

 

Oh there are always way to trick a system in to beliving you are still using the original hardware. Some are easier than others. Some are hardcoded in the hardware which may require some nifty software you create yourself.
To be honest I have no idea what ID Microsoft is identifying along with the OEM license. I remember hearing a long time ago when they started this, that it is the motherboard ID, but people here say they have problem with the key once they change the HDD. So I don`t know. I just wanted to give people an idea what hardware ID is and how it is sometime used.

One way I can think of that may work if they check the HDD ID, is, like you say (not sure if we are on the same picture), is first validating the key on your original system. Then just cloning all the files to the new HDD.

 

OEM license?

Solution: clone it.

Unless Dell has put a whitelist on HDDs/SSDs via the UEFI (BIOS), I don't think its likely that an SSD upgrade is blocked. OEMs tend to whitelist things like CPUs, GPUs and NICs (Wi-Fi cards).

Part of the authentication lies with the BIOS I believe.

 

Simple version:

Windows 7 computer had its "personal" key in a sticker on the bottom of the laptop. It was however activated with a general key.
Windows 8 computer has its personal key written in protected area in BIOS. Win8 will auto-detect it and automatically activate if such key is found.

 

Thanks for clarification, guess I should have Googled, but to be honest I didn't care, lol. Good idea actually, eliminate the "activate windows" step at least.

 

Windows 8 is already available around to be downloaded. If new hardware has a product key coded into BIOS, I guess MS should have less fear from pirating Windows since downloading Windows doesn't help if the hardware refuses to accept it.

 

Wouldn't that actually make it easier to pirate? If people can enable RAID0 TRIM on Sandy Bridge systems by hacking the BIOS, I don't see why they can't hack the BIOS to enter a product key from another system.

 

But then the another system will deactivate or perhaps both of them will, so there is no actual gain.

 

I confirm I installed Windows 8 a brand new SSD (replacing the pre-installed HDD) using a generic Windows 8 .ISO file. I even didn't need to enter a product key. Windows automatically extracted the key from BIOS and once I connected to the Internet, I activated Windows and now it is running fine.