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    If I buy a laptop which has an OEM version of Win 8.1 installed can I change the boot disk?

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by Oxford_Guy, Feb 19, 2015.

  1. Oxford_Guy

    Oxford_Guy Notebook Evangelist

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    If I buy a laptop which has an OEM version of Win 8.1 installed can I change the boot disk or do OEM versions not let you change the boot disk for a different one? Are they locked to the original CPU and boot disk hardware or just the CPU? Am wondering whether to buy a laptop build with the cheapest 500GB HDD and then swap it myself for a 500GB SSD, which I could pick up cheaper aftermarket than having it configured with one...
     
    Oxford_Guy, Feb 19, 2015
    #1
  2. killkenny1

    killkenny1 Too weird to live, too rare to die.

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    You can change your disk drives all you want, it won't affect it.
     
    killkenny1, Feb 19, 2015
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  3. Oxford_Guy

    Oxford_Guy Notebook Evangelist

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    Okay, great, that's useful to know.
     
    Oxford_Guy, Feb 19, 2015
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  4. Orlbuckeye

    Orlbuckeye Notebook Evangelist

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    I did it with my last 2 laptops. I purchased my Acer 8950G I believe in 2010. It came with a 750 GB HD as the boot drive. The laptop had a second bay and I searched and found that Acer only sold my model with 2 drives in Australia. So I ordered the laptop and i ordered a 120 GB SSD kit. The kit comes with cloning software and an external case with USB connection. I received the PC about a month before I ordered the SSD. When I got the laptop I discovered the laptop had a second bay but their wasn't a traditional SATA connector. So i called Acer they said I can't do it with my model but I know otherwise. No being a veteran of many laptop forums I knew in previous Acer 18.4 " laptops you needed a cable that plugged into the mobo. I found a cable in Europe but they contacted me and said that was for a different model. I then found one in Canada that was made exactly for my model and even had an Acer part #. I purchased it and took the SSD and put it in the external case and made it the target and the HD the source. It when well and I placed the SSD in the 1st bay and the machine booted fine. I then moved the drive to the second bay and connected the cable. and the data drive worked fine. The about a year and half later I saw a 256 GB on sale so I did the same type cloning. Last my data drive was filling so I cloned it to 1 TB HD. No I formatted old 120 GB SSD and installed the Windows 10 Technical Preview.

    I recently purchased an Alienware 18 with a 256 gb MSATA SSD but I saw a sale on a Samsung EVO 840 1 TB MSATA drive so I purchased it. I Because the drive was MSATA I purchased an external case from Tiger Direct and now the 1 TB SSD is working fine and I can install software on that SSD.
     
    Orlbuckeye, Feb 19, 2015
    #4
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