Win 7 OS Questions

• Meikeru wrote on 2011-09-25 08:08
  So I was about to order the OS for Win 7 Premium, and I remembered that my old laptop came with the exact same version. Being the cheap person I am, I was wondering if I could possibly use it instead of buying the same OS again.
  
  I have a Drivers and Utilites disk, and the Reinstallation disk. Is it locked to the laptop?
  
  I would google it, but I can't reword my quesion into something googable.
• Kenny? wrote on 2011-09-25 08:13
  Pretty sure it's locked to the laptop, because Microsoft wants people to buy a whole new OS every time for profit. I tried this before for XP and Vista, but never for my 7 computer. It was locked both times.
• Taycat wrote on 2011-09-25 08:47
  It's locked.
  
  It's also illegal to reuse the product key on another computer.
• Osayidan wrote on 2011-09-25 10:45
  Do you mean to take the license key from the sticker on the bottom side of the laptop and enter it into a windows 7 installation on a PC you built or want to upgrade?
  
  Technically it's locked to whatever machine the license sticker is on. Though it's a silly concept, hardware breaks down all the time and having to buy a new license when you replace physical hardware is ridiculous.
  
  I've lost count of how many times I repaired a PC by having to change the motherboard/cpu, and having to move it to a new case because the new stuff doesn't fit, only to have the client cancel the whole thing and take back his broken pieces because he didn't want to pay a new license when he already had one.
  
  In your case it's different, since you want to use the license from a working laptop on a PC, but who the hell is going to give a ****? if it bothers you morally don't do it, if you value your wallet over a multi-billion dollar corporation's wallet then do it.
  
  As long as the version and architecture (32 or 64 bit) are the same it will work, and don't use your laptop's driver CDs on the PC, use the proper drivers for your PCs hardware.
  
  Now if your laptop's windows is a retail version (you bought the windows 7 after getting the laptop, and there's no sticker) then you can move that license to whatever machine you want as long as you remove windows from its previous machine (or legally just stop using the old machine).
• Meikeru wrote on 2011-09-25 12:38

  Quote from Osayidan;599009:

  Do you mean to take the license key from the sticker on the bottom side of the laptop and enter it into a windows 7 installation on a PC you built or want to upgrade?
  
  Yup
  
  Technically it's locked to whatever machine the license sticker is on. Though it's a silly concept, hardware breaks down all the time and having to buy a new license when you replace physical hardware is ridiculous.
  
  What do you mean by it being technically locked? Does it scan for the technical specs or is it "technically locked"?
  
  I've lost count of how many times I repaired a PC by having to change the motherboard/cpu, and having to move it to a new case because the new stuff doesn't fit, only to have the client cancel the whole thing and take back his broken pieces because he didn't want to pay a new license when he already had one.
  
  In your case it's different, since you want to use the license from a working laptop on a PC, but who the hell is going to give a ****? if it bothers you morally don't do it, if you value your wallet over a multi-billion dollar corporation's wallet then do it.
  
  As long as the version and architecture (32 or 64 bit) are the same it will work, and don't use your laptop's driver CDs on the PC, use the proper drivers for your PCs hardware.
  
  Would I manually download the drivers or are the drivers normally included with the hardware?
  
  Now if your laptop's windows is a retail version (you bought the windows 7 after getting the laptop, and there's no sticker) then you can move that license to whatever machine you want as long as you remove windows from its previous machine (or legally just stop using the old machine).

  
  
  "You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Osayidan again."
• Osayidan wrote on 2011-09-25 23:02
  technically meaning microsoft says so but you don't need to listen if you personally don't care.
  
  And the drivers might have some windows already does during installation, others you need to get from the manufacturers.
• Andy-Buddy wrote on 2011-09-25 23:12
  Technically, it's only locked to the Motherboard. It's not as ridiculous as it seems, since the Motherboard is the least-replaced part of the computer.
• Meikeru wrote on 2011-09-26 08:51

  Quote from Osayidan;599717:

  technically meaning microsoft says so but you don't need to listen if you personally don't care.
  
  And the drivers might have some windows already does during installation, others you need to get from the manufacturers.

  
  
  

  Quote from Andy-Buddy;599726:

  Technically, it's only locked to the Motherboard. It's not as ridiculous as it seems, since the Motherboard is the least-replaced part of the computer.

  
  
  ...Would anyone mind clarifying which one it is?
  @_@
• Osayidan wrote on 2011-09-26 09:11
  If you change the motherboard, then you usually need to re-enter your license key. That's what's meant by locked.
  It doesn't mean that you can't technically use it for another machine once it's been used.
  All that is is a legal issue not technical.
  
  And like I said if it's a retail version you don't even need to worry about the legal issue if you only use the license on one machine at a time.