Score:7

Put old SSD with Win10 Installed into laptop with Linux and boot Windows?

kr flag

I have an old laptop with Win10 installed in it from factory. I have a new laptop with Ubuntu 21.04 installed from factory (with systemd-boot bootloader installed in UEFI mode). Can I put the SSD from my old laptop into the new one and boot into it? Will I have any bootloader problems? If so, How do I fix them? (I asked in askubuntu if it would break the ubuntu bootloader...)

cn flag
Ray
I'm not 100% sure, but I think one of the anti-piracy measures used by Windows is to somehow lock the license to the motherboard. You might want to read about that first as this wouldn't be an Ubuntu issue. It's something I heard before, but I'm not sure if it's just a rumor.
mchid avatar
bo flag
This question may be more suited for a windows forum like https://superuser.com . As mentioned, Windows usually prevents switching the motherboard due to licensing issues. If the Windows were licensed to the motherboard and if you were able to use both drives at the same time on one laptop, all you would have to do is plug the new drive in, boot up Ubuntu, and then update Grub.
mchid avatar
bo flag
But I guess it would depend on where you obtained your version of Windows so I think this would be more better suited for https://superuser.com . Are you able to plug in two drives or only one at a time?
LinuxNinja avatar
kr flag
@mchid I ran ```sudo update grub``` and returned ```Found Windows Boot Manager on /dev/nvme1n1p1@/efi/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi Adding boot menu entry for UEFI Firmware Settings``` Will booting from Win10 work now? (My Ubuntu laptop has 2 SSD slots so I can plug in both at a time)
us flag
I cannot guarantee, but since GRUB found it, it should boot (but I cannot say whether Windows will throw a license error due to the different hardware being used)
Nmath avatar
ng flag
I posted an answer as it obtains to Ubuntu. Questions about Windows are off-topic. If you have a question about Windows, ask on [Super User](https://superuser.com). FWIW, consumer Windows licenses are only good for one computer. When you change the motherboard, Microsoft considers it to be a different computer. Your license does not transfer to a computer with a different motherboard. It definitely does not transfer to an entirely different laptop.
Joepie Es avatar
eg flag
Make sure to write down the Windows before installing/reinstalling Windows. I thought you would have an activation problem, because of too many changes in the hardware, but appearantly I was wrong about that.
cn flag
In practice, if the new laptop is also "activated with a digital license", an OS on a transplanted SSD will usually re-activate fine.
Score:11
kr flag

I booted into Win10 and it worked fine (with my login and all). Didn't get any errors about invalid license due to different hardware. Before I booted, I ran sudo update-grub with both disks installed. Win10 said Windows is activated with a digital license despite ALL of the hardware being different. No performance issues. I suggest reinstalling Win10 to work properly. There were some drivers to install for my specific laptop (System76 Lemur Pro) to run Win10 properly.

Score:7
ng flag

I call this a "Frankenstein" build.

You're taking the brains from one machine and putting it into an entirely different machine.

It might work and it might not. It also might appear to work, but certain programs or tasks may run poorly or slowly.

Best practice is to reinstall the OS with a significant hardware change. Presumably you obtained this new computer because it has better hardware than the old, so reinstalling the operating system ensures that you take advantage of your upgrade and start off "on the right foot".

Dreamer avatar
nl flag
Why would that be best practice? I don't see any problem with transferring a Windows installation to completely different hardware. (With some exotic hardware `sysprep` may be required to revert the Windows installation back to generic drivers to be able to boot from the new hardware at all. But if that's not necessary, Windows will simply detect all changed hardware during the first startup and load the corresponding drivers - if available.) With most Linux distributions this is even simpler, because they re-detect all hardware on each startup anyway.
cn flag
Unlike previous versions, Windows 10 is surprisingly transplantable.
Nmath avatar
ng flag
Even if OSs are **better** at transplantations than the past, it's not **perfect** and success is not **guaranteed**. It's also recommended by both Microsoft or Ubuntu to reinstall in these situations. Don't forget also that there's a lot more software than just the bare OS on the majority of systems, including third party software and an infinite array of unique situations as a consequence of nobody's use of the machine being identical. The unpredictability begs for a reinstall. Any one of those reasons is enough to make it "best practice".
Nmath avatar
ng flag
The whole notion of "best practice" implies that it's not required. Lots of people forego best practice for numerous reasons which include saving time, saving money, lack of skill, indifference to possible benefits, insufficient benefit vs cost, pure laziness, etc. "Best practice" is often exhaustive and ensures a successful outcome regardless of possible obstacles that may or may not manifest. Nobody's arguing that a reinstall is a necessity in every single case (even though it might be in some), but it's definitely "best practice"
Score:1
cn flag

Windows will normally boot into system and automatically start to download drivers as usually

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