08-21-2010, 12:12 PM
In my experience of volunteering on other computer help forums I occasionally see threads on people wanting to know how to put their windows installation onto another computer. Well the short of it is that it can't be done.
Windows is customized for the computer that it was installed on and if you put it in another computer you will have problems due to registry and driver conflicts which will more than likely lead to system instability. Windows must be reinstalled on the other system.
That leads me to another frequently brought up topic pertaining the use of an OEM branded copy of windows from a computer manufacturer (for example Dell) in a computer from another manufacturer or a custom built system. That also can't be done.
One issue is that of legality. Since you didn't pay out of pocket for a copy from your manufacturer installing it in another computer goes against the license agreement (you know, the fine print that no one reads) since Microsoft puts limitations on what you as the end user can do with that copy of windows. This is especially true if it is already installed in another computer. Microsoft has the right to do that because Microsoft owns it. You as the end user have a license to use it under certain conditions; see the fine print that you didn't read for more information. You would have to buy the Windows copyright from Microsoft to be able to do what you want with it and I'm sure that if they where willing to sell it that you probably couldn't afford to buy it.
In addition the OEM copy is designed for the computer it came with and has drivers, software, and other settings for that line of computers only. It just won't work in another computer kind of like why it won't work you just put your hard drive from one computer into another like I previously mentioned.
Another possible reason of why you can't install a branded copy of windows in another computer is that it just won't let you. Sometimes the manufacturer builds a check into the disk so that will make sure that it is in the correct computer before it will install.
Only a retail copy is designed to be used on different computers and that is because it doesn't have drivers, software, and settings for any particular computer. However because of that you must download and install drivers from the manufacturer in order to get full usage of your computer. This is because all that a retail copy of windows has on it are generic drivers that will give basic functionality of most (but not all) computer parts on most computers.
You must however read the fine print that comes with such a copy because it can usually be used only on one computer at a time. To do so otherwise is illegal unless you pay Microsoft more money for a license that can be used concurrently on multiple computers. Even then there will be a maximum number of computers that it can be used on at once. Remember that you aren't buying Windows from Microsoft but you are only buying a restricted right to use it.
Windows is customized for the computer that it was installed on and if you put it in another computer you will have problems due to registry and driver conflicts which will more than likely lead to system instability. Windows must be reinstalled on the other system.
That leads me to another frequently brought up topic pertaining the use of an OEM branded copy of windows from a computer manufacturer (for example Dell) in a computer from another manufacturer or a custom built system. That also can't be done.
One issue is that of legality. Since you didn't pay out of pocket for a copy from your manufacturer installing it in another computer goes against the license agreement (you know, the fine print that no one reads) since Microsoft puts limitations on what you as the end user can do with that copy of windows. This is especially true if it is already installed in another computer. Microsoft has the right to do that because Microsoft owns it. You as the end user have a license to use it under certain conditions; see the fine print that you didn't read for more information. You would have to buy the Windows copyright from Microsoft to be able to do what you want with it and I'm sure that if they where willing to sell it that you probably couldn't afford to buy it.
In addition the OEM copy is designed for the computer it came with and has drivers, software, and other settings for that line of computers only. It just won't work in another computer kind of like why it won't work you just put your hard drive from one computer into another like I previously mentioned.
Another possible reason of why you can't install a branded copy of windows in another computer is that it just won't let you. Sometimes the manufacturer builds a check into the disk so that will make sure that it is in the correct computer before it will install.
Only a retail copy is designed to be used on different computers and that is because it doesn't have drivers, software, and settings for any particular computer. However because of that you must download and install drivers from the manufacturer in order to get full usage of your computer. This is because all that a retail copy of windows has on it are generic drivers that will give basic functionality of most (but not all) computer parts on most computers.
You must however read the fine print that comes with such a copy because it can usually be used only on one computer at a time. To do so otherwise is illegal unless you pay Microsoft more money for a license that can be used concurrently on multiple computers. Even then there will be a maximum number of computers that it can be used on at once. Remember that you aren't buying Windows from Microsoft but you are only buying a restricted right to use it.