Reinstalling windows 10

[ahmsub]

I'm gonna reinstall windows 10 on my optimus vii.

I'm gone disable UEFI and install on legacy bios.

Now as with new laptops, windows comes preinstalled with the key injected into the UEFi bios, hence no need to type in windows key when reinstalling in uefi mode.

If I disable uefi and install in legacy bios, with the windows key still be injected into my install and will windows automatically activate???

Also, I have a spare sata Hdd which I want to install windows on and keep as a emergency. If I instal this spare hdd into my optimus, will windows be activated even though hardware changes have been made???

Any info, especially from official PCS will be of great help

 

[mantadog]

Unlikely to get a direct PCS response here, you would need to email or call for that.

But I can have a stab.

I believe windows 10 saves the key in your windows account. I'm not sure what the official name for it is, but the one you use to sign in and buy apps from the app store. So when you log in windows verifies it along with a hardware hash to make sure its using the same components. Swapping a HDD shouldn't matter though as it is something that many people do so is kinda discounted. MS only really cares if you get a new motherboard as that's what they tie the OS to (or at least they did)

 

[ahmsub]

Thnx mantadog.

I knew about bios slic etc. But didn't know info was held the way u just mentioned - ie; if I use my hotmail account to register windows etc. Look like MS is following Apple in way of iCloud to device eventually

Colon thnx?

 

[ubuysa]

I agree with mantadog, though I think the "key" is saved in Microsoft's activation servers, you can certainly install Windows 10 without a Microsoft account.

I also don't think you'll have a problem installing Windows 10 on your spare HDD as a backup, disk changes don't count as a hardware change as far as I know. You will only be able to use one drive at a time however, if you plug either drive into another computer it will not activate on that machine, there is also a remote possibility of screwing up the activation on your primary machine too if you do that.

For "emergencies" you're better off downloading Macrium Reflect Free from http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx and taking regular images of your drive(s). As long as you remember to make a Macrium Reflect recovery DVD/USB stick (easy to do with Macrium Reflect and it's based on Windows PE so it's a handy recovery disk to have) you will be able to restore your drive image(s) to any HDD or SSD you chose to plug in to your laptop.