Solved System Imaging Windows 8.1 (OEM product key) to New SSD

rowlands111

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I posted a thread a couple days ago, which pertained to backup and restore of system images.

I received insightful help from users of this forum, giving me their knowledge of the intricacies of Windows 8.1/Windows 8 and backup software that works well with UEFI and GPT disks.

I just have another question which related to the last thread, then I think I will be able to sleep.

Can you system image a drive that has Win 8.1 (OEM) onto a new SSD, and not have your sheer will destroyed by the OS not being activated after the image has been applied to new SSD?

I would hope that once the image has been applied to the new drive, the magic within Win 8.1 would realise I am using the same motherboard, but it's just a different drive. Infact, I'm keeping the original 2TB drive in the exact same slot, but of course formatting it once I can get the SSD to boot. (I'm installing the SSD into my Acer's expansion SATA 3 bay on the front of the case - hot swappable technology or something)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Predator G3-605
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 4770 @ 3.4GHZ
    Motherboard
    Acer Predator
    Memory
    16GB DDR3 @ 798MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GTX 770 2GB - Personally Overclocked
    Sound Card
    N/A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer Pradator full HD LED 24''
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Corsair Neutron GTX 240 GB (Boot)
    2 TB Seagate
    PSU
    500W
    Case
    Acer Pradator G3-605
    Cooling
    All standard
    Keyboard
    Corsair Raptor K50 RGB
    Mouse
    Acer Optical Mouse
    Internet Speed
    40Mbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Windows 8 Security
You should not have any problem restoring the image to the new SSD as long as it will be running in the same PC then activation is fine.

FYI, The activation info is actually stored in one single hidden folder in: C:\Windows\System32\spp
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1x64PWMC Ubuntu14.04x64 MintMate17x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brewed
    CPU
    I7 4970K OC'ed @4.7 GHz
    Motherboard
    MSI-Z97
    Memory
    16 GB G-Skill Trident X @2400MHZ
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450
    Sound Card
    X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional Series
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dual HP-W2408
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1200
    Hard Drives
    256 GB M2 sm951, (2) 500GB 850EVO, 5TB, 2 TB Seagate
    PSU
    Antec 850W
    Case
    Antec 1200
    Cooling
    Danger Den H20
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    Logitech Performance Mouse MX
    Internet Speed
    35/12mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
Brilliant. Many thanks for that.

This forum is great/ :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Predator G3-605
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 4770 @ 3.4GHZ
    Motherboard
    Acer Predator
    Memory
    16GB DDR3 @ 798MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GTX 770 2GB - Personally Overclocked
    Sound Card
    N/A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer Pradator full HD LED 24''
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Corsair Neutron GTX 240 GB (Boot)
    2 TB Seagate
    PSU
    500W
    Case
    Acer Pradator G3-605
    Cooling
    All standard
    Keyboard
    Corsair Raptor K50 RGB
    Mouse
    Acer Optical Mouse
    Internet Speed
    40Mbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Windows 8 Security
Will post back results when I receive new SSD, and let other users in the same situation have some insights.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Predator G3-605
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 4770 @ 3.4GHZ
    Motherboard
    Acer Predator
    Memory
    16GB DDR3 @ 798MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GTX 770 2GB - Personally Overclocked
    Sound Card
    N/A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer Pradator full HD LED 24''
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Corsair Neutron GTX 240 GB (Boot)
    2 TB Seagate
    PSU
    500W
    Case
    Acer Pradator G3-605
    Cooling
    All standard
    Keyboard
    Corsair Raptor K50 RGB
    Mouse
    Acer Optical Mouse
    Internet Speed
    40Mbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Windows 8 Security
Guys, just wanted to post back - my corsair neutron gtx @ 240 gigs arrived today. I cloned my windows drive with specific partitions including efi, recovery, ''unformatted partition'' which was 128MB in size (some MS partition that only Macrium showed...it wasn't in disk management or acronis) and finally push button reset. I cloned it using Macrium's bootable Win PE disk (just incase the clone couldnt access files within windows etc)

Worked like a charm! Suited and booted - and after running the WIE command I'm upto 8.1 on the index!

Use Macrium for all your Win 8.1 cloning needs I'd advise, as Acronis for example, does not clone GPT disks.

I don't suppose if any IT pros would know; I've formatted and deleted everything off my prior drive apart from the EFI/ESP partition, as no software is letting me do it. I've already now got that partition on my SSD, and I presume my UEFI is selecting the bootloader from the SSD, as opposed to my prior drive (I set the hard disk sub preference to the SSD) - reckon I should just leave it and be content?

Thanks,
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Predator G3-605
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 4770 @ 3.4GHZ
    Motherboard
    Acer Predator
    Memory
    16GB DDR3 @ 798MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GTX 770 2GB - Personally Overclocked
    Sound Card
    N/A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer Pradator full HD LED 24''
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Corsair Neutron GTX 240 GB (Boot)
    2 TB Seagate
    PSU
    500W
    Case
    Acer Pradator G3-605
    Cooling
    All standard
    Keyboard
    Corsair Raptor K50 RGB
    Mouse
    Acer Optical Mouse
    Internet Speed
    40Mbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Windows 8 Security
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