Reinstalling Windows on another HDD w/ same CD key

[Guest Ian Coolidge]

I made the fatal flaw of building a system with a PATA hard drive instead of

a SATA hard drive. After living with it for 6 months I decided enough was

enough and I went out and bought 2 SATA hard drives for a RAID0

configuration.

 

I don't wanna spend another 100+ dollars on a new CD key nor do I want to

wait for my Student MSDN liscense to renew in October to get another

(basically free) copy of Windows. Is there a way I can reinstall windows

using the same CD key I used before? I hear if I activate over the phone it

is easier to do since I talk to an actual person. Can anyone give me some

guidance in this? Is it possible to do?

 

Thanks,

-Ian

[Guest Gary S. Terhune]

Re: Reinstalling Windows on another HDD w/ same CD key

 

That's exactly what you do. If it doesn't Activate automatically, then the

phone route is the way to go, for sure. You should have no problem. Just

explain the hardware change and you reasons reinstalled and that should be

it.

 

--

Gary S. Terhune

MS-MVP Shell/User

http://grystmill.com

 

"Ian Coolidge" <Ian Coolidge@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:EA49A2B0-306D-4DE6-A11B-D67C16E599DD@microsoft.com...

>I made the fatal flaw of building a system with a PATA hard drive instead

>of

> a SATA hard drive. After living with it for 6 months I decided enough was

> enough and I went out and bought 2 SATA hard drives for a RAID0

> configuration.

>

> I don't wanna spend another 100+ dollars on a new CD key nor do I want to

> wait for my Student MSDN liscense to renew in October to get another

> (basically free) copy of Windows. Is there a way I can reinstall windows

> using the same CD key I used before? I hear if I activate over the phone

> it

> is easier to do since I talk to an actual person. Can anyone give me some

> guidance in this? Is it possible to do?

>

> Thanks,

> -Ian

[Guest Ken Blake]

Re: Reinstalling Windows on another HDD w/ same CD key

 

"Ian Coolidge" <Ian Coolidge@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:EA49A2B0-306D-4DE6-A11B-D67C16E599DD@microsoft.com...

> I made the fatal flaw of building a system with a PATA hard drive instead

> of

> a SATA hard drive.

 

 

I wouldn't call that "fatal" at all. Yes, SATA will be somewhat faster, but

if you expect a dramatic improvement, you'll probably be disappointed.

 

> After living with it for 6 months I decided enough was

> enough and I went out and bought 2 SATA hard drives for a RAID0

> configuration.

 

 

SATA is fine, but I recommend against using RAID0. In my experience, any

speed increase it provides is so small as to be unnoticeable. But the extra

risk to your data is severe. It's a bad bargain.

 

> I don't wanna spend another 100+ dollars on a new CD key nor do I want to

> wait for my Student MSDN liscense to renew in October to get another

> (basically free) copy of Windows. Is there a way I can reinstall windows

> using the same CD key I used before?

 

 

Certainly. Despite what some people think, there is no limit to the number

of times you can reinstall Windows and reactivate it, as long as it's only

on a single computer at a time. If your copy of Windows is OEM, the license

ties it the first computer it's installed on, but if it'soretail, you can

even move it another computer, again as often as you want tp.

 

> I hear if I activate over the phone it

> is easier to do since I talk to an actual person. Can anyone give me some

> guidance in this? Is it possible to do?

 

 

Just activate it normally. Since it's been six months, it should activate

over the internet just as it did before, but worst case, if you need to do

it by phone, it will prompt you to do so--it's quick and easy.