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I have a PC with Windows 10 and lots of programs installed. Todaym my motherboard and graphics adapter are dead.

So I have to buy a new motherboard, new processor and new graphic adapter.

Is there any chance that my Windows 10 installation will boot on the new hardware configuration?

Is there something I should do to make this work?

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  • How do you know they're all dead? Maybe it's your power supply.
    – Warren P
    Commented Nov 23, 2015 at 1:17
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    Sorry friend .I did all the tests , and are dead. So can you help me with my question ?
    – alex
    Commented Nov 23, 2015 at 1:18
  • As far as I understand it, Windows 10 will require re-activation. You may have to contact Microsoft to get the problem resolved.
    – Warren P
    Commented Nov 23, 2015 at 1:19
  • I know about activation , my first problem is how to boot so I will not loose all my installed application. After I will contact Microsoft for the license problem.
    – alex
    Commented Nov 23, 2015 at 1:20
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    @Warren P - Sorry , did you read my question ? I don't want to install Windows 10.
    – alex
    Commented Nov 23, 2015 at 15:23

3 Answers 3

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I did a test which shows that you can boot from a Windows 10 installation with different hardware.

I have connected my old Hard drive to a Lenovo Laptop (Intel Core i3 CPU , my damaged PC has an Intel Core i5 CPU). The System boots. After some seconds a screen with "Getting Devices ready" appears, and after 10 minutes the system was restarted and booted normally. After this I installed new device drivers, and everything seems to be working well. Of course, the activation problem remains.

I'm not sure whether it will work just as well going from an Intel to an AMD based system or vice versa.

Additionally, I've found a claim that : "... Unlike Windows 7. Windows 8/10 is very forgiving. If you take out the HD and put in another MB, Windows will boot and recognize the missing drivers and will attempt to install them ..."

Source: http://www.tenforums.com/drivers-hardware/16276-moving-current-hdd-win10-another-pc-different-motherboard.html

Update: Second test , I've put my HDD to a Dell laptop , so a totally different Motherboard. The same behavior : The system boot , after I see a "Getting Devices Ready" screen , and after 7-8 minutes Windows is open. I have installed new drivers and everything works fine.

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I had a similar situation where I changed my motherboard. To boot the system however the vendor installed an unlicenced version of windows 10, but everything was working as normal. To get the genuine key, which was linked to my old motherboard, I had to call microsoft and explain to them what happened, it was a long process that involved them remoting into my pc and me sending them the recipt of the motherboard I purchased

In the end I was able to get my genuine windows and have it linked to my online windows account. I would reccommend you link your windows 10 account with your genuine copy asap to avoid going through that ordeal.

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You need to create a bootable USB media. Download Windows 10 setup and use it to create bootable media. Sadly this media does not contain any recovery features, such as the Windows 8 media used to have, so a full install may be your only option.

Between Intel and AMD systems, the big problem isn't the CPUs, it's the chipsets, and I do not believe an already installed Windows 10 image will boot when your IDE controller and chipset are completely different families of chipsets.

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    What are you talking about it ? Did you read my question ? I have windows 10 installed on my HDD , and I need to put this HDD to my new hardware configuration , without installing anything.
    – alex
    Commented Nov 23, 2015 at 15:03
  • It is unlikely to boot.
    – Warren P
    Commented Nov 23, 2015 at 16:03
  • Did you read my test that I've made ? It's working on Intel based Pc , I don't know on AMD based PC.
    – alex
    Commented Nov 23, 2015 at 16:20
  • There used to be a recovery tool that you could have used, in Windows 8, without a reinstall. With windows 10, Microsoft has nuked these lovely recovery tools, and I believe you are either going to boot, or you aren't, and there is NOTHING else you can do to repair the startup.
    – Warren P
    Commented Nov 23, 2015 at 17:39
  • On a Intel based Pc , as I have noted everything was ok , but I don't know what is going to happen if I boot to an Amd based system. I've found this link : tenforums.com/drivers-hardware/… , and someone claim that : "... Unlike Windows 7. Windows 8/10 is very forgiving. If you take out the HD and put in another MB, Windows will boot and recognize the missing drivers and will attempt to install them ..." I don't know if this is true ?? !!
    – alex
    Commented Nov 23, 2015 at 18:43

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