Forum Discussion
wa8yxm
Feb 18, 2015Explorer III
The answer is ... Complex
You can indeed install the old HD in an enclosure and see it with the new computer, Have done that many times over the last 30 years or so.
HOWEVER..... Windows programs which are INSTALLED, write to the registry, if you had to install with a license key those programs will not work.. Even if you did not need a key to install they MAY not work.
Why, because the key gets stored in the Registry or in some other file that has to be in a sub folder on the main system drive and there is only one drive with that id (the main drive on the computer)
You can indeed install the old HD in an enclosure and see it with the new computer, Have done that many times over the last 30 years or so.
HOWEVER..... Windows programs which are INSTALLED, write to the registry, if you had to install with a license key those programs will not work.. Even if you did not need a key to install they MAY not work.
Why, because the key gets stored in the Registry or in some other file that has to be in a sub folder on the main system drive and there is only one drive with that id (the main drive on the computer)
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