I recently started looking into parts to build a new PC from scratch and was wondering about the operating system. I bought a full version of Windows 8.1 and installed it onto my current computer using a 64-bit disk. I was wondering if I would be able to deactivate Windows 8.1 on my current computer and install it onto a new motherboard altogether or if that is not possible and I would need to buy a whole new operating system.
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If you purchased a retail copy of Windows 8.1, you can uninstall it from the existing computer, and use it on your new computer.
If the copy of Windows 8.1 came with the computer (ie is an OEM license), you won't be able to transfer it to different hardware.
You don't need to "de-activate" the existing machine; you can just proceed to install it on the new PC, and unless you try using both machines with the same Windows 8.1 license across the same timespan, you should be ok with activation. You can always call Microsoft to activate Windows if you hit a problem.
Adam Thompson
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