Scott-
Best Buy won't accept returns of opened software, unfortunately.
Do you have the original XP (or Vista) discs that came with your Dell? It
would likely have been sold with an OEM license for one of those (check
under the E6400's battery for the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) and
installation key). If you have the COA but no discs, let me know which OS
it is, and I can get you an ISO. If no COA, then we venture towards the
more grey area, though you already have a legitimate installation of
Windows there already, no? You could do an absolutely minimal installation
of that and "upgrade" it from there. It appears that XP, Vista and 7 are
eligible for the Windows 8 upgrade.
Some info here:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33642_7-57505867-292/upgrading-to-windows-8-what-you-need-to-know-faq/
Cloning from a smaller drive to a larger drive should be pretty trouble
free. I do that regularly with Clonezilla and GParted, both of which are
free, and you can get both of them on the "Ultimate Boot CD". Search for
"UBCD". It will even boot from a USB stick, if you are short on writeable
CD media. I can put together some docs for that if you would like. For that
system, it should be very easy - I have done it here at my office. It is a
multi-step process - install the source drive, clone it, install the new
SSD, restore it, then expand the resulting restored partition to the full
size of the new drive.
I have been happier with the Dell Latitude D- and E-series systems (of
which I have purchased over 75 in the past 3.5 years) than the Thinkpad
systems I purchased in an earlier life. That said, there are always lemons!
-Peter
On Mon, Dec 3, 2012 at 3:44 PM, Scott <scott.hall.personal@gmail.com> wrote:
> Okay, bought new Win8 discs. Bought new Samsung 250GB SSD.
>
> Put SSD in laptop, works. Installed Win8, works.
>
> Win8 is not 'activated', because the discs I purchased appear to be for an
> upgrade, not a clean installation, according to the popup when typing in
> the activation key.
>
> I asked specifically that question at Best Buy when buying the discs--can
> I put a NEW HD in my laptop, NO CLONING and install this Win8 set? They
> said yes. There's nothing on the packaging that says 'upgrade'. Not that it
> matters, but I suspect my solution is illegal, so I'm staking out the moral
> high ground now.
>
> I don't want to clone anything from the old drive to the new one. I have
> the cables, but they (the drives) are different capacities, and last time I
> tried that it all went bad. I also don't want to risk any malware going
> from the old drive to the new one.
>
> I'm inclined to say screw it and just use the Win8 on the laptop in its
> unactivated state--it seems to work fine. Am I risking jail time or
> anything else awful? I assume I cannot return the Win8 set to Best Buy and
> buy the 'right' set.
>
> On a side note, there are no Win8 video drivers on Dell's website for an
> E6400, and the display randomly shuts off, but then it did that on the old
> HD, too, but only after I installed Win8.
>
> This is why I avoid IT stuff on my own. Is the 'right' solution to clone
> the old drive, and if so, can any one recommend a web tutorial written as
> if for a five year-old, but that is also comprehensive? I'd need to clone
> an 80 GB drive to a 250 GB SSD, and I want the bare minimum necessary to be
> kosher with those Redmond bastages.
>
> And Dell sucks. All hail Lenovo. This crap never happened on our Lenovo
> machines.
>
> Scott
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