what you did is transferring files to the other HDD but they are talking about someone who do a clean install on a new HDD
When I said cloning the HWID, I meant the stored HWID in the activation being cloned over, then becomes invalid after the clone. Question is would it attempt a re-activation using the cloned machine's HWID, with the previous HWID stored in the activation files.
I've searched all over and can not find a answer, but it would be hard to believe MS would let this slip, I guess try it, but be prepared to do upgrade
You cannot clone HWID, so since you'll have a different HWID, I'm pretty sure it will deactivate. But go ahead and try and tell us your findings
As I already said, I am doing the initial upgrades first to register the HWIDs with Microsoft. What I mean is cloning it afterwards from one to another and attempt to re-activate with different HWIDs, considering both HWIDs were already both upgraded.
A few months ago I bought a computer that came with Windows 8, which really sucks. One day I was poking around in the BIOS (actually it's UEFI, but whatever) and found a SLIC table. Looks like Dell put Windows 8 on a bunch of computers originally intended for Windows 7. So I wiped the hard drive and installed Windows 7 Pro, with the appropriate OEM license key and Dell cert. As far as Windows can tell it's no different than a computer than came with Windows 7 pre-installed. When Windows 10 RTM came out I did an upgrade install of Windows 10, and it recognized the Windows 7 activation and Windows 10 was activated. Then I wiped the hard drive and did a clean installed of Windows 10. Still activated. Then I used Acronis True Image to clone the hard drive to another SSD. I put that drive in, booted up and, still activated. I think it's pretty clear that changing the hard drive won't affect your activation.
If you pre-reserve the hardware IDs with MS, yes the clone of the clean install will reactivate on each computer that used the free upgrade. Here is how I believe t all works. Upgrade OEM windows 7 to windows 10. as long as you had an SLP key, your machine is now licensed for both editions of windows permanently. Because you used a shared key, they can't invalidate your offline activation. and you could always reflash the BIOS and change your hardware ID to get it back. They COULD conceivably flag it as non genuine by checking your hardware id against the list of ones that were free upgraded and 1 month has past. But this seems unlikely. Upgrade windows 8.1 OEM. your 8.1 unique key in BIOS is invalidated after one month. You are now only licensed for windows 10. You can return to windows 7 with the help of Daz loader. They still can''t stop this one. Upgrade retail windows 7 or 8 to windows 10. After one month, the windows 7 or 8 .1 key is invalidated. you cannot downgrade back again. you can still install windows 10. FREE upgrades are non transferable. it s POSSIBLE that provided you did not upgrade from an OEM version, they will let you phone activate. PAID upgrade of non oem version to windows 10. Your windows 10 is fully transferable, but may require phone activation. if the PAID upgrade is on install media, it will probably come with a key. DIgital upgrades, even paid, have no key. They just record the entitlement on MS servers for the hardware ID. PAID fully packaged product windows 10. Comes with a key and install media. For any given machine you will only have to enter it once. When transferring the OS, you will probably need to enter the key again, and it will invalidate activation on the previous hardware ID. Phone activation may be required, but they will let you do it for sure. MS may provide an entitlement release utility to avoid phone activations. you would run it on the OS before transfer, to deregister it so that the future install on new hardware won't require phone activation.
Ms seems to have said that if your original license was transferable, your free upgrade to windows 10 is too. Furthermore, the TH2 installer will now accept your windows 7 COA key or 8.1 key, and check it with MS. If it validates online, then it will activate. Phone activation is often required for transfers, though. MS hasn't really given a straight answer on downgrade after 30 days. All that we know for sure is that a successful free upgrade licenses the motherboard for windows 10. If you have a transferable veresion, MS will most likely ask for your old key over the phone, adn then remove the odl entitlement and add the one for your new pc. Of course, while the free upgrade offer is on, it's better just to install 7 on new hardware with daz loader, then upgrade it. then your new hardware and your old hardware have a windows 10 license.