How to reinstall Windows 10 after upgrading a SSD?

[BeethovensCat]

Dear All,

Need to install a larger SSD in my home computer in the coming months. Am currently running Windows 10, but upgraded for free from Windows 8 (which I bought).

How does one get Windows 10 reinstalled? I suppose if one reinstalls Windows 8 it cannot be upgraded to Windows for free anymore?

Is there some place in Windows 10 that one can find the serial number for Windows 10 (or does it use the old Windows 8 serial?). And can Windows 10 be downloaded from MS and put on a memory stick or DVD?

Advice would be most welcome.

Many thanks in advance,
Philip

 

[JackMDS]

If your Win10 installation is Activated and you change your HD to another HD, or SSD it would Activated Auto online by Microsoft.

Wether you Clone your current Installation or Do a Clean Install, as long as it is the same computer and same version of Win 10 you do not need any key it would work thereafter.

 

[nerp]

Yes, what JackMDS said. Your machine has been blessed by MS forever for Windows 10. You have a digital entitlement. It will recognize it once you're online with a fresh Windows 10 install and automatically activate quietly in the background. You don't have to write down any key or type in any key during installation. Just make sure that you install a fresh copy of home or pro depending on what's activated now.

 

[deustroop]

While the reinstall option is addressed above, there was also the suggestion of cloning the drive to the new SSD. That is the preferred option I would think.

There are lots of threads here on how to do that. If you purchase an SSD with manufacture's software, it may well include a cloning app. If you use Samsung cloning, be aware that it intends that the clone replace the original drive. In my experience the clone will not operate in the same system as the original.To avoid that , I suppose you can reformat the original in another machine so there will be no conflict and both will operate in the same machine. Or do as I did and use Macrium Reflect which avoids such duplication issues
http://knowledgebase.macrium.com/display/KNOW/Cloning+a+disk

This app allows the use of the original and clone in the same system, i.e, two disks with two identical operating systems on two activated disks in one box !
Sweet.

 

[deustroop]

Yes, what JackMDS said. Your machine has been blessed by MS forever for Windows 10. You have a digital entitlement. It will recognize it once you're online with a fresh Windows 10 install and automatically activate quietly in the background. You don't have to write down any key or type in any key during installation. Just make sure that you install a fresh copy of home or pro depending on what's activated now.

What most often causes confusion is the definition of " machine". While the same machine may support infinite fresh re installs, what constitutes a new machine necessitating a new license ? My take is the motherboard. Change that item and you need a new license but one can swap out other peripherals on the same license.

 

[nerp]

Motherboard, yes. That's really the main thing. You can change HDs no problem. It is believed that you might have to trigger reactivation if you removed a LOT of components but not the motherboard but I've never really seen anything conclusive on this.

 

[NeoPTLD]

Apparently your license gets pulled out if you rolled back to Windows 7. I upgraded my netbook to Windows 10 in July and rolled back right away after confirming it was properly activated. When I did a clean install on an SSD, I couldn't get it to activate and I tried both the 1511 and the anniversary edition. Even having the original drive attached by USB made no difference. Troubleshooting thing refused to activate it as well. Fresh install of 7, and reapply upgrade. Still no dice.

I backed up the entire old drive and applied upgrade again onto the original Windows 7 install that I rolled back onto and it activated fine. When I rolled back, it said I can back to Windows 10 anytime.