How will I activate Win10 on laptop after clean install on new SSD?

[Chicken76]

Going to buy a laptop that comes with Win10 (home edition).
The laptop comes with a 1TB mechanical drive that Im going to change with a proper 256GB SSD. The manufacturer (Lenovo) most probably won't supply Windows installation disk and serial number.
The ISO is easy enough to obtain from MS, but am I going to have trouble activating it after a clean install on a new SSD?

 

[nerp]

Nope, not if the machine was already activated with Win10 properly.

 

[JackMDS]

In other words Make sure that the Laptop is Activated and working with the 1TB original.

Then put in the SSD, do a clean install with the same version of Win 10 (Home on Home Pro on Pro).

 

[vailr]

An easy method would be to simply clone the mechanical drive using a USB 3.0 adapter cable for the SSD :
http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-SATA-Drive-Adapter-Cable/dp/B00HJZJI84
I've used Aomei Partition Assistant (free):
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/aomei_partition_assistant.html
Belarc Advisor (also free) can show the Windows registration code:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/belarc_advisor.html
Save a copy of the 25 character code to a USB thumb drive, before making any changes. That code may have also been stored within the bios firmware, and would be recognized for Windows activation automatically (probably).

Edit: that USB adapter cable can work without requiring any added power for both SSD's and spinning 2.5" laptop drives, but not for 3.5" desktop spinning drives.

 

[Ketchup]

If you have a desktop, just plug in both drives, use a good program to clone the hard drive to the SSD (I like EaseUS Todo Backup), and put the SSD in the laptop. Done.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

If you have a desktop, just plug in both drives, use a good program to clone the hard drive to the SSD (I like EaseUS Todo Backup), and put the SSD in the laptop. Done.

I have to ask you, Ketchup.

Somebody posted a request for a Z170 mobo recommendation on the mobo forum, and I'd been looking at the Sabertooth Z170 Mark 1. There was a worry that you couldn't put a heatpipe cooler on that board, like a 212 EVO. You apparently didn't have a problem with the Z97 Mark 1, did you?

 

[Ketchup]

Correct. No clearance issues with the Z97 version. I don't even remember it being close enough to constitute concern.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Correct. No clearance issues with the Z97 version. I don't even remember it being close enough to constitute concern.

I told the story of a Sabertooth Z77 board I'd acquired, for which an ACX cooler had a heatpipe jammed up against the thermal-armor plastic. If you got the 212 EVO to fit without problem on the Z97, then a Z170 Mark 1 also likely offers no problem.

But . . . this is the OS forum . . . hopefully nobody objects to our exchange about this. . . .