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Reinstall Windows 10 With New HD

rocketboy

New member
Dec 6, 2010
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Just free upgraded my desktop to Windows 10. I'd like to do a clean re-install.
My Win10 copy says it's activated.

Question: I want to install a new SSD as my OS drive to replace my HDD as part of the re-install. Will I have problems with the license not recognizing my machine because my hardware changed?
 

mjperry51

New member
Jul 1, 2013
468
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Just free upgraded my desktop to Windows 10. I'd like to do a clean re-install.
My Win10 copy says it's activated.

Question: I want to install a new SSD as my OS drive to replace my HDD as part of the re-install. Will I have problems with the license not recognizing my machine because my hardware changed?
I did just this -- activated with no problem. . .

Not a guarantee!!! I believe the license allows for some system changes - hard drive, memory upgrade, video card etc. Don't know about motherboard/processor. . .
 

rocketboy

New member
Dec 6, 2010
138
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Thanks! I did some digging around and for past Windows versions it was related to whether your license was an OEM copy (which was not transferable to a different motherboard). Problem is I don't recall if when I bought Windows 8 Pro whether it was an upgrade to a Windows 7 OEM or whether it was a new license (the $40 thing). Either way it sounds like if I'm not changing the MOBO then that won't pop up and good to hear someone swapped drives without issues.
 

arjan wolthuis

New member
Jul 27, 2014
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I upgraded RAM GPU CPU these hardware changes didn't give a problem. But when My motherboard crashed and replaced windows wouldn't start anymore and need to be reinstalled,
 

rocketboy

New member
Dec 6, 2010
138
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Success!
Added a new 500GB SSD and reinstalled from DVD. Just skip entering a product key whenever the prompt appears and eventually when Windows was set up the license remained activated.
 

jeffmparker

New member
Nov 13, 2011
42
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Excellent. Glad it worked. I want to do something similar, but also change from 32 bit to 64 bit in the process. Did you set up a dual boot? I'll probably want to switch between the two for a while to check settings, etc. as part of the change-over. Does anyone know if you can have two installations of Win 10 on the one PC?
 

rocketboy

New member
Dec 6, 2010
138
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I did not set up a dual boot because my long history of setting up dual boots shows that I rarely actually boot into the old OS.
 

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