Do I need to buy windows USB drive for a new motherboard?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
L

Lumberjack_64

Reputable
Jun 4, 2015
118
0
4,680
So while installing my hyper 212 evo I got a tiny bit of thermal paste in the socket and also removed the motherboard baclplate with a knife and it seems either the motherboard or cpu is so damaged that it won't boot up so I need a new motherboard. I was basically running an upgraded and modified hp prebuilt which had windows 8.1 pre installed but I upgraded to Windows 10, so my question is will I need to buy a windows flash disk or can I just plop in a new motherboard and resume where I left off? I haven't ever installed an OS before so if I do have to buy a windows flash drive are there any drivers I have install or something?
 
Solution
Colif
If all you replaced is motherboard then there is a chance you won't need to buy a new copy of win 10. If you get a new motherboard AND CPU, you will probably have to buy a new licence as Microsoft see new CPU/Motherboard as a new PC. I would buy the download version from Microsoft web site as its newer than the version on USB they sell.

Below assumes you only bought new motherboard, if you got both then enter you new licence key on screen where it asks for one and skip the activation instructions

On another PC, download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB

if there is anything on the old c drive you want to keep, try putting into another PC as a secondary drive and copy stuff off it...
Sort by date Sort by votes
Colif

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
Jun 12, 2015
65,242
6,459
168,090
If all you replaced is motherboard then there is a chance you won't need to buy a new copy of win 10. If you get a new motherboard AND CPU, you will probably have to buy a new licence as Microsoft see new CPU/Motherboard as a new PC. I would buy the download version from Microsoft web site as its newer than the version on USB they sell.

Below assumes you only bought new motherboard, if you got both then enter you new licence key on screen where it asks for one and skip the activation instructions

On another PC, download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB

if there is anything on the old c drive you want to keep, try putting into another PC as a secondary drive and copy stuff off it there as you may need to reinstall win 10 once you put it on new motherboard.
Once you ready and pc is on new motherboard, you can try to boot up win 10 on new motherboard without a reinstall, it might work. Sometimes it does, other times it doesn't

If it doesn't boot up, change the boot order in BIOS so USB is first, HDD second
Boot from win 10 USB and follow this, it should explain any questions you have: http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1950-windows-10-clean-install.html
When you get to part of install asking for licence, click "I don't have a key" and Win 10 will install itself.

Once win 10 is installed, right click "this PC" on desktop
choose properties
on bottom of next screen is activation, if your PC is currently unactivated you will find contact details for Microsoft on this page, and will need to ring them and explain what happened and they should activate your copy.

Drivers: Win 10 will grab a stack of drivers that match you hardware but it also helps to look on motherboard makers web site after and check its got the latest for your board.

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom