How to reinstall Windows onto new ssd?

[Fuseymore]

I'm adding an ssd to my computer that currently has Windows 7. I plan on upgrading to Windows 10 and putting it onto the ssd. How exactly do I do this?

Thanks

 

[smorizio]

if you dont care about copy over your personal files and reloading your games. you casn make a windows 10 bootable usb stick and use your windows 7 code to register it when you install it on your new ssd. then you can reconnect your hard drive and move any personal file you need back to the ssd. cloning one drive to the other can sometimes be pot luck.

 

[Fuseymore]

So Use Windows 7 key to put Windows 10 onto usb
Disconnect HDD
Download Windows 10 onto SSD
Reconnect HDD

will it delete the Windows 7 on my HDD or what?

 

[Colif]

win 10 will replace your win 7 install, you cannot keep using it. Registering win 10 with the key means you are sacrificing it for a win 10 key, unless you decided to swap back to using the win 7 install only before the end of the next 4 weeks is up.

So once ssd has win 10 on it, reconnect hdd and then copy everything across you want to keep. You could keep win 7 there as backup for a few weeks, in case you decide to go back to it, but after the month you best format the partition win 7 was on and use it as storage.

it won't touch the hdd if its dc during the install.

 

[Fuseymore]

I have to I have to format the HDD and delete all the files????? I don't understand. Can't I just download Windows 10 on the ssd and leave my files on the hdd

Edit: formatting will take Windows 7 off the HDD? How can I backup files, the ssd is only 120gb so I can't move everything onto it

 

[Colif]

you dont have to do any of that. I was saying eventually, if you never log onto that win 7 it can stay there forever if you want to.

I thought you just might want the extra space back. Didn't mean to alarm you

 

[Fuseymore]

Oh, no I have like 600gb of space free. So formatting the HDD isn't needed? But that's he only way to delete the Windows 7?

If I wanted to format the drive I can copy files over to another 1tb HDD I have in another pc right?

 

[Colif]

yes. but no rush, I would leave it there until you have win 10 on the ssd and its working. its nice back up until then.

Windows rather picky about formatting old windows install drives so formatting it can wait if you don't need the space.

 

[Fuseymore]

Hey I was trying to install Windows 10 but never saw how to trade my windows 7 key for a windows 10

 

[Colif]

There should have been a screen asking for licence key, you should have put the win 7 key in there.

If it installed and you can get to desktop, right click This PC on desktop, select properties from menu
ON next pop up. look at the bottom and see what it says. If you unactivated there should be an option to enter licence key. here would be another place to enter the win 7 key.

 

[Fuseymore]

I don't have the key since it's an oem pc

 

[Colif]

so does it show you as activated or not? There is a small chance the licence key was in your bios and it got it from there.

I didn't know it was an oem, what brand as you should have the sticker with the key on it somewhere. If its a desktop it should be on the box, if its a dell laptop it might be under the battery

 

[Fuseymore]

It's an hp pc. I'll go look on its box for the key

 

[Colif]

It's an hp pc. I'll go look on its box for the key

did you get a box of stuff with the pc? it might be in there too. OEM have to include the sticker with the sale.

Starting in June 2014, HP no longer applies a Genuine Microsoft Label or sticker on computers distributed with Windows 8 or 8.1, Home and Enterprise operating systems. Computers distributed with Windows 8 or 8.1 Pro or educational versions will continue to come configured with the GML sticker.
The computer has a genuine copy of the Microsoft Windows Operating system although the GML sticker is not there

this should help: http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c04640037

 

[Fuseymore]

No it's old, I don't think I have anything for it anymore.
I'm going to backup all the files then reinstall Windows onto the ssd Then put all my files back onto the hdd

 

[Colif]

So have you tried to put it on ssd yet? I thought you had.

Can you look in your win 7 install and write down your current licence key? We will need it for Win 10

you will need to use one of these: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/productkeysactivation/ht/windows-7-key.htm

 

[Fuseymore]

I downloaded an unactivated Windows 10 onto the ssd when I didn't know my old key. So I was stuck with non usable Windows basically

I ended up contacting Microsoft and they gave me a Windows 10 key and activated it.

So I really never even transferred my old Windows. Would be like I went out and bought a new Windows key

 

[Colif]

that is a bonus

So you don't need to do anything if its activated. No need to reinstall it if it works? No need to know key anymore as its auto, Microsoft know its legit so if you ever reinstall it just press "I don't have a key" on page where it asks for one and pc will auto activate iteslf

 

[Fuseymore]

Ya, I have the key saved n a text document too