Fresh Windows 10 install with Windows 8.1 on USB stick?

[RipGroove]

I am about to reformat my OS drive and and reinstall Windows 10, when I built the PC 4 years ago I bought a genuine copy of Windows 8.1 which came on a USB stick, this copy of Windows was then automatically upgraded to Windows 10 Home so after I've formatted my drive and it boots to the Windows install from the USB stick it will try to install Windows 8.1 again? How do I make sure it goes back to Windows 10?


Is this how I do it: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10

If so, I assume by 'Licence' they mean Windows account login details? (which I do have)

I'm fitting a new Motherboard so hopefully that won't mess things up regrading my Windows Licence?

 

[RipGroove]

Actually no, please disregard that as I've just found a retail version of Windows 10 Home on USB in a drawer at home so I must have already bough that at some point so I'm all set, I assume I just boot to that and enter my Microsoft Account login details at some point during the installation?

 

[RipGroove]

Ok so I was wrong about my copy of Win 8.1 being on USB, I opened the box earlier and it is CDs, not sure how I even installed it in the first place because this PC doesn't have a CD drive and never has.

So anyway, I basically just have a USB with Win 10 on it.

I would use the Windows 10 creation tool, this will give you the latest version of W10 and most updates applied and save you having loads to download but this would depend on how old the USB stick is.

If your currently using a Microsoft account the windows activation should be tied to that or your mobo

How would I use the creation tool in that scenario? Boot to my Win 10 USB, intsall windows then head to the creation tool and go from there?

I would just reformat that windows 8.1 usb with the windows 10 creation tool. It's free to create the USB, you'll just need the product key after installation

I have plenty of spare flash drives so does that mean I can go to the tool and create a new flash drive with the right copy of Win 10 on it and then use that for installation?

Surely I shouldn't have too much of an issue swapping the Mobo and CPU, I seem to remember doing it in the past and just had to answer a few questions during the Windows installation.

 

[RipGroove]

I'll

If you have a blank USB stick use the creation tool to download the latest version of W10 and then boot from that rather than the 1 in your draw or format the USb stick with the current W10 on it and update it to the latest version using the creation tool.

The creation tool will create you a W10 bootable USB stick you can install from

Got ya, that's the way forward then. I have my Product Key and my Microsoft Account login so hopefully the mobo sway won't mess things up.

 

[RipGroove]

Thanks guys

 

[RipGroove]

No problem, Windows should auto activate once online and logged in to your Microsoft account

Awesome

 

[RipGroove]

Microsoft really got their stuff in order with Windows 10 activation. It's a refreshing change of pace.

I still remember having to phone them up in the XP days because a motherboard died. What a pain that was

Same! I haven't done a simple motherboard swap for a very long time, last couple of PC's I built were from the ground up so I didn't have to worry about all that.