Win10 Upgraded from Win7 - new build need to re-install O/S

thedoc46 · 9 Jun 2017 at 17:33

Hi

Whats the best procedure to reinstall Win10, if you took the free upgrade from Win7?

i'm now on the Win10 Creators edition, but changing everything over this weekend, new mobo, gpu ........ and so on. What's the procedure seeing that this is completely new hardware... Where's the best place to get the ISO ? also what happens when it asks me to enter in a serial key? Just skip and login using my microsoft account that knows i have an lic associated to my Microsoft sign-on ?

Thanks

The1nonly1 · 9 Jun 2017 at 22:40

I used the media creation tool from here. When I reinstalled with my new set up, I just pressed skip and then when into Windows, I went through troubleshooting once logged into my live account and then selected the existing hardware and it activated for me.

thedoc46 · 10 Jun 2017 at 02:40

When you say selected the existing hardware ? do you mean it the name of your previous build ?

PapaLazaru · 10 Jun 2017 at 08:41

Just boot from USB as linked above. Skip past when it asks for a key and just login using your Microsoft account login. It could not be simpler.

thedoc46 · 11 Jun 2017 at 16:18

i couldn't actually find my computer name listed, that i've just upgraded, in my list of accounts after i logged in. But i did have an older laptop listed that i use as a media center, which wasn't even Win10 ready, but i still took the free upgrade a while back, so i just used that, and it seem to activate. Then so i can still use the media center laptop, i changed my code using the option to change my serial number and took an old version of Win8 Pro and used that number. It seemed to accept it, so i'm assuming i'm all set.

Edward78 · 14 Jun 2017 at 04:34

I have 7 on again, if I decide on 10 again, can I still use my win7 key from the first upgrade? I changed my MB also...

thedoc46 · 14 Jun 2017 at 14:15

Edward78 said:
I have 7 on again, if I decide on 10 again, can I still use my win7 key from the first upgrade? I changed my MB also...

Its really a bit of a grey area.. Anything i had retail Win7 that took the free upgrade wasn't listed against my Microsoft account at the time i went through the troubleshooter, so i just used a laptop that was an old Dell that took the free upgrade, which immediately activated, then i went in and changed the lic key to a retail ver of Win7 and it took it... Guessing it free'd back up the other lic for the old laptop ? I'm not even sure Microsoft knows whats going on. As they changed it all after 1607 to allow you to use an account associated with your Microsoft account. Which incidentally takes a rundown of your hardware. But the key i used was from an 8yr old laptop that wasn't even Win10 ready, and used it on a i7 7700k with a 1080ti lol, so it wasn't very smart in that accepting that i had just upgraded some components.