Windows 10 and SSD upgrade

hitman

hitman

hitman

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498
Hi everyone

I just upgraded from win 8 to win 10 on my laptop. However, I've now starting thinking about upgrading the relatively small ssd on the laptop but I didn't note down the product key for the original win 8 OS.

Can I install the new ssd and then install win 10 as an upgrade - will microsoft recognise it as such? Or will I have to return laptop to original state, note down product code and then install win 10 on new ssd?

Thanks for any help
 
Windows 10 is tied to the bios. get the windows 10 tool, create a USB stick and do a clean install of it, Windows 10 should activate once online.

make sure your current install of windows 10 is activated as well.

I can do a clean install of windows 10, skip the product key sections during install and will activate once online and no need for any keys
 
Can't you clone your existing drive to the new SSD and then swap the drives over?

I recently did this on my laptop (moved from a HDD to an SSD) and used Macrium Reflect to clone the HDD to the SSD (SSD in a USB caddy) then just swapped the drives over.

No re-activation or anything. Windows 10 here.
 
This Side Up said:
Can't you clone your existing drive to the new SSD and then swap the drives over?

I recently did this on my laptop (moved from a HDD to an SSD) and used Macrium Reflect to clone the HDD to the SSD (SSD in a USB caddy) then just swapped the drives over.

No re-activation or anything. Windows 10 here.
Click to expand...

Any disadvantages of doing it this way?
 
ThisSideUP using you swap technique is the windows 10 a clean install ?
, I did an update from vista->win7 in a similar way with an update and you end up with windows creating a windows.old and keeping some old files here and elsewhere and I never managed to cleanup completely.
If you install off of usb you do not (I believe) even need to update the 8 with latest patches to get the offer message with the pitfalls that might entail.

My plan from win7 (original not sp1) is a fresh 10 install on a new separate ssd in 2nd slot (or if i do not find an ssd I like even to repartition the main drive or put 10 on an external esata drive I already have providing i can boot from that, even perhaps boot off of a 64gb micro sd card just to reserve my license, but the micro sd might be too slow as a boot device)

I had originally thought I needed to update to win7 sp1 latest (see the many threads where people are still trying to do this) but now it seem unnecessary.

a final thought - if you update 7/8->10 as opposed to clean install not sure if you could have fewer driver problems , because the win7/8 ones eg for gpu can be re-used , but saying that I think I read all drivers are new with 10

.... it is like the brexit vote need to decide soon
 
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jpaul said:
ThisSideUP using you swap technique is the windows 10 a clean install ?
, I did an update from vista->win7 in a similar way with an update and you end up with windows creating a windows.old and keeping some old files here and elsewhere and I never managed to cleanup completely.
Click to expand...

Just use Disk Cleanup and select the option for system files to remove previous installations
 
jpaul, the "swap" technique I mentioned is cloning your existing drive onto the new SSD. No installations etc. and you end up with a carbon copy of your drive.

In your circumstance, couldn't you upgrade to Windows 10 then clone/swap drives as I have discussed earlier. Alternatively, do things vice versa - clone drive to new HDD, then upgrade.

Doing as howiepoohs will get rid of previous windows installations (the Windows.Old folder) and help to clean things up. I did this when I went from Windows 8.1 to 10.

Personally, if given the option, I would go for a fresh install on a brand spanking new drive, then move/install your **** and move files from old drive to new as necessary. Probably the most time consuming method, but definitely the "cleanest".
 
This Side up Thanks, yes I am going for a clean install.

Updating seems to be what most people do (and I had previously) fear that with a clean install I would be left with a system that could not be re-activated - that was my concern anyway.
Updating , even if you can delete the windows.old, left files in my root directory and since install was not onto a newly formatted disc the files associated with the new OS were not allocated optimally to disc sectors (maybe does not matter for an ssd) -
I am suggesting updated system performance would be inferior to a clean install ! I am also skeptical if an update leaves you with a clean registry
[there should be a tv show about obessive compulsive computer cleaning :D]

Hitman , so answering your question I think clean install is better

Before I make a new os install, I will export both the windows and office keys onto a usb, so I have something to present to microsoft if something goes horribly wrong.
If I can reserve the win 10 key by an install onto a small micro sd, this, frankly, would be the least effort ,as I am happy with windows 7, but would like to try out windows 10 (the grass is greener - hope over experience )

adding a ref to an article that supports my point of view !
 
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For those that are potentially putting the ssd in a 2nd drive caddy replacing an optical drive (I am currently specing out such a caddy) it appears that post windows 7 ie upgrading to 10, some folks have found that caddies if it does not have a switch might give problems where the computer thinks that the drive is perpetually open (as the optical drive could have been) so you have a lot of interrupt events and undesired cpu activity, has anyone had any experience of this or taken special care during their caddy purchase ?
 
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