Re installing Windows 10

[dfonda]

Folks I have two SSS's (1TB and a 500GB) They both have my legit copy of Windows 10 on them, smaller cloned to the larger than set aside.

I rebuilt the PC with a new case and all the old hardware (Asus in sig). Its a Xmas present for SIL and Daughter. Actually were not quite done as we are doing it together.

I want to use the 500GB SSD for them, but install Windows 10 fresh. Cleaning my stuff off it, I activated it online , and can see it in my account, but there is no key. By that I mean Microsoft account has a record of my transaction from 2016. I remember it activating without me ever getting a record of the key.

So that is the question... if I install a fresh copy, will Microsoft recognize it and activate without me having the key anymore? Or can I check in with them and have it activated? The hardware will be the same as MS has on its servers.

Or can I restore a Windows install somehow?

If its too much trouble, I'll get them a key from Kinguin.

Thanks in advance.

 

[trents]

If you plug that old drive with system files on it from another computer into another computer with a different motherboard you will lose the activation. It will not automatically activate. Same with a fresh install. If the motherboard is different it will not automatically activate.

Is this a retail version of Windows 10? If so, I think the license allows or installation on a max of three new computers over time.

Another option is to purchase a discount activation key from a place like kinguin.net or urcdkey.com. Then you can create an installer from Microsoft's Media Creation Tool website. Install Windows and use your newly purchased activation key, though you will likely find it won't work if you try to activate it over the internet. You'll be able to activate it with the automated activation phone attendant: https://www.urtech.ca/2014/07/solve...e-to-activate-your-windows-or-office-product/

 

[DreamingWolf]

If the only thing you changed was the case, then it should activate without issue and without needing to enter a key.

 

[dfonda]

If the only thing you changed was the case, then it should activate without issue and without needing to enter a key.

We finished this build tonight...This was a fresh install of Windows 10 to an SSD . I went about doing the usual updates and initial downloads of chrome, steam, 7zip, etc.

At some point I looked at activation and it was activated. No key needed.

I even put the account under my daughters phone # but it still activated... The only change in hardware was the GPU. (Not counting the case)

 

[DreamingWolf]

We finished this build tonight...This was a fresh install of Windows 10 to an SSD . I went about doing the usual updates and initial downloads of chrome, steam, 7zip, etc.

At some point I looked at activation and it was activated. No key needed.

I even put the account under my daughters phone # but it still activated... The only change in hardware was the GPU. (Not counting the case)

There is a limit of 3 or 5 hardware changes that are allowed before reactivation is required. The reason changing a MOBO will trip it is the board has more than 7 hardware 'pieces' in the view of Windows.

 

[trents]

There is a limit of 3 or 5 hardware changes that are allowed before reactivation is required. The reason changing a MOBO will trip it is the board has more than 7 hardware 'pieces' in the view of Windows.

This would be true for a retail version of Windows. But OEM allows zero re-installs when there are major changes such as motherboard.

 

[DreamingWolf]

This would be true for a retail version of Windows. But OEM allows zero re-installs when there are major changes such as motherboard.

And does the OEM allow re-install if only 1 component is changed??? If you had read my comment you would realize that a MOBO is seen as at least 7 pieces of hardware by the Windows operating system. That's why neither Retail nor OEM will allow re-install if the MOBO is changed. But the OP did not change the MOBO, only the case. So there is no changed hardware according to the OS, so re-install will be allowed with no problems.

 

[trents]

Yes, OEM would tolerate some degree of component change without complaining just as retail would. But I think with retail you can make bigger changes a limited number of times. For instance, if your motherboard fries and you have to replace it with a different product because the original is no longer available. With retail I think you can make larger changes like that maybe up to three times without losing the ability to re-activate.

In OP's original post I missed the detail about moving moving all the innards into a new case. I was thinking it was a major rebuild. My bad.

 

[DreamingWolf]

No worries.
But from experience I know changing a motherboard will trip Retail as well as OEM. It's the sheer number of components, neither version can survive that changeover.
I agree that Retail has the 'Remove from one system, install on another' up to a total of three systems (I believe it's three)(MS considers a new motherboard to be a new system), but if you do that you at least have to call them to verify you removed it from the old system so you can activate on the new one.

 

[trents]

Yep, you still have to call them even with the Retail. Agreed on that.