Bought a new W10 laptop. How to change HD to SSD and stay activated?

Discussion in 'Windows 10' started by donalgodon, Oct 10, 2016.

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  1. donalgodon

    donalgodon MDL Member

    Jul 21, 2010
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    #1 donalgodon, Oct 10, 2016
    I just bought my first laptop that actually shipped with W10 (Home, I believe). I will install an SSD and would like to remain activated after a CLEAN install. I don't want to clone.

    Can you give me some guidance on the most sure way to do this? I'd like to use the legit license and not have to mess with it in the future or worry about activation, etc.

    TIA.
     
  2. cocachris89

    cocachris89 MDL Senior Member

    Mar 1, 2013
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    #2 cocachris89, Oct 10, 2016
    Easy, put in the new SSD, do a clean install, it should pickup the drivers automatically, when you connect to the internet, it will activate itself.

    No cuts, no buts, no coconuts
     
  3. T-S

    T-S MDL Guru

    Dec 14, 2012
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    #3 T-S, Oct 10, 2016

    Why clean install? Just clone the disk
     
  4. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

    Feb 27, 2011
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    #4 LatinMcG, Oct 10, 2016
    with win 10... sometimes clean install is best option.

    it should auto activate same version win 10 eg home or pro
     
  5. Enthousiast

    Enthousiast MDL Tester

    Oct 30, 2009
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    #5 Enthousiast, Oct 10, 2016
    Normally, laptops with 10 pre-installed, are activated by an oem:Dm embedded bios"key".
    All Win 10 Multiple Editions iso's from 1511 and up have the capability to readout the oem:Dm
    and install the correct version (in your case: home) and auto-activate it.
     
  6. donalgodon

    donalgodon MDL Member

    Jul 21, 2010
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    #6 donalgodon, Oct 10, 2016 (OP)
    So, all I need is the ISO for the Anniversary Update directly downloaded from MS (which contains the Pro and Home version) and just use that?
     
  7. Snuffy

    Snuffy MDL Expert

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    #7 Snuffy, Oct 10, 2016
    He can also check to see if (Digital License) is effective. (some FAKE) are being shipped, and KMS show Activated by Local Server, while Genuine is Digital license.
     
  8. T-S

    T-S MDL Guru

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    #8 T-S, Oct 10, 2016
    There isn't any valid reason to do a fresh install unlles your PC is really really really messed up.

    Even on a PC really plenty of reinstalled bloatware is usually faster to uninstall it than starting from scratch and having to migrate and reinstall everything.


    Obviously it will reactivate, no matter if you had a digital entitlement or W10 is activated trough the bios signature.

    But cloning the disk is the obvious way to to move to an SSD / larger disk. Matter of 15 minutes, and on the old disk an untouched system, ready to be used, will be left just in case you're on your unlucky day and something went wrong on the cloning process, or your new disk decided to die after 24 hrs (first days are always the problematic ones on faulty new HW)
     
  9. throbber

    throbber MDL Addicted

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    #9 throbber, Oct 10, 2016
    Did the same recently with a Samsung ssd.
    I used the software that came with the ssd to clone the drive... Job done.
     
  10. rpo

    rpo MDL Expert

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    #10 rpo, Oct 11, 2016
    I did the some on two laptops replacing the HDD with a samsung ssd 850 evo. I cloned the HDDs with the samsung supplied utility connecting my SSD to the laptops with a USB to sata HDD converte (i had no additional sata port available). After cloning i replaced the HDD with the SSD, rebooted and Windows was activated.