Upgrading from HDD to SSD on Windows 10

Hi jr1107

Click this link:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-downlo...

to download the Media Creation Tool (Click on Download Tool Now), with that you can download the latest Windows 10 ISO (Select Create Installation Media for Another PC), you can create a bootable USB flash drive (min 8GB) using that tool

Connect the SSD to the same SATA port on your motherboard

Remove any other hard drives connected to your PC (if any)

Plug in the Installation Media

Boot into BIOS:

Make sure SATA Mode is set to AHCI

If you have UEFI BIOS:

1. Disable Secure Boot
2. Enable Legacy Boot
3. If Available enable CSM
4. If Required enable USB Boot
5. Move the device with the bootable disc to the top of the boot order
6. Save BIOS changes, restart your System and it should boot from the Installation Media

If you have Legacy BIOS:

Move the drive with the Installation Media to the top of the Boot Order list

Save BIOS settings and Exit

Then, Boot your PC from the Installation Media you just created (change Boot Order in your BIOS) to begin installing Windows 10

Since you previously had Windows 10 installed and activated on that PC during the installation process skip the steps which ask for a product key and select the option 'I am Reinstalling Windows 10 on this PC', and activation will not be an issue, your PC will have a digital entitlement stored on the Microsoft Activation Servers

Make sure you install the same Edition of Windows 10 (Home, Pro . . . etc.) you previously had installed to avoid Activation issues

NOTE: during the installation process, your system will reboot, at that point, you may need to go into your BIOS and change the boot order so your system boots from your Hard Drive, otherwise the installation may start all over again - do not remove the installation media at this point - only remove the installation media once your reach the Desktop

Once Windows 10 installation has completes, if you had any other hard drives to connect, shut down and re-connect them

That's It!

Hi jr1107,

No you will not have to sign into your Microsoft Account to activate Windows 10

Windows 10 is different to all previous versions of Windows. When you initially activate Windows 10 a unique signature is generated from the hardware of your system, particularly your Motherboard components.

That signature is stored on the Microsoft activation servers. Then when you reinstall Windows 10 and put your system on the Internet, Windows will automatically contact the Activation Servers and check for a digital entitlement for your system and activate itself without any user intervention . . .

While you can attach your PC as a device on your Microsoft Account Page, that does not matter when is comes to activation. so if you ever sell your device, you just remove it from your Microsoft Account and the new user can activate that device because that system has a digital entitlement quite apart from your Microsoft Account . . .

Ciao,

I'm Ugo, a Microsoft Independent Advisor willing to help other Microsoft customers.

Regarding your question, just to be save, you can retrieve your Windows Product Key (even not necessary).

Install ProducKey and run it to look for OEM-BIOS key which is the embedded Product Key from factory: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/produkey-x64.zip.

Also, please be sure that you have relevant product keys/licenses for each and any software you want to install.

You can also considering to clone your actual HD with Easeus Todo Backup Free or similar free software:

https://www.easeus.com/backup-recovery/windows-...

Please let me know if this helped somehow.

Ciao

Ugo