Windows 10 Install Windows 10 on new SSD drive (replacing Win 7 drive)

[Dave Fandrey]

Greetings,

I am currently using Windows 7 and have been receiving offers from Microsoft for a while to upgrade to Windows 10 for free. This is a a computer I built about 4 years ago and I still have the Windows 7 media (DVD) in hand.

I've out grown my Solid State Drive and hope to install a new 500GB solid state hard drive as my primary drive on this same PC, which brings me to my question:

Is it possible to install Windows 10 on my new SSD directly (i.e. without 1st installing Windows 7)? Perhaps there is a way to do this using my current Windows Product Key (on the label of the windows 7 media disk)?

Anyway... if this is possible, I would be grateful to understand how to do this (although I have the product key sticker on my Windows 7 media, I have no idea if I would need my Windows 7 activation code or even how I would find that). Instructions for dummies on this would be much appreciated (if installing Windows 10 directly to this new drive is even possible) .

Many Thanks!

 

[Neemobeer]

Yes, Windows 7 keys will activate a clean install of Windows 10. You can use the free Microsoft tool to create the ISO directly or download the ISO and then create a bootable usb or dsic. Select the "Windows 10" install Windows 10

 

[BIGBEARJEDI]

Yes, I concur with neemo. And I have done it. On several computers as a matter of fact! Neemo gave you the link to get the MCT tool and ISO file in his Post #2 above. A bit of explanation here might help you. When you had your Win7 installed on your computer on the old SSD drive, when you ran the upgrade to W10, your W7 legit license key was stored on Microsoft Activation servers in Redmond, WA if you live in the US. Once stored, you can perform a Clean Install on a new hard drive such as you are doing, and when you connect it to the Internet the W10 install program directs your activation request to the MS activation servers searching for your license key for W10; and this makes sense as if you have a crashed hard drive, how would you reinstall without have to pay Microsoft for a new W10 license with no key code?

So, Microsoft made allowance for people wanting to switch to a newer or larger drive, as long as it's on the same computer, as your W10 license it keyed to the Motherboard on that computer you installed the W7 license on. If you attempt to do a clean install of W10 on a DIFFERENT computer, it will not work as the hardware is now different (Mobo); and you'd be required to purchase another license of W10, such as boxed retail W10 media (see Pic below) and do a Clean Install to register and activate that 2nd computer's hardware (again, Mobo) to the newly purchased W10.


Hopefully, this will clarify things a bit.

Good luck with your upgrade!
<<<BIGBEARJEDI>>>