Windows 10 Windows 10 and Hard Drive Upgrade Help Please

TerryLP

Active Member
Well I have decided to take the plunge and update to Windows 10 from Windows 7 Pro. At the same time I intend to upgrade the hard drive on my laptop to an SSD.

The thing that I am trying to figure out is the cleanest and most effective method to accomplish this. Which one these do you recommend?

1: Download Windows 10 and make an .iso disk. Format and make a clean install. Then clone the hard drive to the new SSD and install it to the laptop. I am not sure if this method would work because of the change in hardware. Would that make Microsoft think it was a different computer?

2: Install the new SSD in the laptop. Then install my Windows 7 on it. Then download and install Windows 10.

3: Download Windows 10 and make an .iso disk using the current Windows 7. Install the new SSD and use the .iso to make a clean Windows 10 installation on the empty drive.

4: Another method that I have not come up with as yet.
 
Download Windows 10 and make an .iso disk. Format and make a clean install. Then clone the hard drive to the new SSD and install it to the laptop. I am not sure if this method would work because of the change in hardware. Would that make Microsoft think it was a different computer?
Only when the motherboard is changed or the CPU has been changed twice.

You could do the upgrade on the old HDD and then when you get the SSD perform a clean install using the windows 10 iso. You won't even have to input an activation key either as these are stored online.

As long as you upgrade first then your activation details will be stored online in the same place as your Windows 7 activation details which is why you don't need to input a key (even after a clean install.. Just keep pressing skip).
 
Thanks Kemical, I appreciate your advise. I hope to make the upgrade within the next week or two.
Terry
 
Fresh install Windows 10 will be better, Windows 10 has done many things to optimize performances for SSD. You won't worry about the activation problem which has been fixed by MS.
If you don't want to do fresh install, I 'd suggest you use AOMEI Backupper to clone system to ssd, which has an option to optimize for SSD.
 
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