[SOLVED] Can I still use the W10 Key with a CLEAN INSTALL?

[iCounterMyself]

I have an old laptop that upgraded to W10 from W7 plus I recently bought a few SSD's & I want to use them in the same laptop. Is it possible to extract the upgraded W10 key for a clean install of the OS but for the new SSD I have? If so what's the process & steps to do so. Thank you in advance!

 

[NightHawkRMX]

When you reinstall windows 10 on the ssd, it will do 1 of 2 things.

1. detect system and auto active
2. ask you for key. Click "i dont have a key" and it should activate itself later.

 

[britechguy]

The digital license for Windows 10 is associated with the motherboard of the machine. You can change out virtually all the other hardware and do a clean reinstall and the license will be fetched automatically.

As @remixislandmusic said, just skip entering it, as you don't need to.

 

[USAFRet]

I have an old laptop that upgraded to W10 from W7 plus I recently bought a few SSD's & I want to use them in the same laptop. Is it possible to extract the upgraded W10 key for a clean install of the OS but for the new SSD I have? If so what's the process & steps to do so. Thank you in advance!

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

When it asks for the license key, skip to the next step.
Reinstalling on a new drive in the same system does not need the license key.

 

[iCounterMyself]

Unfortunately it did not re-active itself so I had to buy a W10 key for a few bucks on eBay.

 

[USAFRet]

Unfortunately it did not re-active itself so I had to buy a W10 key for a few bucks on eBay.

Good luck with that.

 

[britechguy]

And for future readers: If you have ever had a fully activated Windows 10 installation on a machine, and have not changed out the motherboard (and even on occasion when you have, but you have to call MS afterward), Windows 10 in the edition that was activated is still tied to that machine by a digital license.

If the activation doesn't occur on its own within a few days, then call Microsoft. They'll generally have you reactivated in under 10 minutes. I call Microsoft immediately if the activation does not take place automatically as part of the Windows 10 reinstall.

It's not necessary to buy an additional license.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

I have called microsoft and they will reactivate it for you.

But it is incredibly anoying and takes like hours of waiting.

 

[iCounterMyself]

And for future readers: If you have ever had a fully activated Windows 10 installation on a machine, and have not changed out the motherboard (and even on occasion when you have, but you have to call MS afterward), Windows 10 in the edition that was activated is still tied to that machine by a digital license.

If the activation doesn't occur on its own within a few days, then call Microsoft. They'll generally have you reactivated in under 10 minutes. I call Microsoft immediately if the activation does not take place automatically as part of the Windows 10 reinstall.

It's not necessary to buy an additional license.

For future reference, may I have the 1(800) number you use for that?

 

[NightHawkRMX]

1 (800) 642-7676
In USA

 

[britechguy]

I believe the number is given at the end of the Activation Wizard process if the activation fails. I have never attempted to keep track of this, as it could be subject to change over time.