[SOLVED] Can i use my old optical drive in my new prebuilt PC?

[Patryk_12]

When i buy my new pc will i able to use my old optical drive in order to install windows 10 using a CD in my new pc?
The new pc wont have any windows installed as im not planning to pay 90$ extra just for a pc with windows.

 

[WildCard999]

You can create a Windows 10 installation via USB flash drive.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

And you can use it inactivated.

As long you your new system supports the connections for the old disk drive then you'll be able to use it.

 

[Patryk_12]

You can create a Windows 10 installation via USB flash drive.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

And you can use it inactivated.

As long you your new system supports the connections for the old disk drive then you'll be able to use it.

So im going to be required to move my old HDD into the new computer? And also when it will ask me for the windows key will i need to know my old key or can i just buy a new activation key and use it?

 

[WildCard999]

So im going to be required to move my old HDD into the new computer?

That won't work, if you have Win10 installed on your older system and then you use that HDD in the new system your going to run into performance issues if the motherboard is different. Did you not get a CD key or tie the Win10 key to your MS account?

 

[Patryk_12]

That won't work, if you have Win10 installed on your older system and then you use that HDD in the new system your going to run into performance issues if the motherboard is different. Did you not get a CD key or tie the Win10 key to your MS account?

No as i am currently using windows 7 currently and dont even have windows 10 yet, can you just tell me if it will be possible to simply insert a windows 10 cd into the optical drive in my new pc and install windows from there?

 

[WildCard999]

No as i am currently using windows 7 currently and dont even have windows 10 yet, can you just tell me if it will be possible to simply insert a windows 10 cd into the optical drive in my new pc and install windows from there?

If the new PC supports the connections on the disk drive then yes that would work fine.

 

[Patryk_12]

If the new PC supports the connections on the disk drive then yes that would work fine.

Great thank you, last question- if my new prebuilt does not already have an optical drive can i just use my old optical drive rather than have to buy a new one?

 

[WildCard999]

Great thank you, last question- if my new prebuilt does not already have an optical drive can i just use my old optical drive rather than have to buy a new one?

Probably, as long as the new system connections work on the drive although using a flash drive with Win10 on it would be much easier unless your going to use the optical drive for other stuff.

 

[Patryk_12]

Probably, as long as the new system connections work on the drive although using a flash drive with Win10 on it would be much easier unless your going to use the optical drive for other stuff.

Yeah unfortunately i don't have my old windows key there i need to use the more difficult method and buy a new windows key, thank you for the help it really was useful a lot.

 

[Patryk_12]

Probably, as long as the new system connections work on the drive although using a flash drive with Win10 on it would be much easier unless your going to use the optical drive for other stuff.

Can i buy a new windows 7 key and just use it when they ask for the license key while moving my windows 7 from the old computer to the new computer?

 

[WildCard999]

Yeah unfortunately i don't have my old windows key there i need to use the more difficult method and buy a new windows key, thank you for the help it really was useful a lot.

Your welcome!

You can use Win10 without a key, during the installation when it asks for a key there's a option that says "I don't have one". Select that and you'll be able to finish the installation and use Windows. The inactive versions still get all the important updates and security so no worries there. All you get is the watermark on the bottom right asking to activate Windows. And since it's still a legit version of Windows you don't need to worry about anything hidden in the OS.

 

[WildCard999]

Can i buy a new windows 7 key and just use it when they ask for the license key while moving my windows 7 from the old computer to the new computer?

You could try it as a "upgrade" but I'm not sure if it will work or not.

 

[Patryk_12]

Your welcome!

You can use Win10 without a key, during the installation when it asks for a key there's a option that says "I don't have one". Select that and you'll be able to finish the installation and use Windows. The inactive versions still get all the important updates and security so no worries there. All you get is the watermark on the bottom right asking to activate Windows. And since it's still a legit version of Windows you don't need to worry about anything hidden in the OS.

Omg thats amazing, you're saying ill be just able to move my windows 7 on a USB and just skip the activation key the requirement and thats it?

 

[WildCard999]

Omg thats amazing, you're saying ill be just able to move my windows 7 on a USB and just skip the activation key the requirement and thats it?

No, download/install the Win10 ISO onto a usb drive, then just use the usb to install Win10 onto the new system, it pretty easy to do.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Click on the + that says "Using the tool to create installation media" as those are the directions in detail to follow.

 

[jsmithepa]

Don't get all excited just yet, Microsoft does the darnest to make you buy a new License.

Old CD on new machine, as long as is SATA and u machine has a free SATA port, but nobody use physical media dude, is all online, but if you have a generic physical Windows disc, go for it.

 

[WildCard999]

Don't get all excited just yet, Microsoft does the darnest to make you buy a new License.

Besides the watermark, not really. Mine is inactivated and I can change the wallpaper and that used to be locked.

 

[lynx1021]

Quote :"Can i buy a new windows 7 key and just use it when they ask for the license key while moving my windows 7 from the old computer to the new computer?"
Some of the newer CPU's will not let you install windows 7!

 

[Dugimodo]

If there's physical space for the drive in a spare drive bay and it is a sata drive there is absolutley nothing stopping you using it, they can still be quite handy and I did that with my last machine.

However don't use any old windows disk you already have, use the media creation tool and make a new one. Otherwise you will be updating for days and it takes much longer. Also if you have a spare usb flash drive use that to install windows instead, it's much faster all round.

 

[captaincharisma]

it will depend on what type of key it is. if it is a OEM type key for windows 7 you will not be able to use it on your new computer. but if your new PC has an AMD ryzen CPU or at least a 6th gen intel CPU then there is no support for windows 7 anymore.

you can try to upgrade your windows 7 PC to windows 10 (do the upgrade using you old PC) and see if you can transfer the licence over that way but your Old PC is a prebuilt too then you may be out of luck.

considering how bad the bluekeep exploit is, it is too dangerous to use windows 7 now