Question Clean install of Win 10, and BIOS upgrade questions

[a_nameless_man]

I have an Acer A315-51 laptop. I am planning to upgrade to an SSD and max out the memory when I replace the dead battery. My computer is running an Acer OEM version of Win 10. I am planning to buy and install Win 10 clean. There is a BIOS update for my computer. Should I install the BIOS update now, before the upgrades or wait until after the new SSD and Win 10 install? Also, how much memory should be allocated to a clean Win 10 install? New SSD is 250 GB. I have a NAS for storage that I dump my computer into as the HD fills.

 

[USAFRet]

I have an Acer A315-51 laptop. I am planning to upgrade to an SSD and max out the memory when I replace the dead battery. My computer is running an Acer OEM version of Win 10. I am planning to buy and install Win 10 clean. There is a BIOS update for my computer. Should I install the BIOS update now, before the upgrades or wait until after the new SSD and Win 10 install? Also, how much memory should be allocated to a clean Win 10 install? New SSD is 250 GB.

If it came with Win 10 and it is currently activated, there is NO need to purchase another Win 10 license.

With the new drive, simply do a regular install, and it will activate itself.

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

 

[a_nameless_man]

If it came with Win 10 and it is currently activated, there is NO need to purchase another Win 10 license.

With the new drive, simply do a regular install, and it will activate itself.

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

That's what I thought, but it's an OEM version of Windows 10 licensed to Acer. When I tried to upgrade my computer with a new Western Digital optical HD, it failed to recognize the new install, and the Windows key, because it has more characters than a standard version of Windows. This was something I discussed with a Microsoft rep when trying to do a clean install on the last new HD.

 

[USAFRet]

That's what I thought, but it's an OEM version of Windows 10 licensed to Acer. When I tried to upgrade my computer with a new Western Digital optical HD, it failed to recognize the new install, and the Windows key, because it has more characters than a standard version of Windows. This was something I discussed with a Microsoft rep when trying to do a clean install on the last new HD.

That doesn't make any sense.

A new hard drive should not incur any licensing issues, OEM or otherwise.
What was supposed to happen if the original drive had just died? They don't make you purchase a new copy of Windows every time you wish to install.

 

[a_nameless_man]

That doesn't make any sense.

A new hard drive should not incur any licensing issues, OEM or otherwise.
What was supposed to happen if the original drive had just died? They don't make you purchase a new copy of Windows every time you wish to install.

I agree, but it failed and required a new license key. I'm not real good with this stuff and contacted Microsoft for help. They're the ones that looked at my old license and said they don't support OEM license and I had to get a new license key for the install.

 

[USAFRet]

I agree, but it failed and required a new license key. I'm not real good with this stuff and contacted Microsoft for help. They're the ones that looked at my old license and said they don't support OEM license and I had to get a new license key for the install.

Right. MS does not assist with an OEM license.

But moving on....
The BIOS update - Might as well do it now, before the install.

How much space to devote to the OS? For a 250GB drive, all of it. There is NO need to partition it. Just leave it as one big space.

 

[a_nameless_man]

Right. MS does not assist with an OEM license.

But moving on....
The BIOS update - Might as well do it now, before the install.

How much space to devote to the OS? For a 250GB drive, all of it. There is NO need to partition it. Just leave it as one big space.

OK. On my other drives, I allocated 50gb strictly for the OS and the rest for storage.

 

[USAFRet]

OK. On my other drives, I allocated 50gb strictly for the OS and the rest for storage.

And eventually, that 50GB size may be a problem.

Say the OS eventually takes 30-35GB.
Then comes the annual large Win 10/11 update. Which has, in the past, require 30+GB, just to do the update.
It gets released (eventually) after the update, but it does require that much space to do it.

Partitioning a drive like this is rarely beneficial.

 

[a_nameless_man]

And eventually, that 50GB size may be a problem.

Say the OS eventually takes 30-35GB.
Then comes the annual large Win 10/11 update. Which has, in the past, require 30+GB, just to do the update.
It gets released (eventually) after the update, but it does require that much space to do it.

Partitioning a drive like this is rarely beneficial.

Good point.