Hdd just died...couple questions

[hexzero13]

Hello,
So my hdd has been finicky lately going to 99% disk usage among other strange happenings. I just got the reboot and select proper boot device error and in bios it does not list my hdd as a device. So i obviously need a new hdd. My question is is there any way to get windows on a new hdd without a disk? I have a key but for the life of me cannot find my disk anywhere. Also my key is for win 7 64 bit but i used the upgrade to 10 several years ago. Will that key be tied to win10 or will it put me back to 7? Do i need to buy a new windows license too?

 

[jacobweaver800]

Hello,
So my hdd has been finicky lately going to 99% disk usage among other strange happenings. I just got the reboot and select proper boot device error and in bios it does not list my hdd as a device. So i obviously need a new hdd. My question is is there any way to get windows on a new hdd without a disk? I have a key but for the life of me cannot find my disk anywhere. Also my key is for win 7 64 bit but i used the upgrade to 10 several years ago. Will that key be tied to win10 or will it put me back to 7? Do i need to buy a new windows license too?

If you have another PC you can download the ISO from Microsofts website and install it on a new HDD, or SSD. I don't believe it is tied to Win 10 now, you could do what I do and get Win 10 from Microsoft and use the unactivated version.

 

[USAFRet]

Hello,
So my hdd has been finicky lately going to 99% disk usage among other strange happenings. I just got the reboot and select proper boot device error and in bios it does not list my hdd as a device. So i obviously need a new hdd. My question is is there any way to get windows on a new hdd without a disk? I have a key but for the life of me cannot find my disk anywhere. Also my key is for win 7 64 bit but i used the upgrade to 10 several years ago. Will that key be tied to win10 or will it put me back to 7? Do i need to buy a new windows license too?

You do NOT need to buy a new OS license.

From a working PC, create your own Win 10 install USB or DVD.
Here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

During the install on the new drive, when it asks for the license key...Skip.
Installing on a new drive is no problem. It will activate itself when it goes online later.

How to do a CLEAN installation of Windows 10

 

[USAFRet]

If you have another PC you can download the ISO from Microsofts website and install it on a new HDD, or SSD. I don't believe it is tied to Win 10 now, you could do what I do and get Win 10 from Microsoft and use the unactivated version.

There is no need to leave it unactivated.
An install on a new drive in the same system will activate no problem.

 

[hexzero13]

Ah so if i used the key i have it would likely just give me windows 7?

 

[USAFRet]

Ah so if i used the key i have it would likely just give me windows 7?

Your old Win 7 license is of no consequence. You now have a digital entitlement for Win 10.

Install.
It will work.

 

[hexzero13]

To do it without a disk tho...whats the best option?

 

[USAFRet]

To do it without a disk tho...whats the best option?

What do you mean "without a disk"?

You need some other system to create a USB or DVD install. Any system....your friends laptop, maybe.

 

[hexzero13]

Okay thank you all for your help!

 

[jacobweaver800]

If you have another PC you can download the ISO from Microsofts website and install it on a new HDD, or SSD. I don't believe it is tied to Win 10 now, you could do what I do and get Win 10 from Microsoft and use the unactivated version.

There is no need to leave it unactivated.
An install on a new drive in the same system will activate no problem.

I know, thats why I said leave it unactivated. Because I knew it would activate itself.

 

[jacobweaver800]

To do it without a disk tho...whats the best option?

What do you mean "without a disk"?

You need some other system to create a USB or DVD install. Any system....your friends laptop, maybe.

Often times when buying a prebuilt desktop or laptop new it will come with an install disk to reinstall OEM Windows.

 

[USAFRet]

Often times when buying a prebuilt desktop or laptop new it will come with an install disk to reinstall OEM Windows.

They rarely come with a physical disk to reinstall from. Has been that way for years.
It is generally a partition on that same drive. And they prompt you to use that to create your own DVD or USB. No one ever does, though.

And, since this has gone from Win 7 to Win 10...that partition is likely gone.

 

[jacobweaver800]

Often times when buying a prebuilt desktop or laptop new it will come with an install disk to reinstall OEM Windows.

They rarely come with a physical disk to reinstall from. Has been that way for years.
It is generally a partition on that same drive. And they prompt you to use that to create your own DVD or USB. No one ever does, though.

And, since this has gone from Win 7 to Win 10...that partition is likely gone.

Generally now they don't. But who says the laptop didn't come with one? We don't exactly know how old it is.

 

[USAFRet]

Generally now they don't. But who says the laptop didn't come with one? We don't exactly know how old it is.

"My question is is there any way to get windows on a new hdd without a disk? I have a key but for the life of me cannot find my disk anywhere."

And I gave him instructions, way earlier, on how to create his own, and a tutorial on installing Win 10.

 

[jacobweaver800]

Generally now they don't. But who says the laptop didn't come with one? We don't exactly know how old it is.

"My question is is there any way to get windows on a new hdd without a disk? I have a key but for the life of me cannot find my disk anywhere."

The point is, the HDD died. Your going to need to replace it, that usually means you'll need a key, which you have, so download Windows for the key you have and enter it. Or you can download Windows 10 and install it and leave it unactivated or try your Win 7 key to see if the key got tied to Win 10 during the upgrade, if your lucky Windows will activate itself, if it doesn't there is no limit on how long you can use unactivated Windows 10 as long as the watermark on the screen doesn't bother you, it doesn't show up for like 1 or 2 weeks of it being unactivated, you can just run it unactivated.

 

[USAFRet]

The point is, the HDD died. Your going to need to replace it, that usually means you'll need a key, which you have, so download Windows for the key you have and enter it. Or you can download Windows 10 and install it and leave it unactivated or try your Win 7 key to see if the key got tied to Win 10 during the upgrade, if your lucky Windows will activate itself, if it doesn't there is no limit on how long you can use unactivated Windows 10 as long as the watermark on the screen doesn't bother you, it doesn't show up for like 1 or 2 weeks of it being unactivated, you can just run it unactivated.

It does not need a license key.
Assuming the system was Upgraded from Win 7 to 10, and it activated...installation on a new drive does not require a license key.

Install, when it asks for the license key, skip that.
When the system goes online later, it will activate itself.

No license key needed, or any need to leave it unactivated.

 

[jacobweaver800]

The point is, the HDD died. Your going to need to replace it, that usually means you'll need a key, which you have, so download Windows for the key you have and enter it. Or you can download Windows 10 and install it and leave it unactivated or try your Win 7 key to see if the key got tied to Win 10 during the upgrade, if your lucky Windows will activate itself, if it doesn't there is no limit on how long you can use unactivated Windows 10 as long as the watermark on the screen doesn't bother you, it doesn't show up for like 1 or 2 weeks of it being unactivated, you can just run it unactivated.

It does not need a license key.
Assuming the system was Upgraded from Win 7 to 10, and it activated...installation on a new drive does not require a license key.

Install, when it asks for the license key, skip that.
When the system goes online later, it will activate itself.

No license key needed, or any need to leave it unactivated.

Do you not understand what I mean by leave it unactivated? If you don't enter a key it will be unactivated, it will reactivate itself with time, by not entering a key yourself you are therefore leaving it unactivated where Windows will activate itself. I meant don't activate it yourself since it will activate itself.

 

[USAFRet]

"leave", generally means leave it long term.
We're both saying the same thing, though.

Install, skip entering the license key. It will activate itself.

 

[jacobweaver800]

"leave", generally means leave it long term.
We're both saying the same thing, though.

Install, skip entering the license key. It will activate itself.

I would recommend getting an SSD to replace it as well. Also, do you have a separate desktop PC? I would take out your old HDD and try and connect it to that to see if Windows Disk Management will recognize the drive, i have seen before where a drive will work but wont be detected in a certain PC. I had that issue when the CPU died on my old laptop, the laptop booted just fine but the HDD usage would randomly spike without any usage, eventually the HDD wasn't detected by the BIOS but ti was in my other PC.