Question How to migrate from Windows 7 to 10 with mobo change

[Heisennn]

About to upgrade my Mobo, CPU, and RAM. The new CPU is only supported on Win 10 and I am using Windows 7 on my current build. I'm unsure on whether I should be installing Win 10 on my current system then re-activating after the hardware change, or if I should do a clean Win 10 installation straight off of the boot after the hardware change. Will I need to format my whole drive or just the OS partition? Don't really feel like backing up 2 TB, but if it must be done...
Just not really sure in general how the whole thing is going to work, any help is muchly appreciated.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Setup a Microsoft Account and link your current PC to it , then backup whatever you want to save and perform a clean install on your new SSD and activate it with your Microsoft account from within windows. Skip the key entry during setup and activate it from within windows with the registered Microsoft Account.

How To Create A Microsoft Account For Windows 10

There are many benefits of signing into Windows 10 with a Microsoft account. A Microsoft account allows you to sync Windows 10 settings across devices,

www.intowindows.com

Setup a Windows 10 Account ^

Download Windows 10

Create a USB installer here ^

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change
Reactivating Windows 10 after a hardware change

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpsa5r1LvLg&t=54s

 

[karenjoly]

Usually the best practice when replacing a mboard/cpu/ is a fresh install of windows. Although It is often possible to switch such hardware and boot off the old system disk, that only is likely to result in an error-free ops with very similar equipment. It will not likely work , eg, going from amd to intel equipment.

Second, the best way to upgrade from 7 to 9 is the in place install. When you go to the d/l site

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10

select using the media creation tool to upgrade the pc.

Back up your data first.

Note however that point 5 in the upgrade instructions states that there is an install option to save current installations. It says

When Windows 10 is ready to install, you’ll see a recap of what you’ve chosen, and what will be kept through the upgrade. Select Change what to keep to set whether you would like to Keep personal files and apps, or Keep personal files only, or choose to keep Nothing during the upgrade.

Last, when you load windows go to the activation page in settings and plug in the 7 key as shown in the prior response.

 

[Heisennn]

Back up your data first.

Note however that point 5 in the upgrade instructions states that there is an install option to save current installations. It says

When Windows 10 is ready to install, you’ll see a recap of what you’ve chosen, and what will be kept through the upgrade. Select Change what to keep to set whether you would like to Keep personal files and apps, or Keep personal files only, or choose to keep Nothing during the upgrade.

So I can choose to just wipe and install over the current windows OS/Boot partition, and I won't have to back up all my files in other partitions of the same drive?

 

[karenjoly]

The answer is that only the drive where the upgrade is initiated will be affected. Sounds nice, eh ? but I treat that official dogma like I do investment advice from Jeffry Skilling.
The best practice is to back up information and data from the other drives to a portable/USB drive, perform the upgrade choosing the option which saves what you want from the C partition, and the pray.

 

[Heisennn]

The answer is that only the drive where the upgrade is initiated will be affected. Sounds nice, eh ? but I treat that official dogma like I do investment advice from Jeffry Skilling.
The best practice is to back up information and data from the other drives to a portable/USB drive, perform the upgrade choosing the option which saves what you want from the C partition, and the pray.

Haha I appreciate the help