[SOLVED] Installing windows 10 on new PC

[bigmike2003]

I'm a PC building noob and just did my first build yesterday. Everything in it is new except for the SSD, which I was hoping to carry over from my 6-year-old PC. My new build only gets to the bios, and from what I've gathered, this is because the OS is hardware-specific. Pretty sure I need to wipe my drive in order for it to work with the new PC. But how do I get windows 10 installed on the new pc after wiping? Would like to avoid buying a win 10 flash drive if at all possible. This also happens to be my first ever post here, so please tell me if I'm posting in the wrong category. Figured since this was about installing windows that this category would be appropriate.

Currently using a 1TB Samsung 860 Evo

 

[USAFRet]

For the install....

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

Your Windows license is a different thing.
Where did the original OS license come from?

 

[bigmike2003]

Thanks!
I believe the OS came from a premade PC I bought from a computer store. It's a win 7 license, used it to upgrade to win 10.

 

[USAFRet]

Thanks!
I believe the OS came from a premade PC I bought from a computer store. It's a win 7 license, used it to upgrade to win 10.

Is this license and system linked to your MS account?

 

[bigmike2003]

Is this license and system linked to your MS account?

Yes, it is.

 

[USAFRet]

Yes, it is.

Then you should be able to transfer the License to your new system.

Still needs a clean install, but the license will transfer.

 

[bigmike2003]

Alright. Thank you for the help!

Then you should be able to transfer the License to your new system.

Still needs a clean install, but the license will transfer.

 

[Blackink]

For the install....

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

Your Windows license is a different thing.
Where did the original OS license come from?

I read through those instructions for a Windows 10 install, just to give me something to read through and found them quite good and, in spots, a bit entertaining.
I have a question regarding the installation and setting the Boot order in BIOS.
Let's say you're going to install from a flash drive and you go into the BIOS and select the USB drive to make sure the system boots up from that flash drive......what happens once the installation is complete?
Does the system now know that it needs to boot from the primary drive where Windows was installed, which means it doesn't boot from the flash drive? Or do we need to go back into the BIOS once the installation is done and change the boot order so the system starts up at the primary drive instead of the USB/flash drive?

I haven't had to do a clean install of Windows 10 in awhile so I can't remember what I did when I used a flash drive for the install.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[USAFRet]

I read through those instructions for a Windows 10 install, just to give me something to read through and found them quite good and, in spots, a bit entertaining.
I have a question regarding the installation and setting the Boot order in BIOS.
Let's say you're going to install from a flash drive and you go into the BIOS and select the USB drive to make sure the system boots up from that flash drive......what happens once the installation is complete?
Does the system now know that it needs to boot from the primary drive where Windows was installed, which means it doesn't boot from the flash drive? Or do we need to go back into the BIOS once the installation is done and change the boot order so the system starts up at the primary drive instead of the USB/flash drive?

I haven't had to do a clean install of Windows 10 in awhile so I can't remember what I did when I used a flash drive for the install.

Thanks,
Steve

When the system wants to reboot during the install process, you can simply remove the flash drive.
It will continue to boot from the newly installed OS.

 

[Blackink]

And what happens if I forget to remove the flash drive after the installation?
Will the system now boot from the newly installed OS or will it try (or boot) from the flash drive?

 

[USAFRet]

And what happens if I forget to remove the flash drive after the installation?
Will the system now boot from the newly installed OS or will it try (or boot) from the flash drive?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

If it DOES try to boot from the USB again, remove.
Reboot if necessary, and things should continue.

 

[Blackink]

OK, so far you've been spot on in answering my questions...Thanks!

So when exactly, during the installation process, is it safe to remove the flash drive if that's how I am installing the new OS?

I, for one, can never really tell when it's safe to remove that flash drive during a new OS install, and I didn't see anything in those instructions as to when would be a good time to remove it.

 

[USAFRet]

When it reboots.
By then, it has whatever it needs from the USB, and is then just setting things up or getting things from online.