[SOLVED] Keeping Windows 10- Which order when upgrading Mobo, CPU, RAM, SSD?

[EricLane]

I currently have 2 120GB SSD (1 with Windows 10) and a 1TB HDD.

I'm adding another 1TB SSD and 2TB HDD. I'm also upgrading my RAM, SPU, Mobo, Cooler and PSU.

I assume RAM, PSU and Cooler have no effect but I am trying to determine which order should I proceed in to keep Windows 10 and prevent any unnecessary headaches.

Should I swap Windows to the new 1TB SSD first. Then look for instructions online for changing Mobo/CPU while keeping windows?

Or should I change all the hardware while Windows remains on my current SSD and lastly swap Windows to the new 1TB SSD?

 

[Colif]

if you are getting a new MB/CPU, you will want to reinstall win 10 onto those at that time. So order you do drives has no effect until then.
you can move onto 1tb now without worrying about licences.

If you want to keep win 10 licence, make sure its linked to your Microsoft User account - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change

main items that break licensing appear to be MB/CPU as getting new of them makes Windows see it as a new PC.
Storage never been counted as a new PC.
GPU upgrades can, I was asked to get a new licence in Vista days after getting too many GPU.
PSU, RAM & Coolers not counted either.

 

[USAFRet]

When presented with the new motherboard, a full reinstall is likely to be needed.
Not 100%, but probably.

3 basic possibilities:

1. It boots up just fine
2. It fails completely
3. It boots up, but you're chasing little issues for weeks/months.

So whatever you do with the drives now makes little difference.

Hold off on the 1TB SSD until it all goes together, then do a clean install on that drive with the new hardware.

 

[EricLane]

When presented with the new motherboard, a full reinstall is likely to be needed.
Not 100%, but probably.

3 basic possibilities:

1. It boots up just fine
2. It fails completely
3. It boots up, but you're chasing little issues for weeks/months.

So whatever you do with the drives now makes little difference.

Hold off on the 1TB SSD until it all goes together, then do a clean install on that drive with the new hardware.

Sounds like I should back up my PC but I have no extra drives kicking around. Would you suggest an online cloud back-up company?

 

[USAFRet]

Sounds like I should back up my PC but I have no extra drives kicking around. Would you suggest an online cloud back-up company?

How much personal data are you looking at?
$50 for a USB external drive is MUCH faster and easier.

 

[EricLane]

How much personal data are you looking at?
$50 for a USB external drive is MUCH faster and easier.

I have 90% of my personal data on an external drive. I just have some more recent stuff and some oher random files but it isn't particularly organized and difficult to find. I am okay losing most of it since I have a lot of it on that drive. But I thought I read that I need to back-up my Windows in case I have issue and need a full reinstall. I don't fully understand it.

 

[USAFRet]

I have 90% of my personal data on an external drive. I just have some more recent stuff and some oher random files but it isn't particularly organized and difficult to find. I am okay losing most of it since I have a lot of it on that drive. But I thought I read that I need to back-up my Windows in case I have issue and need a full reinstall. I don't fully understand it.

It is ALWAYS wise to have a full drive backup.
However, cloud is not where that should be. How would you access it without a working system?
And, a full drive backup is obviously quite large. Expensive and slow to try to retrieve from the cloud.

All of the main systems in my house are backed up every night. All drives individually.
Less used systems get that weekly.

What is your backup situation at home?

What is your backup situation at home? And if you don't do that, why not? Every single day, I read multiple threads here of "How do I get my stuff back?" or "That drive had 5 years of photos of my kids!!" Be it a dead drive, dropped phone, virus, accidental deletion, formatting the wrong...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[EricLane]

It is ALWAYS wise to have a full drive backup.
However, cloud is not where that should be. How would you access it without a working system?
And, a full drive backup is obviously quite large. Expensive and slow to try to retrieve from the cloud.

All of the main systems in my house are backed up every night. All drives individually.
Less used systems get that weekly.

What is your backup situation at home?

What is your backup situation at home? And if you don't do that, why not? Every single day, I read multiple threads here of "How do I get my stuff back?" or "That drive had 5 years of photos of my kids!!" Be it a dead drive, dropped phone, virus, accidental deletion, formatting the wrong...

forums.tomshardware.com

So I should buy a large HDD and back up each of my drives?

You just copy it to the backup drive and overwrite it nightly?

Edit: Forget my question, just noticed your link. Thank you.

 

[USAFRet]

How you do it is less important than actually doing it, and knowing how to recover.