New PC: Old HD has W7, planning to install W10 on new HD

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KarmaBass

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Jun 27, 2016
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Hi guys,

So I'm getting a new HD for a gaming pc I'm building.

Still plan on keeping my old HD, which runs on W7.

I'm apprehensive about W10 and the interface is too messy for me, but DX12 support seems inevitable so I thought might as well get W10 for the new PC.


Anyways, I just wanted to confirm that all I need to do is run the BIOS and confirm that I want the new HD as my primary HD? And then install W10 to this new HD?

Secondly, stupid question, but I'm assuming I'll still be able to access and run programs on my old HD with no problems?

EDIT: I have my old W7 serial so no need to buy W10, I'm assuming if I use the W7 key to activate W10, it will remove W7 from the old HD?

Cheers
 
Solution
USAFRet
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You're going to have to use your old hard drive when you build the computer. Then you will have to to activate it on your computer. To activate go to your ssytem and then click on activate windows at the bottom. Make sure you have yoru windows key for this. Then upgrade to windows 10. I have had to do this a couple a tims and ive never had a problem. You will then have to clone your hard drive to your new one. Here is a tutorial on that. http://www.todo-backup.com/backup-resource/copy-and-clone-hard-drive.htm
 
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What are you wanting the end state to be?
New drive, new PC, Win 10?

For the Win 10 install, you'll have to use your existing Win 7 license key. This may or may not work.
If it is an OEM license for Win 7, that is tied to that original motherboard.
You're building a whole new PC, so that license may not work.


Running programs from the old drive? No. They'd need to be reinstalled with the new OS.


So, what you might try is:
Build the new PC
Put your old drive in, and see if it works (probably not)
But if it does, then Upgrade that to Win 10.
This leaves your current programs and data in place.
Later, clone that over to your new drive.


 
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Thanks for the quick responses guys,

@Tyler/USAFRet

What you're saying is put the old HD in and run the Windows 10 installation from a USB/DVD and select Option 1 from the below?


Which Type of installation do you want?

1: Upgrade: Install Windows and keep files, settings and applications.
The files, settings and applications are moved to Windows with this option. This option is only available when a supported version of Windows is already running on the computer.

2: Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)

The files, settings, and applications aren’t moved to Windows with this option. If you want to make changes to partitions and drives, start the computer using the installation disc. We recommend backing up your files before you continue.

I've just checked and its an OEM W7 license, if I purchase Windows 10, will I still be able to select option one?

My old HDD is 500gb and the new one will be 500gb. I don't need any more space than that, but if I'm cloning my old HDD to the new one, it's not freeing up any space.
 
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Install windows at keep files. No point of getting rid of your files unless you have to, which i have never had to get rid of any files from the 5 times I've upgraded to windows 10. the windows 10 free upgrade is only available until july 29th so i would upgrade to it fast. Here is the link for it. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-upgrade?pm=pse_ggl&SEMID=1&WT.srch=1&ocid=OCWIN10_SEM_GOO_MSBranded_INT_en-US_windows%2010%20free%20upgrade&wt.mc_id=OCWIN10_SEM_GOO_MSBranded_INT_en-US_windows%2010%20free%20upgrade
 
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Not necessarily
This requires that the old drive actually boot with the new hardware. Which is not a given outcome.

If you are attempting to keep the original applications, what needs to happen is the old drive actually work with the new hardware.
Then you can Upgrade to Win 10 and "Keep Everything".

However...it may well not actually boot with the new hardware.
 
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This free upgrade business, I'm assuming I would have to upgrade to W10 on my existing pc now, in order for me to be able to then load the existing HDD onto my new gaming PC, without having to do any installs?
 
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That is also not a given.

An OS on a drive in PC #1 may well not boot in PC #2.
Win 10 is a bit better than earlier versions, but absolutely no guarantee of it actually working.
 
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Ah because of driver issues etc?

So I may have to do a clean install and select option 2?
 
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We are talking about 2 major changes, hardware and software, sort of at the same time.
Pain and anguish will ensue.

My suggestion of a path to take:
Obtain/beg/borrow a whole other hard drive. (not the new one for your new PC)
Make an image of your current Win 7 C drive. This is just for safekeeping.
Build the new system
Put the old hard drive in.
See if it boots up
If yes, proceed.
If no, now we have issues

If yes, see if it is activated.
If no, call MS and plead your case. Get it activated.
If yes, then Upgrade to Win 10
Assuming the Upgrade is successful, then you can clone that old drive to the new drive you were planning for the new PC.

End state - New PC, with Win 10 activated on the new drive.
 
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(What do you mean by this?)

If you use the original drive, with the original OS, on all new hardware...
It may unactivate itself upon seeing this new hardware.
If this happens, you need to either call the MS phone robot and see if that works, or call and talk to a human if that fails.

To Upgrade to Win 10, it needs to be actually activated.
 
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Solution
cheers for the clarification,

One final clarification, if that happens, if I move the old HD back to the old pc, will it still boot fine and the license remain legit?
 
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It should do.
But that is why I recommended creating an image of that drive first. Just in case.
 
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