[SOLVED] Thinking of upgrading my motherboard soon but wondering how you boot your old windows after the upgrade?

[S225]

Hi there!
Recently I have been looking to upgrade my motherboard but unsure as how you would boot the os after the upgrade? Can you just choose to boot from the current hard drive or do you have to reinstall? Just want to get prepared.

(For activation it is Windows 10 Pro digital license connected to my <Microsoft> account).

Thanks
Shay

 

[Colif]

Best idea is clean install on new hardware, makes sure windows gets new drivers to match hardware

if its linked to microsoft account, you set

On another PC, download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB

boot from installer

follow this guide: https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq/how-to-do-a-clean-installation-of-windows-10.3170366/

moving old install the other way can cause problems

• pc might not boot even if you match boot method
• it might work but have issues
• it might work with no problems at all.

Also, moving hdd to new pc can cause licencing issues if you just swap drive without reinstalling. Win 10 will occasionally check activation servers and if it found the pc didn't match what it was expecting it could inactivate windows. Reinstalling and using your Microsoft logon should move the licence to new PC - provided you don't use old one.

 

[S225]

Best idea is clean install on new hardware, makes sure windows gets new drivers to match hardware

if its linked to microsoft account, you set

On another PC, download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB

boot from installer

follow this guide: https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq/how-to-do-a-clean-installation-of-windows-10.3170366/

moving old install the other way can cause problems

• pc might not boot even if you match boot method
• it might work but have issues
• it might work with no problems at all.

Also, moving hdd to new pc can cause licencing issues if you just swap drive without reinstalling. Win 10 will occasionally check activation servers and if it found the pc didn't match what it was expecting it could inactivate windows. Reinstalling and using your Microsoft logon should move the licence to new PC - provided you don't use old one.

Thank you!
So will I still keep my files or will they go?

 

[Colif]

you will need to copy any files you want to keep off drive before you start

clean wipes entire drive

I upgraded to new PC August last year (only feels like yesterday). I made sure to write down the passwords i needed and names of the programs already installed so I didn't miss anything. My last PC still exists though so I could just get stuff off it, but 10 months later I have yet needed to.

 

[S225]

you will need to copy any files you want to keep off drive before you start

clean wipes entire drive

Alright Thank you!