Using pre-existing hardrive

[cja711]

I am wanting to use my current hard drive in a new PC build, if I were to do this I presume I would need to reset windows 10 in some way to remove all the drivers for the current hardware to make way for the new drivers etc. How would I go about doing this?

 

[13thmonkey]

you can use sysprep but it is not guarenteed to work, a reinstall is the safest option.

 

[cja711]

Do you know how you go about reinstalling it? Do you have to buy windows 10 again?

 

[USAFRet]

Do you know how you go about reinstalling it? Do you have to buy windows 10 again?

Going into a whole new PC, there are two considerations. Operation and Licensing.

Operation - It is generally recommended to do a clean install.
How sort of depends on where this Win 10 came from.

Licensing - It may well be tied to that original motherboard. The only entity that can authorize that license on new hardware is Microsoft.
They may allow it, they may not.

SO...where did this Win 10 come from? Preinstalled, Upgrade from something else, a Win 10 you bought and installed?

 

[cja711]

The PC originally came with Windows 8.1 installed and then I upgraded from Windows 10 when the free upgrade was available

 

[13thmonkey]

(USAFRet) interesting question, as there is no license key any more as such, what will make them think that this is a changed build, they only have indications it is a new build.

(cja711) So to force them to recognise your new build as an update and give you the option to ask them to move it (which they can refuse), install win 8.1 using your original key, at this point they'll accept or reject the license. If accepted update to win10, and then reinstall win 10 so that you are clean.

If they reject the upgrade then buy win10 and install from scratch.

Originally your machine ha cost built in for a massively discounted win 8.1 license, discounted because it was tied to one machine, so you are being conned into buying a new license, you've just never really paid for one in the first place (unbeknownst to you)