What to do first when transferring Win 10

[Ace2525]

I am not sure the best way to proceed in transferring Windows 10 to my new PC. Currently I have a retail Windows 7 copy that I upgraded to Windows 10 on a SSD card that I would like to reuse in my new build. I guess the end goal is to have Windows 10 on my old SSD card on my new PC build. I know it is not as simple as just installing my SSD card in my new PC with Windows already in it. What would be the best way to proceed. Thanks.

 

[LukeFatwalker]

Really depends on what your end goal is here. If you just want the OS, and don't care about retaining any data, then you can just grab the license key, and re-install the OS on the new PC.

If you want to retain your data, and if the hardware is the same, then you can use a disk imager like Drive Cloner Rx to clone the drive to the new one. There's a lot of potential issues with this (mainly that the hardware needs to be an exact match) but if it is then I would highly recommend this method.

 

[Rocky Bennett]

You might want to download a new copy of the Windows 10 ISO and re-install it fresh into your new PC unless the new PC is IDENTICAL to the old PC. This is because the drivers will be different and your old installation could cause a lot of issues in your new PC.

You might need to purchase a new license for Windows 10 if you changed your motherboard.

 

[Ace2525]

I don't need any of my old data in my new PC and would like to have a clean install. I am upgrading my motherboard and processor from my old build. I still have my Windows 7 CDs and key. I really don't want to buy Windows again. Is it still possible to upgrade to Windows 10 for free? Also, since I want to reuse my SSD card, what is the best way to us it in my new build since I have Windows currently installed on it? Thanks again for all your help.

 

[Rocky Bennett]

I don't need any of my old data in my new PC and would like to have a clean install. I am upgrading my motherboard and processor from my old build. I still have my Windows 7 CDs and key. I really don't want to buy Windows again. Is it still possible to upgrade to Windows 10 for free? Also, since I want to reuse my SSD card, what is the best way to us it in my new build since I have Windows currently installed on it? Thanks again for all your help.

You might want to use a third party app like Mini Tool Partition to completely wipe that SSD clean. Then install Windows 10 on it from a freshly downloaded ISO from Microsoft's Media Creation Tool. http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/9230-windows-10-iso-download.html

Since this is a fresh install of Windows 10 into a new computer you can buy a license for Windows 10 from either Newegg or Amazon. Amazon has decent prices right now.