Will I need to buy a windows 10 key again?

[eliasbarriosiscool]

I'm buying a ssd for my pre-built PC and I want set it as my boot drive. I don't have the windows key as it didn't come in the box or on the PC once I got it. However I an running windows 10 home with an oem key (I just don't know it). will I need to buy a new windows key for my PC? or will I not even need a key as I've read that it might not even ask me for a key if the oem key was already installed on my motherboard.

 

[USAFRet]

I'm buying a ssd for my pre-built PC and I want set it as my boot drive. I don't have the windows key as it didn't come in the box or on the PC once I got it. However I an running windows 10 home with an oem key (I just don't know it). will I need to buy a new windows key for my PC? or will I not even need a key as I've read that it might not even ask me for a key if the oem key was already installed on my motherboard.

Just changing the drive in the same system?
You do NOT need to buy a new OS license.

Create your own DVD or USB install here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
Boot from that, install.
When it asks for the license key, Skip.

And do this new install with only the new SSD connected. Reconnect other drives later.

 

[eliasbarriosiscool]

I'm buying a ssd for my pre-built PC and I want set it as my boot drive. I don't have the windows key as it didn't come in the box or on the PC once I got it. However I an running windows 10 home with an oem key (I just don't know it). will I need to buy a new windows key for my PC? or will I not even need a key as I've read that it might not even ask me for a key if the oem key was already installed on my motherboard.

Just changing the drive in the same system?
You do NOT need to buy a new OS license.

Create your own DVD or USB install here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
Boot from that, install.
When it asks for the license key, Skip.

And do this new install with only the new SSD connected. Reconnect other drives later.

Okay, ill try that once I get my ssd in the mail. Also, what would I do with my old drive, I would want to use it as a mass storage but what would be the correct way of wiping it. would I just highlight everything at delete it?

 

[USAFRet]

Okay, ill try that once I get my ssd in the mail. Also, what would I do with my old drive, I would want to use it as a mass storage but what would be the correct way of wiping it. would I just highlight everything at delete it?

You need to actually Delete all partitions on that drive.
Just "delete" leaves a lot of things behind.

Disk Management, or diskpart from the commandline.

 

[Colif]

Disk management won't let you delete old installs like that.

Make sure to backup everything you need to keep before doing next step:

best way to do it is boot from win 10 installer with link provided by USAFRet and do this:
change boot order so USB is first, hdd second
boot from installer
on screen after languages, choose repair this pc, not install.
choose troubleshoot
choose advanced
choose command prompt
type diskpart and press enter
type list disk and press enter
this shows all drives available, DVD/USB and hdd, make note of hdd number
type Select disk X - where X is the number of the hdd you want to wipe, change X to that number and press enter
once the drive you want to install on is chosen, type Clean