Windows 10: Can I use "Create a recovery drive" to install windows 10

Hi

So my sister's Windows 8.1 laptop's hard drive is broken... with her OS on it. I'm getting her a new hard drive (internal) which I will fit, but it seems pointless to buy windows all over again when she still owns it. I was thinking I could create a recovery drive from my pc (Win10) and install it on her new hard drive when it's fitted. Would this work??

Thanks

:)

 

how to create a recovery drive

i have installed window 10 using media creation. so I formatted the window 8 recovery drive so that I can make a recovery drive for window 10 but after opening create a recovery drive a error is coming"even if your pc cant start,you can use a recovery
drive to reset it or trouble shoot problems..........."so what should I do for creating a recovery drive for window 10

 

Re Install the windows10 - It takes around 130 GB Space in C Drive

See the instructions here for creating a recovery drive.

 

Hello Cosmic Welcome to the Ten Forums!

I'm sorry to have to tell you it won't! You can go ahead and use the Media Creation Tool available to download the correct ediion of 10 as well as the 32bit or 64bit flavor of Windows but to see 10 activate on your siblings machine you will first to see a working copy of a previous version on it.

Once activated however you can perform a clean install of 10 without any problem to the new drive! So you are not totally lost yet! If you can find someone with an 8.1 dvd and put a fresh copy of it back up the new entering the product key on the sticker found on the laptop itself which will see 8.1 activated you can then proceed with the upgrade itself.

 

No you don't need to find a DVD - just use the Media Creation Tool for Windows 8.1 to get the ISO that way. See option 1 here.
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials...ad-create.html
The only problem will come if the laptop came with 'Windows 8.1 with Bing' which is harder to find.

There won't be a Windows 8 product key sticker on the laptop either, as they stopped showing the key with Windows 8 - it's just a sticker with a logo on it now. However if the laptop came with Windows 8/8.1, the product key should be in the motherboard and should activate OK.

You need to make sure Windows 8.1 activates before attempting to install Windows 10. But once that's happened, I wouldn't bother installing all the Windows 8.1 updates - I would use the Windows 10 Media Creation tool to create a Windows 10 installer as suggested. That's assuming she wants to go to Windows 10 rather than stick with Windows 8.1.

Incidentally, once you have Windows 10 installed and activated, a Recovery Drive can be used to re-install Windows 10, if you create it with the Backup System files option selected (although this doesn't always create properly). But don't try installing that way directly onto the broken windows 8 machine, or you'll have problems with activation which might be hard to solve.

 

If the laptop was originally registered at the manufacturer's site they would have records and might provide the information as well as the download for the OEM Win 8.1 recovery image to see that put on the new drive plus have the original product key. Without the previous version activated by the OEM product it won't be worth anything to download any 8.1 iso unless the tool someone posted over at 8F can be a help. Solved Windows 8.1 OEM Product key encoded on Motherboard - Page 2

 

I think that thread predates the recovery media being made available. It's much easier now - from the Tutorial:

 

Regardless of which you can use the guide which is obviously kept updated or the other tool someone pointed to the product key will be a necessity in order to get 8.1 back on and activated in prep to upgrade to 10. Once 10 is on however there won't be any further need to have a key since a replacement clean install is where you simply click the "skip" option on the enter key now screen and find 10 activated on it's own before you even get to the desktop for the first time.

Between several 10 clean installs between two desktops and a laptop plus a possible 8.1 laptops and a 3rd older 7 build to add to the list only one 10 upgrade failed to activate during the first week when the need to repair the first took place as the servers were bogged down from everyone rushing for 10! Once you are all set with 8.1 and see the upgrade you will also have the 8.1 key available to set up a dual boot if you want of both versions.

A little cramped on a single drive however. Just be sure to follow the clean install guide once 10 is on! The upgrade don't always come out so pleasant the first time around!

 

Thanks a lot Nighthawk and DavidY I haven't had chance to look at this yet so sorry but I've read it all now. Just to clarify, I just suggested Win10 because I can't make a recovery of Win8 because her computer doesnt work. With this new info about the ISO, though, I'm a bit unsure.

Her laptop came with Win8 will it automatically register itself once I put the disc with the ISO inside?? On a new hard drive?

 

It will automatically activate after you finish installing Win8 because the product key is stored in the firmware of the device.

 

There's an eprom chip that sums up the OEM hardware information as well as serial number once you are able to get 8 back on and running again. From there you upgrade to 10 and watch as that will activate on it's own when using the "skip" option on the enter product key screen during the set up of 10.

One thing I ended up doing here one 10 was on a 7 laptop and found I couldn't resize the OEM primary any to create a small back up partition was nuke the entire drive to see it split! That ended up being the second 64bit 10 clean install following the initial 32bit upgrade to be followed immediately with a 32bit clean install when it was found buggy! Start buton missing! Settings screen blank! No access to the Start>Apps section! Buggy!

Just be prepared for that type of situation when going to do the first upgrade install in case it comes out flaky! Once 10 is on and activated however time for the fresh clean install if needed to solve many problems!