Windows 10: Hardware change during upgrade

Hi

Over the weekend, I carried out the free upgrade to Windows 10, followed by a clean install. This was on a laptop with the manufacturers OEM licence, and it all worked fine, with Windows 10 being activated correctly after the clean install.

I plan on carrying this out on one of my PC’s (which has a Technet licence), but also want to change the Hard drive for a SSD after the initial upgrade but before the clean install. All other hardware will remain the same.

I have heard that the licence is tied to the motherboard, but my concern is that due to the hardware change, will Windows 10 automatically activate after the clean install ?


Thanks

:)

 

Windows 7 Installation/Upgrade to Windows 10 on Refurbished Computer

Becky,

During upgrades, Windows 10 licenses are not tied directly to a product key. Instead, the license status of the system's current installation of Windows is migrated, and a "Digital entitlement" is generated during the activation process, which
is bound to the hardware information collected during the process.

Even If Windows 10 is reinstalled cleanly and there have not been any significant hardware changes since installation (such as a motherboard change), the online activation process will automatically recognize the system's digital entitlement
if no product key is entered during installations.

As with previous versions of Windows, significant hardware changes will invalidate the digital entitlement, and require Windows to be re-activated.

So purchasing windows 7 and upgrading to windows 10 will be free till windows call off upgrade process and after the upgrade your machine id will be migrated to Digital entitlement.

Even you rollback to windows 7 after upgrading to Windows 10 still your machine will hold the valid license to Windows 10.

 

Windows 10 change of Disk

So I'm allowed to change disk during the clean installation even if I upgraded my pc to windows 10 with a different disk?

So the only real change in hardware which will invalidate the activation is the motherboard? Everything else is allowed?

 

The safest is to clone your current drive to the SSD before the upgrade. Windows 8.1 will deactivate because of the disk change. Activate them again. Now you should have no problem upgrading to Windows 10 and activating. You may also have a look at my suggestions at this post to avoid compatibility issues.

 

That's strange that Windows 8.1 will deactivate because of a disk change but Windows 10 won't.

 

I suggested to clone the drive while still at previous Windows version. After cloning to SSD, he should use the SSD to boot into earlier Windows again and activate them. Now with Windows activated on the SSD, he can safely proceed with the Windows 10 upgrade on the SSD. The old hard disk should not be used again. It should be installed as a second drive for data or formatted and used for backup. It can also be used in another computer. I think this is safer to do (clone previous Windows version) than upgrade to Windows 10 and then clone. If he has any issues, he can use the old hard disk to try something else, but I don't think it will be becessary.

 

As far as I understand, the OP wants to install WIndows 10 first and then, possibly weeks later, change the HDD.

This should work without problems. From my experience, in this case Windows 10 should activate automatically. I think you won't even have to activate via phone.

 

I believe I done exactly what you want . I upgraded my original hard drive from windows 8.1 to 10 and activated . Afterward I replaced the hard drive with a new SSD and did a clean installation of 10 without any problems

 

Yes, he should not have any problems upgrading to 10 and later changing to SSD. While reading at his post I thought he hasn't yet upgraded and he has the SSD already. That's why I recommended to clone with previous Windows and then upgrade. If he hasn't yet the SSD, there is no reason to postpone the upgrade.

 

Thanks guys, that sounds good *Smile

 

Hi,

Basically, once you're machine is in MS's database you can upgrade just about all hardware bar the MB and it will activate as soon as the machine is connected to the internet.

Cheers, *Wink