Windows 10: Problems reinstalling Win10 after a hard drive swap...

I have an older laptop that I use on my workbench at work... A Gateway MA7/MT6840.An old family friend bought it new, it was shipped with Vista Home Premium. I was her computer fixer for over 12 years. When the original hard drive died I installed a new one and she purchased a copy of Win XP Pro. March on a bunch of years and that drive died so I installed Win7 Pro SP1 32 bit and bumped the RAM to 2 gigs. I inherited the Gateway when she died.I used it at work for years who's going to steal an old Gateway laptop? and during that time I got a free update to Win10 Ver 1607 and bumped

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hard drive swap

If the new computer has the same version, Home or Pro, installed and activated you have no problems.

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We had a power serge and my wife's computer was fried. It did not get the hard drive and I had an exact model that was activated and I swapped her hard drive into it and she was up and running with no problems.

 

swapping hard drive

Hi PtWeeps,

you can indeed swap the hard drive into another machine. The issues you will face are drivers and a potential activation issue.

Windows should try to reinstall new drivers but you may just have to reinstall the drivers from the Dell Website.

If you get an acitvation prompt you may just have to run through the activation wizard in settings to reactivate windows.

 

Reinstall Windows 10 to new hard drive

Hi Rodolpho,

We want to know about the issue you're having with your recovery drive. Please answer the questions below:

• Are you trying to reinstall Windows 8 or Windows 10?
• If you already upgraded to Windows 10, were you able to create a new copy of the recovery drive?

We suggest creating a new copy of the recovery drive and then follow the steps provided by Andre Da Costa above this thread.

Update us with the outcome so we can assist you further.