Windows 10: Reinstalling Windows when swapping out SSDs for HDDs? Clean install or Clone?

I have two laptops each currently running Windows 10 off an HDD. I want to replace the hard drives with SSDs. If I install a blank SSD into the laptop and insert a flash drive made, with Media Creation Tool, as a bootable drive and then set the BIOS of the laptop to boot from the USB drive will that be a clean installation of Windows? And then, how would it activate? If each laptop is already running an activated copy of Windows can this activation be "transferred" to the new drive and installation?Or would it be better to clone the original drives onto the new ones?

:)

 

Moving to SSD. Clone or not to clone?

I kinda agree with you, but on a wholr, do not. While I have done things a bit differently than this specific situation, by installing Windows directly to the SSD, and cloning after, my testing shows that there are no issues doing this, very little that can go wrong, provided your system is stable.

There are certain features that must be disabled in this situation, like auto defrag and such, but even with a fresh install to the SSD, you need to take steps to ensure that you SSD performs properly, regardless of how the data got there.

Arming yourself with a bit of knowledge can go a long way.

Installing the latest chipset driver, and the RST Tools, will ensure optimal performance of the SSD. but rather than taking my advice, I suggest the OP takes a look here:

http://blogs.dirteam.com/blogs/sand...7-and-ssds-to-clone-windows-or-reinstall.aspx

Install A Solid State Drive In Your Notebook

Keep in mind, also, Digibucc, that many retail drives include software and such that very specifically is to be used to ttranser the OS from an existing mechanical drive to an SSD, and if there really was alot fo issues stemming from the cloning process, they would not have packages like that, simply to eliminate tech support costs. While not the optimal option, cloning is NOT a bad thing, as long as you take the nessecary steps.

 

Failing HDD and Cloning

You seem intend on this install clean install windows when I have said windows does not run on that drive and TeraCopy doesn't even budge anymore.
for moving files from that drive. Then there are those that have suggested imaging and 1 or 2 that talked about cloning software.

I now have 3 HDDs left...

So nothing is copying, no cloning and imaging, now what?

 

using SSD to replace HDD in Dell D830 running XP

1. Clone the HDD to the SSD if you can find cloning software that supports XP or...
   
2. Do a clean install of XP to the SSD after backing up your data.