Windows 10: Upgraded to Win10 from 8.1 and need to re-install OS but no OS disk

Hello,
I have a Dell XPS 8700 which I upgraded to Win 10 Pro from Win 8.1 Home. The PC did not come with an operating System software disk and I now need to re-install the OS. Is there a preferred way to re-install Windows 10 Professional? Sorry if this is a very common question. Thank you for your help.


:)

 

Windows 10 product key

You jumped the gun I'm afraid. The 'free' Win10 'upgrades' have to first be done from your Win7/8/8.1 OS,

so the product key from that can be used to activate Win10.

Once this is done you can reinstall Win10 clean if need be.

If you have an install disk (or download ?) you can start again from scratch with Win8.1.

Reactivate that again with it's original product key and then do the Win10 'upgrade' .

(Any install disk of the same version - 32 or 64bit - will work. The product key is what's important.)

.

 

Hard disk crash requires re-install of Win10 from free Win7 upgrade. How?

My desk top recently had its hard disk crash. I had updated my original Win7 Home Premium OS to Win10 as part of the free upgrade offer. I now have a new hard disk that I will install Win10 on but I'm not sure how I am supposed to re-activate it? The only
thing I have is the original Win7 product key from the desk top. Do I need to go back to Win7 first?

 

Which version do you need to install, 8.1 or 10? If you use the Dell-provided factory restore you'll get Win8 or 8.1. If you want Win10 you might want to look at Win10 recovery options in Settings, Update & Security.

 

You can download win 10 for free from Download Windows 10

 

Hi Berton, I want Win 10 so i'll look in the Settings, Update and Security. Thanks for your help.
Hi Samuria, I will follow that link to download Windows 10. I was wondering, if I do a full clean new installation, will I have trouble proving I purchased this system with a legitimate copy of windows? Like, will my license key be available within the new installation? Thanks again to both of you.

 

If you have been signing in with a ms account you activation is on MS server and you can skip putting a key in it will activate as you sign in

 

Welcome to TenForums @gdimauro

Actually, even if you haven't signed in with a MS account the upgrade would have recorded a digital licence on the activation servers tied to the hardware of your PC. You can still skip entering a key and it will activate.

Download the Media Creation Tool from the Download Windows 10 Samuria gave you. Run it and choose the 'Make media for another PC' option. Chose the USB option to make a bootable USB that can then be used to do a clean install.

 

Samuria, thank you so much for that. Ok, I think I'm good to go. Many thanks to all.
Regards,

 

Clean Install Windows 10 Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

 

It is irrelevant if using MS account or local account. Use of MS account only applies if it fails to activate in event of a hardware change.

 

Problem is it may install Home instead of pro if 8.1 key is bios embedded.

You can go to MS Store and enter 10 key to upgrade from Home to PRO.

 

AddRAM and Cerebeus,
Thank you both for your help. I hope to get to doing it this weekend. Happy 4th!

 

Bree,

I missed your post the first time. I just saw it now. Thank you for your help with this. I will post the results when i get it done.
Happy 4th!!!