Windows 10: Upgrading from an HDD to an SSD. Will I have to get a new installation disk or USB to...

I've recently decided that it's time for me to upgrade my OS disk from an HDD to an M.2 SSD. Although I'm wondering if I will need to get a new installation disk or USB drive to install Windows 10. I still have my original CD that I used when my computer was first built with the original activation code. Can I reuse this CD? I've already checked, and my Windows is activated with a digital license.


Bonus question: I intend on later upgrading my CPU and Motherboard and I'm curious if they will also have an effect on my installed Windows or if I'll end up having the "Activate Windows" down in the corner of my screen.


Thanks.

:)

 

Upgrading from HDD to SSD on Windows 10

Hi,

I am planning to upgrade my current HDD (on my laptop) to a Samsung Evo SSD and I have some queries regarding the process. I am aware of the whole media creating process but I'd just wanna know if there would be any activation issues. I believe these are
the steps involved.

1. Download the media creation tool. (Please confirm which one)

2. Replace HDD by SSD.

3. Boot from USB Drive and install on SSD. (It should not ask for a license)

4. Install all drivers.

Is this it? Did I miss any step?

Thank you

 

Windows 10 on HDD to a new SSD

I have recently replaced the 500 GB HDD in my laptop running Windows 10 with a 480 GB SSD. The laptop was fully configured with my applications and other settings. The steps I took were as follows:

1) Shrink the C: drive so it was significantly smaller than the SSD (by at least 100 GB) using the Disk Management tools in W10.

2) Copy all the files from D: onto an external HDD.

3) Download Ubuntu Linux and burn on to a DVD.

4) Download Windows 10 from Download Windows 10 and burn this on to a DVD.

5) Close down and boot the laptop from the Ubuntu DVD from step 3 (I used a USB DVD rewriter).

6) Plug in the external HDD.

7) Open a Linux terminal and cd to the external HDD.

8) Copy the C: partition to the external HDD using a command such as:

dd bs=1024k if=/dev/sda1 of=C-drive

where sda1 is adjusted to point to the correct partition.

9) Close down and remove the external HDD.

10) Remove the HDD and replace with the SSD.

11) Perform a clean install Windows 10 from the DVD from step 4. Deleting all partitions from the SSD if it has had any created on it. When it asked for the product key, there was an option to enter it later. Make sure that the C: drive that is created is
the same size or bigger than the C: drive was on the HDD.

12) Repeat steps 5, 6 and 7 then run the command

dd bs=1024k if=C-drive of=/dev/sda4

With the clean install of W10 64bit, sda4 was the C: drive on the SSD after the installation.

13) Reboot from the SSD. The first couple of times my laptop reported errors and went into repair and diagnostic cycles. The last one said something like Reboot or Go to further tools. I cannot remember the exact messages but the meaning was as I have described.
I rebooted and Windows 10 came up and ran perfectly.

14) With the SSD working I shrank the C: drive a few GB to make sure the physical space was the same size as the actual filesystem.

15) Create a D: format it and copy all the saved files on to the new D: from the external HDD.

Job done. All my applications worked perfectly and the laptop connected to my wireless network without needing the pass phrase re-entering. I had tried several other ways of cloning the HDD to the SSD, but as the SSD was 20 GB smaller this was the only way
I managed to get it to work.

I hope this helps others to make the HDD to SSD transition.

 

Upgrading Internal HDD to SSD

I have a Toshiba Satelite S855 with an internal HDD that I am upgrading to an SSD. The HDD is already running windows 10 from the free upgrade opportunity. Once installed, I want to be booting from the new SSD and the HDD will be a storage drive replacing
the CD bay. I want to do a clean wipe on the HDD.

What would be the best way to ensure that the SSD ends up with windows 10? I've been given a multitude of answers from people but nobody seems to be confident. I've been told to clone the drives then simply wipe the HDD. I've also been told that I should be
able to wipe the HDD, install the SSD in the C drive, and then simply install windows 10 from a USB media device. This is the first time I've done something like this so I just want to be sure in my ways.

So would either of those options work correctly? And if not, how should this be done?

Thanks!