To replace a hard drive, you'll need to back up any data you want to keep, uninstall the old hard drive, install the new hard drive, and then restore the backed up data. Here's a bit more on the three required steps: Backing up the data you want to keep is the most important step in this process!
You can choose to preserve just your personal files or to erase everything, depending on what you need. Go to Start > Settings > Update & security > Recovery, click Get started and select the appropriate option. Then follow the on-screen instructions to restore Windows 10 to a factory fresh state.
How to Replace a Hard Drive and Reinstall an Operating System
- Back up data. Before you do any of the steps involved with physically replacing the drive, back up everything it contains that you wish to keep, including:
- Create a recovery disc.
- Remove the old drive.
- Place the new drive.
- Reinstall the operating system.
- Reinstall your programs and files.
Do I have to reinstall windows if I get a new hard drive? No, you can clone the old to the new disk using a tool such as Macrium. Fredrik is correct. However it depends on why you are replacing your drive.
According to this page of Microsoft, you can reinstall the same edition of Windows 10 on the same PC (where you currently have an activated copy of Windows 10) without requiring to enter a product key. While reinstalling Windows 10, if you see a prompt asking to enter the product key, simply click the Skip option.
You can choose to make a clean installation, or perform the upgrade again. Select the option "I'm reinstalling Windows 10 on this PC," if you are asked to insert a product key. The installation will continue, and Windows 10 will reactivate your existing license.
Here are the steps provided for each of you.
- Launch the Windows 10 Advanced Startup Options menu by pressing F11.
- Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair.
- Wait for a few minutes and Windows 10 will fix the startup problem.
7 Fixes for Windows 10 Crashing Issues
- Disconnect external devices.
- Turn off Link State Power Management.
- Update available drivers.
- Run System File Checker.
- Check malware and virus.
- Disable fast startup.
- Restore to previous state.
Select the Settings option. On the left side of the screen, select Remove everything and reinstall Windows. On the "Reset your PC" screen, click Next. On the "Do you want to fully clean your drive" screen, select Just remove my files to do a quick deletion or select Fully clean the drive to have all files erased.
Restart your computer. Press the F8 key, while it boots, to get to the Boot menu. Choose Safe Mode from the Windows Advanced Options Menu. If you're on a Mac, power your system down completely.
Windows 10 has an option where you can reinstall Windows and wipe your programs, but it keeps your files intact. In this case, we're choosing Keep my files, and the dialog box reminds you that this will remove your apps and settings. Then you just sit back and let Windows do its thing. It may take a while.
If you're taking proper care of Windows, you shouldn't need to reinstall it regularly. There's one exception, however: You should reinstall Windows when upgrading to a new version of Windows. Skip the upgrade install and go straight for a clean install, which will work better.
To reset your Windows 10 PC, open the Settings app, select Update & security, select Recovery, and click the “Get started” button under Reset this PC. Select “Remove everything.” This will wipe all your files, so be sure you have backups.
Reinstalling Windows 10 OS after Replacing Hard Drive. Yes, once Windows 10 has been installed and activated, it can be reinstalled with the media and it will use the hardware hash-code it used in the first install.
For a soft Windows reboot, go to the Start menu and select “Shut Down” or “Restart.” The computer will then shut itself down. Clicking “Restart” makes it boot up without further intervention from you. Perform a hard reboot by pushing the computer's power button and holding it until the computer shuts down.
How to Replace a Hard Drive and Reinstall an Operating System
- Back up data. Before you do any of the steps involved with physically replacing the drive, back up everything it contains that you wish to keep, including:
- Create a recovery disc.
- Remove the old drive.
- Place the new drive.
- Reinstall the operating system.
- Reinstall your programs and files.
According to this page of Microsoft, you can reinstall the same edition of Windows 10 on the same PC (where you currently have an activated copy of Windows 10) without requiring to enter a product key. Windows 10 will automatically activate once you connect your PC to online after completing the installation.
How to Migrate Windows 10 to SSD without Reinstalling OS?
- Preparation:
- Step 1: Run MiniTool Partition Wizard to transfer OS to SSD.
- Step 2: Select a method for Windows 10 transfer to SSD.
- Step 3: Select a destination disk.
- Step 4: Review the changes.
- Step 5: Read the boot note.
- Step 6: Apply all changes.
Press Windows key + X then click Command Prompt (Admin). At the command prompt, enter the following command: slmgr.vbs /upk. This command uninstalls the product key, which frees the license for use elsewhere. You are now free to transfer your license to another computer.
Right-click on This PC or My Computer in Windows 10/8/7, select Manage and then in Storage menu, click Disk Management. Step 2. Here you can see all the SSD partitions. Now select the partition that is missing a drive letter, right-click it and select Change Drive Letter and Paths.
Here is how to move Windows 10 to SSD.
- Step 1: Run MiniTool Partition Wizard to transfer OS to SSD.
- Step 2: Select a method for Windows 10 transfer to SSD.
- Step 3: Select a destination disk.
- Step 4: Review the changes.
- Step 5: Read the boot note.
- Step 6: Apply all changes.
Some users say it can take around 20-30 minutes to perform a clean install without any issues while some say Windows 10 takes about 1 hour to install. Simply speaking, Windows 10 installation time depends on the hardware of your computer, for example, CPU and the disk speed.
How to install Windows on a SATA drive
- Insert the Windows disc into the CD-ROM / DVD drive/ USB flash drive.
- Power down the computer.
- Mount and connect the Serial ATA hard drive.
- Power up the computer.
- Choose language and region and then to Install Operating System.
- Follow the on-screen prompts.
