Windows 10 Key query

[Steampunk_Aviatrix]

Hi, I bought an MSI laptop with Windows 10 preinstalled, I'm wanting to swap out the boot drive for a better one and will have to reinstall W10. I have 2 choices, use the built in MSI recovery tool to create an image recovery (DVD or USB or ISO), or download Windows 10 image directly from Microsoft and use that to reinstall Windows. My question is, will the Microsoft version be compatible with my Digital key (which is likely OEM)? The MSI option most likely comes with bloatware again, whereas the Microsoft one should be 'vanilla'.

 

Thanks

[flibberdipper]

It should work just fine (and in my experience it has worked fine a dozen or so times just on my rig).

[Fasauceome]

Often the key is tied to the motherboard, when you install windows it would likely automatically insert the key. Ask MSI support if that's how that model works.

[Lurick]

Most laptops tend to have the key burned into the BIOS or a read only location somewhere on the board so that when you reinstall it sees and grabs the key right away and reactivates just fine.

[goto10]

the key is stored in the bios, once you create a new install disk being a usb or dvd, when you install the installer will look and use that key without much intervention

 

if you clone the disk, the license might not even need to be checked, system might just keep going and not even warn you, mine didnt when u cloned from ssd to nvme

[TomvanWijnen]

I recommend you to use a program like ProduKey to find your key. Take a picture of it, so you can fill it in again after you've reinstalled Windows.  NOT all laptops have their Windows codes tied into the bios (or whatever), so it's important to do this in case yours is one of them.

[goto10]

i was going to recomend produkey too, but since the usb installer does find the key the same way, well, is a extra step not much need

[TomvanWijnen]

12 minutes ago, goto10 said:

i was going to recomend produkey too, but since the usb installer does find the key the same way, well, is a extra step not much need

I've personally never had a key be entered automatically before, and I've "made" plenty of "fresh Windows" laptops, so I do consider it a mandatory step, not just to be safe.