Windows 10 clean install

[Meepimus]

Basically, I had windows 7 and upgraded to windows 10. I no longer have my product key since that was lost years ago.

 

I want to do a clean install and transfer my OS onto a new SSD I'm getting, along with some other modifications to my rig. The problem is that I want to do this with a clean install, but from what I can tell, the windows 10 "key" my system has is recorded as a hardware specification on the microsoft servers. That means when I do the clean install and change out my hardware, it will no longer match my specifications, and I'll have NO KEY to verify my windows 10.

 

How am I supposed to get around this? I called up microsoft support and some extremely rude indian guy basically told me that I should buy a new windows license. I'm not doing that because I already paid for my windows 7 and thus, got windows 10 via the upgrade.

 

Has anyone done a clean install and changed around hardware with windows 10? How am I going to get around this?

[shanmu54321]

Basically, I had windows 7 and upgraded to windows 10. I no longer have my product key since that was lost years ago.

 

I want to do a clean install and transfer my OS onto a new SSD I'm getting, along with some other modifications to my rig. The problem is that I want to do this with a clean install, but from what I can tell, the windows 10 "key" my system has is recorded as a hardware specification on the microsoft servers. That means when do i clean install and change out my ahrdware, it will no longer match my specifications, and I'll have NO KEY to verify my windows 10.

 

How am I supposed to get around this? I called up microsoft support and some extremely rude indian guy basically told me that I should buy a new windows license. I'm not doign that because I already paid for my windows 7 and thus, got windows 10 via the upgrade.

 

Has anyone done a clean install and changed around hardware with windows 10? How am I going to get around this?

Unless you change the motherboard, your free license won't be affected and you can just do a clean install on the ssd. Once you connect your PC to the internet, your copy of windows 10 will be verified and activated.

[Meepimus]

Unless you change the motherboard, your free license won't be affected and you can just do a clean install on the ssd. Once you connect your PC to the internet, your copy of windows 10 will be verified and activated.

Do you have a source that says that it only depends on the motherboard? All I can find out on the internet is that each PC has a "hardware profile" that is registered to the key.

 

If I do clean install and I can't get windows to activate, then I'm going to have a serious problem, since I work from my PC, primarily with microsoft word. My buget won't allow me to buy a license for another month on top of that.

[lullemannen90]

You can use something like Magic Jelly Bean keyfinder to find your Windows product key. 

[shanmu54321]

Do you have a source that says that it only depends on the motherboard? All I can find out on the internet is that each PC has a "hardware profile" that is registered to the key.

 

If I do clean install and I can't get windows to activate, then I'm going to have a serious problem, since I work from my PC, primarily with microsoft word. My buget won't allow me to buy a license for another month on top of that.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-win_upgrade/will-upgrading-motherboard-after-upgrading-to/a26e93c4-6886-4b44-99cf-7bf49ccba6ee?auth=1

 

If you change the motherboard, you would 90% change the CPU(due to socket change). Hence, the license will be affected only if you change the motherboard. It does't matter if you change your storage, GPU,etc...