Windows 10 OEM reinstall?

[Izumi Reina]

So I've worked just almost 13hours today troubleshooting my pc and damn well it takes 10minutes to get into windows (if it even does) and then takes another 10mins to even see the icon of task manager. Blah blah blah, disc usage is 100% constantly everything is unusable and I want to know if I can reinstall my Windows 10 OEM key once Ive wiped this harddrive and downloaded windows 10 onto an SSD (on the same mobo). Would I just use the same key (and would I have to disable this hard drives windows or would it just work)?

[it_dont_work]

Download the install media, make it bootable (usb/dvd etc)

-install windows, you'll get an option on where to install and if you want to format thew drive or not (most people recommend leaving only the hdd you want to install windows on as not to loose data, I've never done that but it is a good idea)

-During the install windows will ask for your oem key, put it in and you'll be fine

-install drivers etc

-profit?

 

Just backup any data you want to keep before doing anything else, I usually keep around a ubuntu live disk or Gparted live with gnome just for a copying things from non booting systems.

[Crossbred]

Oem keys are not reusable, you will need to buy a new one.

[Izumi Reina]

9 minutes ago, Crossbred said:

Oem keys are not reusable, you will need to buy a new one.

I thought OEM keys mean you just cant use them on a different motherboard?

 

 

[Crossbred]

2 minutes ago, Izumi Reina said:

I thought OEM keys mean you just cant use them on a different motherboard?

 

 

Windows keys have nothing to do with motherboards, it means you can't move it from one Windows installation to another. You could move a whole hard drive from one motherboard to another and it would still work, but it's one use for one installation.

[GoodBytes]

1 hour ago, Izumi Reina said:

I want to know if I can reinstall my Windows 10 OEM key once Ive wiped this harddrive and downloaded windows 10 onto an SSD (on the same mobo). Would I just use the same key (and would I have to disable this hard drives windows or would it just work)?

2

The product key that you have is the same. It is a per computer basis key (which locks itself to your motherboard, in the case of OEM licenses).

 

Use Media Creation Tool (https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10 - Click on "Download tool now" button), to set up a USB flash drive or disk with Windows 10 with the latest build number (at the moment of posting: Anniversary Update - a.k.a Redstone 1). If you want, you can do this on a different computer.

 

Then just boot from the USB flash drive or disk that was prepared on your broken computer, click on "Install" , and click on "Custom install" to do a clean install. Pick your drive where Windows is installed, format it, pick it, and click "Next" to install Windows 10 on it. If Windows 10 has trouble detecting your drives/partitions, simply click on "Load Drivers" button, and insert your motherboard disk and pick your SATA controller drivers (or you can use a USB flash drive with the drivers inside, if you want to download the latest version. Keep in mind to download the .zip version of the drivers and extract them on your USB flash drive. Windows is not installed and can't open .exe's nor extract .zip files).

 

During the setup, at some stage, you'll be asked for the product key. Enter it, and you should be set.

 

Once Windows 10 is installed, check for Windows update, let the OS do its thing. Once done, restart your system, and install any missing drivers. You can check Device Manager to see which device is missing its drivers, if any.

 

Once that is done, you can install the latest graphics card drivers. Then open the Store, click on the profile picture next to the search box, then go on "Downloads and updates", and click on "Check for updates", and install all updates of apps.

 

Once everything is updated, you can uninstall / unpin the apps on your start menu that you don't want, and now you are ready to install your programs and games again.

 

Keep in mind, before starting anything, be sure to BACKUP your stuff. All content in your C:\ drive will be gone forever.

[GoodBytes]

1 hour ago, Crossbred said:

Oem keys are not reusable, you will need to buy a new one.

Wha?

No. You can reuse them as much as you want, as long as the motherboard doesn't change.