fitting ssd and reloading windows 10

Coveredinbees!!!!

I have a Toshiba laptop, which is a few years old but is fairly good spec and does all the things I ask of it. I have been having issues with it, particularly not being able to use edge or the windows app store, so was thinking of reinstalling windows. I am thinking of removing the disc drive which is 1 TB, replacing it with an SSD and putting the old one in a caddy. The laptop was originally wins 8, upgraded to 8.1 then to 10 but I can't find a registration key anywhere. Will I be able to do what I want without having to buy windows 10?

Lambyr

You should be able to, yes. Generally, a system preinstalled with Windows 8 will be able to pull the product key from the UEFI/BIOS. You should also be able to install Windows 10 directly (worked for me on a Lenovo laptop last year).

However, if you want to be on the safe side, you could try a tool such as Belarc Advisor which should be able to locate your product key or Nirsoft's ProduKey - although do note, anti-virus applications are likely to flag these as dangerous since they're gathering detailed system information.

Another option might be to ask Toshiba to confirm that the product key is embedded into the UEFI firmware on your particular model?

J_B

Lambyr wrote: »

However, if you want to be on the safe side, you could try a tool such as Belarc Advisor which should be able to locate your product key or Nirsoft's ProduKey -

Or perhaps https://www.magicaljellybean.com/

Neil_Jones

You don't need a Windows 10 key to reinstall Windows 10. By design.

Swap the drives over, put a Windows 10 disk in and then just Skip when it asks you for a product key. When the computer gets on the internet Windows will activate itself.

Windows 10 uses digital licences. These are basically tied to the hardware (typically the main motherboard) inside the computer, as long as the machine has had Windows 10 on it at some point in the past either by upgrading from 7/8 or as a new licence or bought from new with 10 installed by default, you'll always be able to reload it with a new 10 installation.

AlSto

Coveredinbees!!!! wrote: »

I have a Toshiba laptop, which is a few years old but is fairly good spec and does all the things I ask of it. I have been having issues with it, particularly not being able to use edge or the windows app store, so was thinking of reinstalling windows. I am thinking of removing the disc drive which is 1 TB, replacing it with an SSD and putting the old one in a caddy. The laptop was originally wins 8, upgraded to 8.1 then to 10 but I can't find a registration key anywhere. Will I be able to do what I want without having to buy windows 10?

https://www.ghacks.net/2016/08/15/link-microsoft-account-windows-10-license/

Jivesinger

Lambyr wrote: »

However, if you want to be on the safe side, you could try a tool such as Belarc Advisor which should be able to locate your product key or Nirsoft's ProduKey - although do note, anti-virus applications are likely to flag these as dangerous since they're gathering detailed system information.

J_B wrote: »

Or perhaps https://www.magicaljellybean.com/

If the machine was upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 7/8, then the Windows 10 Product Key will probably be the same generic key as everyone else's (and can't be used to activate by typing it in) so it's not the safety net that this suggests.

I would definitely link the machine to a Microsoft Account as suggested here though:

AlSto wrote: »

https://www.ghacks.net/2016/08/15/link-microsoft-account-windows-10-license/

Frozen_up_north

Been there, done that recently with a Win 8 - 8.1 -10 Asus laptop. The process was very easy:

My SSD came from Crucial, they are very helpful and have an upgrade tool that will determine the SSD to fit your laptop. If you use their tool, they guarantee compatibility.

You don’t need an SSD to match the capacity of the original hard drive, only to match the used space + a future storage. I fitted a 275GB SSD in place of a 500GB HD... saves a few quid. Crucial supply Acronis disk transfer software that automates the process and provide step by step instructions and a “chat” facility too.

You will need a USB to hard drive adapter, which they can supply too, although it’s not included with the SSD as standard.

Took no more than 20 mins from opening the box!

http://uk.crucial.com/gbr/en

System

Coveredinbees!!!! wrote: »

The laptop was originally wins 8, upgraded to 8.1 then to 10 but I can't find a registration key anywhere. Will I be able to do what I want without having to buy windows 10?

You don't need one. It has already been activated with Windows 10 so no product key needed. During the installation you'll get to the bit where you have to put in the product key. Below that box is a line that says "I don't have a product key" or similar. Click that, select the right version of Windows 10 (Home or Pro) and install. Once you're online it'll automatically activate again using the key generated from the hardware IDs of the devices in the laptop which will match the one the MS Activation servers stored from the last Windows 10 install.

Absolutely no need to use a product key on a computer with Win10 previously installed, even if you change the HDD.

Coveredinbees!!!!

Thanks for the information, looks like it will be easier than I thought, just got to order as drive and get started.