Please instruct/clarify if this is the correct way to re-install Win10 to a PC/laptop with a dead hard drive replaced with a blank new one...

- Discard the bad hard drive, replace with new one.
- With another working computer, download the Microsoft "Media creation tool download" from internet.
- Burn that ISO file image to a DVD or CD
- Insert that DVD to the target PC that has the blank new hard drive
- Boot the target PC from that DVD/CD
- Choose install as 'new' while plugged to the internet
- Enter the OS license code on the Microsoft label under the target laptop when prompted.

Is there more steps am missing, or is there something else needed ?

 

It is my understanding that a computer that had a legal Win10 installation won't ask for a key. When the computer was first registered, it registered with Microsoft.

If you change enough hardware that might no longer be the case...

 

You need to have your old key. If you don't have it and the old drive still works somewhat, you can find software online that will didplay your key for you.

 

Thanks.
By 'key' you mean the numbers on the Microsoft OS 'license code' sticker am referring to ? Or key is something else ? Seen also referred as COA -certificate of authenticity- Are all those names for the same ?

The original legal hard drive is very dead, a chunk of metal, now discarded.

 

Thanks.
By 'key' you mean the numbers on the Microsoft OS 'license code' sticker am referring to ? Or key is something else ? Seen also referred as COA -certificate of authenticity- Are all those names for the same ?

Yes that is exactly it. That big long number. What I do is to make a label with that number and stick it to my PCs.

 

By 'key' you mean the numbers on the Microsoft OS 'license code' sticker am referring to ? Or key is something else ? Seen also referred as COA -certificate of authenticity- Are all those names for the same ?

MS calls them COA, others call them keys and/or codes.

I usually get a warning when a disk is starting to go bad. When that happens I've always been able to clone the drive before it died.

If you run disk diagnostics, they'll tell you whether any of the SMART features have been tripped.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.M.A.R.T.

 

Thanks again.
Got its COA / key / license. That doubt cleared; is there something else (or sequence) to the original post ?

 

Thanks again.
Got its COA / key / license. That doubt cleared; is there something else (or sequence) to the original post ?

Nope. It is pretty straight forward. Good luck.

 

If the computer has been registered with Win10 before then you don't need the key as Win10 assigns a digital lic.. So on install just skip and when system is online and connected to Internet Win will verify itself and come up as valid..

 

If the computer has been registered with Win10 before then you don't need the key as Win10 assigns a digital lic.. So on install just skip and when system is online and connected to Internet Win will verify itself and come up as valid..

Not in my experience.

Hard drive is is part of the registration. Everything needs to match up.

 

Not in my experience.

Hard drive is is part of the registration. Everything needs to match up.

I have had no problems with changing drives but I think it only matters if you change MB but not sure..

 

Really hypothetic ---> A Win10 laptop that has been dropped and a truck ran over it. Can its COA key be used to load Win10 onto another laptop new hard drive with the 'media creation tool' on a DVD ?

 

Really hypothetic ---> A Win10 laptop that has been dropped and a truck ran over it. Can its COA key be used to load Win10 onto another laptop new hard drive with the 'media creation tool' on a DVD ?

Yes as long as you have the COA.

 

Really hypothetic ---> A Win10 laptop that has been dropped and a truck ran over it. Can its COA key be used to load Win10 onto another laptop new hard drive with the 'media creation tool' on a DVD ?

My guess would be no since it has a Digital Lic.. But you always try and see what happens.. Also not sure how true this is but I heard that if you install win10 and use a win7 key that hasn't been upgraded it should give you a valid win10..

 

Yes as long as you have the COA.

Wait what you just said the system is reg to a certain setup now it transferable to any setup with valid key??

Not in my experience.

Hard drive is is part of the registration. Everything needs to match up.

 

There is a bunch of people selling :

----> https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?LH_BIN=1&_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=windows+10+license&_sop=15

(select price from low to high), and for 4 bucks you are able to install legal Win 10 to any PC. How does it work ?

 

Wait what you just said the system is reg to a certain setup now it transferable to any setup with valid key??

I have no idea what this means.

 

There is a bunch of people selling :

----> https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?LH_BIN=1&_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=windows+10+license&_sop=15

(select price from low to high), and for 4 bucks you are able to install legal Win 10 to any PC. How does it work ?

These are OEM license keys. Technically illegal to possess or sell. The are supposed to be sold with a piece of equipment like a PC or harddrive.

 

Yes, they are sold together with a chiseled-out hardware piece of the PC that donated the COA sticker key. -From what I read, to disable forever the original COA equipment-
Which brings back the question... As those keys sold at ebay will be used to install Win10, it will happen onto any brand/model/drive of PC, not a particular type as the donor.

There has to be somewhere a page that explains the Microsoft set rules to do these OS transplants. Have not found it yet.

 

There has to be somewhere a page that explains the Microsoft set rules to do these OS transplants. Have not found it yet.

The last time I checked, retail versions were transferable, OEM version weren't.