Installing Windows 10 Home from disk on multiple PCs

Tony EH

I only moved to Win 10 last year and installed it from a retail DVD disk onto a brand new HDD. But I am thinking of upgrading to a larger disk and want to know if I can simply install Win 10 from the retail DVD again to a new Hard Drive?

I've heard conflicting reports about only being able to install it once and then your done. And also heard problems about neither system being considered legit if you try and install the OS from the same disk on different computers.

It all sounds like it isn't as straightforward as just installing Win 7 on as many computers as you like. TBH I don't want to waste the money getting a new drive and then find out that I can't install the OS.

So, is it possible to simply install Win 10 from a retail disk onto a new clean drive even if it had been previously installed on another drive?

darth_maul

You'd be far better installing from usb and creating a version with all latest updates using the media creation tool, Windows 10 is freely available to download from Microsoft website and your licence is linked (stored) to your bios. Just Google "windows 10 media creation tool".

So in summary you can reinstall windows 10 multiple times on same PC, You could also look into cloning the drive you have to the new drive using macrium reflect, also I would highly advise any drive running the windows os is an SSD drive. You can use a larger mechanical drive for data.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118028689#Comment_118028689

Never cloned a drive before, but I looked into doing that. With some progs it seems to be a matter of point and click. So if I find that that's easier, I might just take that route. But I just wanted to check if the old fashioned way of installing from the disk was possible too and create a brand new fresh install.

As for SSD's, I've never been that enamoured by them TBH. Sure, they're faster than a HDD with load times/transfer rates and whatnot, but I don't consider them to be THAT great a difference. I've an SSD on the laptop and can boot windows in about 10 secs as opposed to 30 on my 7200RPM HDD desktop. I don't consider that kind of thing to be the great leap forward that others do.

When the capacity goes up and the prices come down with SSD's I'll make the switch, but right now I'm happy enough with the HDD's. I'm never in that much of a hurry. 😁 Plus, I've always been uneasy with the idea that when flash memory goes pop, you often have 0 chance of salvaging your data.

Redfox25

Buy a cheap SSD big enough for Win 10 to sit on and keep your data on the HDD so your covered if down the road the SSD goes pop.

It makes a massive difference in startup and other bits as well. Additionally, if you game a bit, get a larger SSD and put your games on it too. The reduction in time for load in screens will make it so worth while.

K.O.Kiki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118028906#Comment_118028906

... Are you for real?

It's not just about startup time.

The latency between HDD & SSD is noticeable in even regular programs/browsing.

SSDs are also as reliable as HDDs. And if you're not relying on at least 2 backups (incl. 1 off-site) you're doing it wrong.

Tony EH

Yes, I'm "for real".

I don't notice that much of a difference between the SSD in the laptop and the HDD in my desktop. Certainly nothing to go mad about anyway.

magicbastarder

i replaced the disk in my 8 or 9 year old home PC with an SSD and rebuilt windows. boot time went from probably 3 or 4 minutes to 20s, and it's not just the OS, photoshop now opens in seconds as compared to probably close to a minute.

was a 7200RPM spindle disk, and i don't even get the full benefit of SSD technology because my motherboard doesn't have the ability to use the latest connection tech.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118036626#Comment_118036626

When SSD's get bigger, I'll probably buy one. At the moment the best I can see is around 2tb. Not big enough. Samsung make a 3tb QVO SSD, but the reviews were pretty bad.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118038084#Comment_118038084

My boot time for my desktop HDD is about 30 seconds. The SSD on the laptop is half that. But I don't lose any sleep over the time difference. I'm in no real hurry. Certainly not that a matter of 15 seconds would cure.

Anyway the point of this thread wasn't about HSS vs SSD. It was whether I could install Windows on multiple drives. Of course an SSD is "better".

K.O.Kiki

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118038137#Comment_118038137

Right, back on track so.

As @darth_maul pointed out, you want to make a USB boot disk: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-installation-media-for-windows-99a58364-8c02-206f-aa6f-40c3b507420d

This will have the latest build of Windows 10, although you'll still want to patch it once installed.

I've personally used an old Windows 7 key for multiple activations at this stage.

magicbastarder

IIRC if you make a boot disk on an existing PC, it will retain the licence info if you use that to rebuild the same system - but if the target system is noticeably different to the one the boot disk was built on, it may not work (note i did not run into this problem, saw it written online somewhere).

anyway, i had no issue with licences when rebuilding the same system, but with the SSD as boot disk instead of the old spindle disk.

Tony EH

The system will be the same. All that's changing will be the hard drive.