How to get Windows Home edition on to the new SSD on my laptop?

I have a PC I originally bought with Windows 8. I upgraded this to 8.1 and then to Win 10 just before the end of the free Windows 10 upgrade offer.

I took this PC for some support when out of town. After the issue in question was resolved, I asked the guy in the shop if he could do anything to speed up PC performance. All communication I had with this gent was done via someone translating as I don't speak the required language of the place I visited. The support guy recommended removing the DVD player and installing a SSD disk in the bay where the DVD player was. He said this was since the age of the PC meant that the HDD was slow. He also suggested putting Windows on to this new SSD. After he did so, I briefly checked the PC in the shop before I left. While things weren't exactly as I expected, the PC seemed faster. The SSD is now drive C and the disk originally in the PC is now drive D.

I'm now back home and fired up the PC in more seriousness. I have discovered that the version of Windows on the SSD isn't the same installation as is on the original HDD in the PC. Windows 10 Home Edition is on the original HDD. Windows 10 Enterprise is on the new SSD. This generated numerous issues:

1) I have neither a need nor a license for Win 10 Enterprise; Win 10 home was fine for my needs. I have 4 different devices and this is the first piece of unlicensed software to be on any of them. The unlicensed Windows version is making me uncomfortable

2) I am unsure how to get Win 10 Enterprise off there and get a home edition of Windows on there instead. I suspect from looking on the web that I will have to re-install Windows home edition. I'd even be Ok with Win 8 on there again. However I don't have the Windows install CD / license key which I suspect is back in the mother country in an attic somewhere (I relocated to a different part of the world a few years ago).

Can someone thus please tell me how I get Windows home edition on to the new SSD with the constraints I am facing? I believe the Windows installation on the original HDD is still there. I don't have a note of the license key in this part of the world.

Any help is appreciated.

Welcome to the forum. You need to go and get the latest ISO file free from Download Windows 10 Disc Image (ISO File). It can create a DVD or USB from it boot from that delete all copies drive and install it will activate from ms servers. The enterprise you have is a pirate copy and won't activate. We have tutors to guide you through the install

bro67 said:

Install Windows 10, do not enter 8.1 license until install is finished and you log in for the first time. Then activate it with the 8.1 license.

You should not even need to do that. As this machine was built and supplied with Windows 8 then a key for W8 is embedded in its firmware. A clean install should detect this key and use it to choose the correct edition to install (Home or Pro) and activate it automatically.

Thanks everyone who has helped on this so far. Some points if I may please?

1) By pressing one of the F buttons (F10 I think it was) when booting my PC, I was able to get the choice of booting to the old HDD (with W10 home) or the new SSD (with Windows the other guy installed). If I boot to the old HDD with home edition, where do I have to look to find the license key?

2) I am concerned from one of the replies above that if I install W10 home edition, this will delete everything on both HDDs currently in the PC. I don't want to delete anything from the original HDD. I say that since my fall back position on this is to remove the SDD that was added. The old HDD is slow to boot up etc but at least it works and is licensed. Is there a way to do the install without overwriting the original HDD? I am hoping I can install Win 10 home on the new SSD without touching anything on the original HDD

Thanks again.

AddRAM said:

You can just temporarily remove the hard drive.

Windows should automatically activate, since you had W10 Home installed before you gave it to the shop.

Your PC now has a Digital W10 license.

Hi and thanks for your message,

Is there a way around temporarily taking the old HDD out? I ask as I'm not confident of my skill level to be able to get it back in and working again.

A point of clarification in case it's unclear. Currently the Enterprise version the guy at the shop installed seems to be fully operational. I was using that version of Windows to install apps that were missing from the old HDD before I realised it wasn't the correct version of Windows installed. It boots up superfast compared to the old HDD. Hence is there a way I can change a license number of setting somewhere that will change the version and license to match the legitimacy of that installed on the original HDD? I ask in hope rather than expectation but it seems no harm asking anyway.

Also what abouout the comment from Bro67 saying I will have to enter the license number when I do the install? Is there a definitive answer on thatpoint available?

You do not need the Windows 8.1 Home product key, you have a Digital license for Windows 10 Home, this is linked to your hardware and is registered with MS, a change of HDD/SSD is allowed.

Helmut said:

You do not need the Windows 8.1 Home product key, you have a Digital license for Windows 10 Home, this is linked to your hardware and is registered with MS, a change of HDD/SSD is allowed.

Hi Helmut and everyone else,

I believe I am now in a position where victory can be declared on this issue. I attempted to remove the old HDD. Another surprise I discovered from that was that:-

* the old HDD had been moved to the former DVD drive bay
* the bay previously occupied by the old HDD now occupies the SSD

As advised to do so in an earlier reply, I removed the old HDD so not to over write it. I then attempted to create windows install media using the link in the same reply above. This seemed to go OK but when I used the USB with the created install media, I got an error message:

Windows Cannot Install Required Files 0x8007025D

I web searched and as performed 2 actions as suggested at this weblink:

FIX: Windows Cannot Install Required Files 0x8007025D - Appuals.com

1) Format the intended partition for install - this had no effect
2) Recreate the install media on a different USB stick - this worked first time

Of course anyone with access to only one device should be careful about formatting the target partition if that is the partition that was used access the web and to create the install media - after formatting the partition it won't boot, access the web etc

One point on doing the install; I was asked which partition on the SSD I would like to installed Windows Home edition in. I chose partition 4 (there were 3 other smaller partitions on there not intended for O/S installs etc). Does that mean I could have left the old HDD with my data on there and it wouldn't have been overwritten in the Windows install? Regardless I did the install with the old HDD removed and everything seems to have worked out well.

My thanks to everyone who helped on this; your obviously constructive input is appreciated.