Hard drive failure how to restore Window 10 when drive is replaced????

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  1. Posts : 4
    Win.10
       #1

    Hard drive failure how to restore Window 10 when drive is replaced????


    For my wife's computer her hard drive has failed and will lose Windows 10 please advise best method to resolve and restore computer use with Win. 10 after drive is installed with her original Win.7 (now called illegal)
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 340
    Windows 10 Home 64 bit (with Creators OS)
       #2

    ltruex said:
    For my wife's computer her hard drive has failed and will lose Windows 10 please advise best method to resolve and restore computer use with Win. 10 after drive is installed with her original Win.7 (now called illegal)
    First, did you make a System Image of your Windows 10 before the fault. If so, you could reinstall it from that image. You could come back here and someone would tell you how to do it. It is quite simple. If not:

    I'm not an expert but I have studied how to re-install Windows 10 if needed. One method (a Clean Install) is to go to Microsoft's site and download their Media Creation tool. Run this and it will copy certain info about your computer. You will be asked to store this on a DVD or a USB stick ("thumb drive") of about 4 GB in size. You then put the CD in to your drive (or plug the USB stick into a USB socket) and restart the computer. This should start up in the DVD or the USB (it did that for me automatically) and you will be connected to Microsoft's site where windows 10 will download. Then you will be asked to run that and a fresh Windows 10 will install on your computer.

    I have done this only up to the stage of downloading and storing the data mentioned above on to (in my case) a DVD. Instructions said that you do not need to use your key to activate the Windows 10 because you had Windows 10 already in your computer.

    EDIT: Another message just posted gave the address for the MS Media Creation tool:

    Windows 10
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 3,502
    Win_8.1-Pro, Win_10.1607-Pro, Mint_17.3
       #3

    Here are some tutorials that will help:

    Windows 10 ISO Download - Windows 10 Forums

    USB Flash Drive - Create to Install Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums
    You already downloaded the ISO, skip step 1 - you don't need two

    On the NEW drive:


    Disconnect anything that's not critical (secondary drives, printers, any USB peripheral ...) You want a bare machine as possible
    - only the one drive to receive the install, a mouse, keybd, and monitor.
    Let Windows Update (WU) provide device drivers - back fill any device drivers that are not provided by WU from the vendor site.

    Skip or Next past any screen that asks you for a key - Win10 will activate using the machine's Digital license


    If there is data on the old drive, you can try to recover it after the clean install.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #4

    ltruex said:
    For my wife's computer her hard drive has failed and will lose Windows 10 please advise best method to resolve and restore computer use with Win. 10 after drive is installed with her original Win.7 (now called illegal)
    Why is her original Windows 7 now called illegal?

    Anyway - you can either re-upgrade the Windows 7 to Windows 10, or you can just start with Windows 10 from scratch and not do anything with Windows 7. The most reliable way to do either one is to create a Windows 10 installation USB flash drive or DVD. Use the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool to do that:
    Windows 10

    If you want to re-upgrade the Windows 7 to Windows 10, then with Windows 7 running, insert the USB flash drive or DVD and run setup.exe from it. Upgrading to the proper edition/version of Windows 10 should not ask you for a product key, and Windows 10 should activate from the digital license stored on Microsoft activation servers.

    If you just want to start with Windows 10, then you boot the computer from the flash drive or DVD and do a clean install. It probably will ask you for a product key and you click on the option to skip it. If you install the same edition/version of Windows 10 that was on the computer before, it will activate by retrieving the digital license from Microsoft activation servers without entering a product key.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 4
    Win.10
    Thread Starter
       #5

    why it's called illegal.


    NavyLCDR...This drive that now failed was the second of recent time (delivered in June 2016) the original had Win.7 only but reserved Win.10 and just prior to the failure I made a backup of the system for AOMIE to reinstall windows when I replaced the drive...upon reinstall...MS said our system may be an illegal copy...this because it was on another drive hence they felt it was illegal copy. But instead of going thru MS I decided to accept the Win.10 reserved and installed it since they had the reserve with the original version they must have known it was not illegal copy so no problem...This new had drive has failed without enough warning to backup the Windows installation...it just gave me one hint by not booting up...then when it started a second time bios was messed up... I replace Mobo Battery and tried to boot the system but it wouldn't even come back with the bios or anything. since then I have replaced the UPS, and tested using my own computers video card, and memory...finally the backup board I had in reserve...Only thing left is the Hard Drive I purchased this last June 24 from a computer store online...working on that side line, but for now must get another hard drive my wife a student needs her computer next week when school starts. Thanks everyone for the suggestions and I will get this back up. Larry
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 2,324
    Win10
       #6

    If you install a new MB Win10 may have trouble re-activating with the free license , but usually you can then phone support and confirm you have only installed it on one Computer and they let it activate ...my experience anyway ......6 new MB's now on one system since Feb. so I am pretty familiar with this , only spoke to a real person once... . they even give you the option of using a Smart Phone app now to answer the questions.

    I have had no issue in win10 with changing HDDs like in Win7 , in win10 it is all tied to the MB and it's built in components now.

    KB.
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 4
    Win.10
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Not installing a MB...only Hard Drive


    Kbird said:
    If you install a new MB Win10 may have trouble re-activating with the free license , but usually you can then phone support and confirm you have only installed it on one Computer and they let it activate ...my experience anyway ......6 new MB's now on one system since Feb. so I am pretty familiar with this , only spoke to a real person once... . they even give you the option of using a Smart Phone app now to answer the questions.

    I have had no issue in win10 with changing HDDs like in Win7 , in win10 it is all tied to the MB and it's built in components now.

    KB.
    KBird not installing MB...just a hard drive, but this will be seen as another computer as if I had replaced the MB. Larry
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #8

    ltruex said:
    KBird not installing MB...just a hard drive, but this will be seen as another computer as if I had replaced the MB. Larry
    Replacing the hard drive will not cause Windows 10 to see it as another computer. Windows 10 will detect the same computer that the hard drive is connected to as the computer the old hard drive was connected to.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 2,324
    Win10
       #9

    ltruex said:
    KBird not installing MB...just a hard drive, but this will be seen as another computer as if I had replaced the MB. Larry


    As Navy said no you won't , it was what i was trying to explain..... not well apparently :) it's all tied to the MB now
      My Computers


  10. Posts : 4
    Win.10
    Thread Starter
       #10

    Why then would MS call my Win.7 illegal????


    Anytime I have replaced a hard drive and installed windows they give me a notice the windows may be an illegal copy, and normally I would have to contact MS to explain the replacement in which case they issue me another key code number...I did get that notice the first time the drive was replaced and now I expect it again with a new drive...If not I won't be unhappy about it. You see I will use the back up made from my wife's first drive failure to get into win. 7 with all her school files saved...then I will come back to attempt the gathering of Win. 10 and see how it works out from there...thanks for everyones help... Larry
      My Computer


 

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