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Win 10 clean install on a new SSD - Activation Questions
Hi,
I had a question for the experts here prior to doing a Windows 10 clean install on a new SSD.
Background – My 7-year-old PC came with pre-installed Win 7 Home Basic that I upgraded to Win 10 during the free offer. I used Windows 10 for a couple months before the power supply of my PC died. After I replaced the PSU, I got stuck on the (first looping, then frozen) Preparing Automatic Repair screen. I suspect it’s the HDD, but in any case I plan to use a new SSD to boot etc. So instead of wasting time trying to repair the earlier Windows 10 installation, I plan to clean install on an SSD with the Win 10 USB media creation tool. (Later on I plan to connect the HDD and retrieve the data and format the C drive containing the older Win 10 installation.)
Thanks to Shawn, I understand how to clean install Windows 10. The issue I am concerned with is the Windows 10 activation. During the initial upgrade, I had linked Windows 10 to an existing MS account. However, that same MS account is also linked to a Windows 10 upgrade I received on my Laptop (originally Win 8). In short, I have a (currently dead) PC and a laptop both linked to the same MS account.
Question 1 – While doing the clean install, can I ‘Create a new Account’, and still be able to activate Windows 10? Do I absolutely need to use the same account to which Windows 10 was previously linked?
Question 2 – If I use the same account during the clean install on the PC, will it conflict with the existing account on my laptop? Is there a chance it will fail to activate, since it is already linked to the Windows 10 installation on my laptop?
Why I want to link the Win 10 installation on my PC to a new account – In the not-so-distant future, I plan to upgrade the PC (including the Mother Board). I know that you can activate Windows on an upgraded PC if you link it to a MS account. However, I think it might be better to have separate MS accounts (one for PC, one for laptop) before I upgrade. I don’t want to run into trouble while activating Win 10 on an upgraded PC.
Thanks.