# Getting a new computer drive and upgrading to Windows 10 **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 6, 2015, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784 "2015-11-06T08:57:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2015, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/1 "2015-11-06T08:57:45Z")
I have Windows 7 installed on my only drive. Windows 7 came along with my computer from a reputable reseller (NCIX). I can’t find the DVD it came on and I might never have had it. Maybe Windows 7 just came installed with no DVD, it’s been long enough that I don’t remember. My hard drive is closing in on 5 years and I want to replace it with an SSD for the OS and a hybrid drive (SSHD) for the rest. Is it possible to get an SSD and have the Windows 10 upgrade go on the SSD rather than the original hard drive? Will I need to do anything special for the SSHD? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2015, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/2 "2015-11-06T09:42:47Z")
AIRC, you can legally upgrade from Win 7 to 10, but cannot install 10 freshly. That means you first have to do a fresh install of Win 7 on the SSD and then upgrade to 10 via Windows update. To do this, you have to download the iso-file for Win 7 and put it on a DVD or USB drive, boot from there and install it on the SSD using the licence key that should be on a sticker somewhere on your machine. I’m on a phone now and don’t have a download link for the iso-file at hand, but it should be easy to find. Please note if your machine needs the 32 or 64 bit version. ---
**Author:** ![Seren359](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@Seren359](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seren359)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2015, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/3 "2015-11-06T10:52:29Z")
What you can “probably” do is install the new drive alongside the old one. (on the motherboard not as a USB drive!) Then upgrade to Windows 10 but direct the installation to the new drive. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2015, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/4 "2015-11-06T12:26:20Z")
Clone the original drive to the SSD Apply win10 upgrade to SSD With the price of SSDs falling fast I wouldn’t bother with a hybrid, just get a decent sized SSD. If your really need the space larger conventional drives are still better bets for a second drive. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2015, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/5 "2015-11-06T12:51:59Z")
If you’re willing to wait a few weeks, the next Win 10 version will allow clean installs using your [Win 7/8 product key to activate](http://winsupersite.com/windows-10/details-changes-windows-10-activation-threshold-2). I’m not precisely sure how you’ll get installation media for a clean install, however. This update is due out early-mid November. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2015, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/6 "2015-11-06T14:07:28Z")
Careful about using an SSD as your system drive. I did it for years, and it was fast. But an affordable SSD is not very big compared to a standard HDD, and Windows has a bad habit of getting bloated over time. I replaced my SSD twice and then gave up with Windows 10. What is just fine now for an OS may not be fine in a year or two. I went to great lengths to keep my system drive low, such as installing all programs on my larger drive and I even put profiles on a second drive using a symbolic link but all that did was delay the inevitable. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Doughbag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Doughbag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doughbag)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/7 "2015-11-06T14:11:41Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > AIRC, you can legally upgrade from Win 7 to 10, but cannot install 10 freshly. That means you first have to do a fresh install of Win 7 on the SSD and then upgrade to 10 via Windows update. To do this, you have to download the iso-file for Win 7 and put it on a DVD or USB drive, boot from there and install it on the SSD using the licence key that should be on a sticker somewhere on your machine. I’m on a phone now and don’t have a download link for the iso-file at hand, but it should be easy to find. Please note if your machine needs the 32 or 64 bit version. Do what **EinsteinsHund** wrote. You can get the means to insstall Win7 from Microsoft [here](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7) You can find your product key on the sticker located somewhere on your PC/Laptop. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2015, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/8 "2015-11-06T14:21:01Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Careful about using an SSD as your system drive. I did it for years, and it was fast. But an affordable SSD is not very big compared to a standard HDD, and Windows has a bad habit of getting bloated over time. I replaced my SSD twice and then gave up with Windows 10. What is just fine now for an OS may not be fine in a year or two. > > I went to great lengths to keep my system drive low, such as installing all programs on my larger drive and I even put profiles on a second drive using a symbolic link but all that did was delay the inevitable. ☹ How much space did it end up taking? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2015, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/9 "2015-11-06T15:09:51Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > How much space did it end up taking? 50+ GB. I know, that’s not much. But it started at 15 GB when Win 7 was new. Also, I did everything I could to clean up or otherwise slim my OS. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2015, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/10 "2015-11-06T16:06:07Z")
Was wondering about this as I upgraded to a SSD. Was considering using one drive to upgrade to 10 while keeping the other at 7 as a fall back red slippers ‘I want to go back home (to 7)’ option. How would MS handle such a thing as all of a sudden I am back at Win 7? ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/11 "2015-11-06T16:32:14Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Careful about using an SSD as your system drive. I did it for years, and it was fast. But an affordable SSD is not very big compared to a standard HDD, and Windows has a bad habit of getting bloated over time. I replaced my SSD twice and then gave up with Windows 10. What is just fine now for an OS may not be fine in a year or two. > > I went to great lengths to keep my system drive low, such as installing all programs on my larger drive and I even put profiles on a second drive using a symbolic link but all that did was delay the inevitable. ☹ Still not as cheap as standard, but 500Gb SSD’s are under $200. Tough to fill that from OS bloat. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2015, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/12 "2015-11-06T16:44:56Z")
A good way to do this is to: - Clone your existing drive to the SSD. This makes an exact copy on the SSD. - Install the SSD in your laptop - Save the old drive as a backup - Boot the SSD and upgrade it to Windows 10 By upgrading your existing Win7 image, you’ll be able to save your programs and settings. If you do a clean install of Win10, you’ll have to reinstall programs and copy your files over. To clone the drive, you’ll likely need to hook up the SSD to an external enclosure (not necessarily recommending that one… just used it as an example). The external enclosure can be useful later as well since you can put your old drive in it to use as backups once you have your new system running. There are many free cloning tools out there. The manufacturer of your existing drive or SSD drive may make a tool available on their website. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/13 "2015-11-06T17:32:39Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > Still not as cheap as standard, but 500Gb SSD’s are under $200. Tough to fill that from OS bloat. Depends on how cheap you are. 😃 $200 is still pricey to me, but I’ll admit it’s not obscene and I’d hope that bloat wouldn’t take over the drive. For myself I ended up switching to a 1TB standard SATA drive so I could also keep my profile (the Users folder) on it without having to do some command line sleight-of-hand like I had before. I’m not saying to avoid an SSD, you get a noticeable improvement. I’m just urging caution so people don’t make my mistake and avoid the headaches I had fighting bloat. I guess some good advice is to get a much bigger drive than you think you’ll need because you’re not going to be able to control it much, bloat will happen no matter what. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/14 "2015-11-18T17:40:23Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Depends on how cheap you are. 😃 > > $200 is still pricey to me, but I’ll admit it’s not obscene and I’d hope that bloat wouldn’t take over the drive. For myself I ended up switching to a 1TB standard SATA drive so I could also keep my profile (the Users folder) on it without having to do some command line sleight-of-hand like I had before. > > I’m not saying to avoid an SSD, you get a noticeable improvement. I’m just urging caution so people don’t make my mistake and avoid the headaches I had fighting bloat. I guess some good advice is to get a much bigger drive than you think you’ll need because you’re not going to be able to control it much, bloat will happen no matter what. How did you fight the bloat? How big do you think it would have gotten if you’d done nothing against the Windows bloat? > [@lazybratsche](#): > > If you’re willing to wait a few weeks, the next Win 10 version will allow clean installs using your [Win 7/8 product key to activate](http://winsupersite.com/windows-10/details-changes-windows-10-activation-threshold-2). I’m not precisely sure how you’ll get installation media for a clean install, however. This update is due out early-mid November. Is the clean install available yet? Does it mean I can just go to the Microsoft website, download Windows 10 then tell Windows 10 to install on my SSD? ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/15 "2015-11-18T20:09:30Z")
Of course if you have an OEM (manufacturer install tied to the hardware) you may not have the original key at all. Yes, since Win7 (or Vista?) the files replaced by regular updates etc. go into a separate folder to allow rollback and reinstalls. This removes the XP/Win2003 alternative, where the root of the system drive filled with uninstall folders named with hex gobbledygook. Presumably this is now a race between planned obsolescence and ever-increasing hard disk capacity. Another obvious item to move off your C: drive when space is at a premium is your swap file (pagefile.sys). Your PC may run slower when you open too many programs… ---
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/16 "2015-11-18T20:19:51Z")
nm, wrong thread… ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/17 "2015-11-18T21:55:18Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > How did you fight the bloat? > > How big do you think it would have gotten if you’d done nothing against the Windows bloat? I ran processes that cleaned out the installation files for certain Windows updates left behind. I mainly used Windows Disk Cleanup (the built-in utility) with advanced options. I realize that doing so was a potential risk because it means I couldn’t “roll back” from those updates if something had gone wrong with the updates, but I was willing to risk it. I also used occasional third party utilities at different times (whose names I can’t recall anymore) with varying success. I even tried moving the hidden ProgramData directory using a symbolic link but that didn’t work as well as it did with my Users folder; I lost some application settings and screwed up my profile a couple of times. Other things I did were more routine; remove temp files, installation logs, and so on that you rarely need to keep. My biggest bane was WinSxS. That directory just keeps growing and you can’t remove anything of significance from it without making Windows unbootable. That folder on its own ended up taking more than half my drive before I gave up. ☹ I can’t speculate as to how big my drive would have gotten without my intervention… That’s like asking someone how many pounds of weeds they’ve pulled from a garden. 🙂 It was a constant maintenance on my part and it’s so easy to lose track. One thing I should mention is that I use an invaluable utility to find where bloat is occurring. There is software called “Treesize” by Jam Software which has a freeware version, you can scan drives or just folders and it will sort everything by size to show you exactly what’s using the most space. Just be very careful that you know exactly what you’re removing before you do it. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/18 "2015-11-18T22:26:30Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Is the clean install available yet? > > Does it mean I can just go to the Microsoft website, download Windows 10 then tell Windows 10 to install on my SSD? I believe so, though it’s more complicated than simply grabbing an ISO. I think you can use the [Windows 10 “Media Creation Tool”](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10) to download the installer and burn it to a DVD or put it on a bootable USB. Now, with the recent update, you should be able to use that installer and just put in your Windows 7/8 key. I think. I haven’t tried it myself or yet seen an updated “how to do a clean install” guide, since the update that changed the activation scheme just came out last week. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/19 "2015-11-18T22:56:33Z")
On a laptop, the product key is typically on the bottom and wears off in a year or two. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784/20 "2015-11-18T22:56:35Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Depends on how cheap you are. 😃 > > $200 is still pricey to me, but I’ll admit it’s not obscene and I’d hope that bloat wouldn’t take over the drive. For myself I ended up switching to a 1TB standard SATA drive so I could also keep my profile (the Users folder) on it without having to do some command line sleight-of-hand like I had before. > > I’m not saying to avoid an SSD, you get a noticeable improvement. I’m just urging caution so people don’t make my mistake and avoid the headaches I had fighting bloat. I guess some good advice is to get a much bigger drive than you think you’ll need because you’re not going to be able to control it much, bloat will happen no matter what. This kind of issue was mainly a problem when 60GB SSD’s were $300 Nowadays, OS bloat is pretty much a non issue. $85 for a 250 > **[Amazon.com: (OLD MODEL) Crucial BX100 250GB SATA 2.5” 7mm (with 9.5mm adapter)...](https://www.amazon.com/MODEL-Crucial-BX100-adapter-Internal/dp/B00RQA6TEI)** > > Buy (OLD MODEL) Crucial BX100 250GB SATA 2.5” 7mm (with 9.5mm adapter) Internal Solid State Drive - CT250BX100SSD1: Internal Solid State Drives - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases [$63 for 128GB](http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Force-Solid-2-5-Inch-CSSD-F128GBLX/dp/B00KGZNGHS/ref=sr_1_16?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1447887367&sr=1-16&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_two_browse-bin%3A4929543011%2Cp_85%3A2470955011%2Cp_n_feature_three_browse-bin%3A6797518011) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-new-computer-drive-and-upgrading-to-windows-10/736784.md?page=2)