Replaced boot drive

[Stoose]

replaced boot SSD drive but don't have an installation disc to get win 10 working.
My windows 10 is installed on my non bootable 1TB drive and windows wont start.
How do I get an installation disc that I can use with my current legal product key?
I'm not sure what to do

 

[Bighorn]

With a second computer, such as used to post here, go to Microsoft's site offering the MCT/Media Creation Tool, download a small file and run it to get either an .iso file used to burn a bootable DVD or create a bootable USB drive of 8GB or larger.

Download Windows 10

Boot to either one as to what your computer supports.

There's other ways/sites but I've never had a problem using the official Microsoft offering.

 

[Stoose]

Thank You, I will try this.

 

[Grizzly]

one question I have: How did you INSTALL Windows 10 and make it non-bootable?? Copy and paste??
Here is what I usually do when I change to a bigger drive (it requires an external drive to store the image):
1. Make an Image of the old system using True Image, Macrium Reflect or others like that.
2. Replace old drive with new one
3. Restore image onto the new drive

It has worked for me every time.

 

[Stoose]

I bought a refurbished Dell computer with a legal version of win 10 installed (i have the product key)
The boot drive was a SSD256 GB derive and windows is installed on the 1TB internal hard drive.
The SSD drive failed so I bought a new identical SSD.
I assumed that I could simply install the new SSD and get it up and running.
Nope.
The only way I can access my windows 1TB drive is through Troubleshooting mode/command prompt, but cannot run windows.
Very frustrating.

 

[Bighorn]

Usually the boot/system drive/partition contains the installed Windows and that is the drive that is identified by the BIOS. A default install of Windows on the first or only drive in a computer will contain 3 to 5 partitions with C: identifying as the boot. I have both WIn10, Win11 and Linux computers with the boot/system drive being 512GB SSD/NVMe or 500GB HDD with 1TB HDDs as the Data/storage drive.

 

[Stoose]

Your SSD system sounds similar to mine.
My computer did not come with an install disc of any kind.
Do you think that if I got a windows 10 install disc, booted to it and installed windows over my current installation that I would still be able to keep my data on the 1TB drive?

 

[Bighorn]

With a clean install you'd be free to do it as you wish MCT/Media Creation Tool process from Microsoft BUT it may be important to know if the computer to know if the computer originally came with Win10, was an OEM/Brand computer or if it came with the Retail version and you have the Product Key. I've not had to work with a clean install of the Retail version and don't know if all suitable motherboards have the embedded license like the OEM models do.

 

[Stoose]

ok, I will look into trying this.
I'll let you know how it goes.

Thank You for all the info!