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I recently purchased an SSD to upgrade from my HDD, I want to move windows 10 over, but have no idea how. To add to the issues, I do not have a Windows 10 product key, it's a Windows 8 product key that have been upgraded to 8.1 then 10 via the updates Microsoft we're releasing back then. I also want to leave my programs and files on my HDD so that it's only the OS being moved for now.

For those marking this as a duplicate, I can't clone the HDD as it is 2TB and nearly full, the SSD is only 128GB, hence only wanting the OS on there.

Alastair
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  • flagging comments is bad. [reset Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4026528/windows-reset-or-reinstall-windows-10) to get rid of all programs/data and clone it. this is the answer – magicandre1981 Jun 30 '18 at 05:45

1 Answers1

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I recently purchased an SSD to upgrade from my HDD, I want to move windows 10 over, but have no idea how.

All you have to do is install Windows 10 to the SSD. Windows 10 will automatically activate. When prompted for the product key, you can skip that step, since you already have a digital entitlement to Windows 10.

I do not have a Windows 10 product key

You actually do have a Windows 10 product key. Since you upgraded your Windows 8.1 installation to Windows 10, during the free upgrade offer, your Windows 10 key is your Windows 8 key.

You also have a digital entitlement to Windows 10. This means you can install Windows 10 without entering a product key.

I also want to leave my programs and files on my HDD so that it's only the OS being moved for now.

Since you have a digital entitlement to Windows 10. All you have to do is install Windows 10 on the SSD. You can accomplish this by downloading the current Windows 10 ISO, and create an installation disk, and install Windows 10 to the SSD

Ramhound
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  • @AlastairMarchant - You made no mention of what you wanted to do with the HDD after you installed Windows on the SSD. There is no way to move the installation on the HDD to the SSD unless you clone the HDD to the SSD. This means you will have to install Windows 10 on the SSD, and install any applications you have installed currently, on the new installation. The programs on the HDD wouldn't be usable. – Ramhound Jun 29 '18 at 18:31