Do you need a new hard drive?
Do you need a new hard drive?
The motherboard includes its own boot method, but you’ll still need a key if you plan to install Windows 10 via USB. For transferring data from the old hard drive, consider using a data recovery service or a physical data transfer tool. If the system won’t start, removing the old drive is a good idea before installing the new one.
As long as it came with Windows 8 or 10 preinstalled, you should be fine. However, for a measure of safety, you can extract the key using this tool: http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/produkey.html A simple copy and paste to the new drive after setting everything up should do, assuming the drive itself doesn't have hardware issues.
If you're using Windows on a new drive, set up the previous drive as a backup and move your files there before switching to the new one.
You don’t need anything special right now. Just retrieve your files from the storage device and let me know if you need help with anything else.
When the ready-made system was sold, it should have included a Windows license in some form. The notion of a "key on the MB" seems unclear; it might be a mix-up with secure boot, which isn't related to product keys. If you install Windows on a machine without any prior Windows setup, you must enter the product key during installation or registration. Keep it accessible—either store it or follow the guidance from @M. Yurizaki. If there was an older installation, the setup tool should retrieve it automatically. Regarding the HD, what issues are present? Could be a corrupted file system or a damaged device. There are various methods to recover data; I’d connect it later via USB if only a few files need copying. If the drive is near failure, data recovery becomes complex; avoid connecting until you have the proper tools for recovery, as further attempts could ruin the data.
I’m ready for you. For connecting the hard drive, USB is a common option. Just make sure you use the right type of cable and plug it in properly.
Well, that was just a suggestion—or maybe a burst of inspiration. It doesn’t actually require a USB connection; anything convenient works fine. For linking a SATA drive, a USB adapter is necessary (I often need one, and they’re not expensive). Just taking the case open and inserting the drive temporarily should suffice. The key point in my revised note is whether the HD is damaged or just has a corrupted file system—this will influence the advice for data recovery.
Uncertain about the situation, but it seems this issue has occurred before with a new hard drive. It won’t start Windows, so I might use a USB adapter. Thanks! Updated May 28, 2017 by branbradmom (Forgot something)