No, you don't need to remove Windows from your hard drive. You can keep it installed while using other software.
No, you don't need to remove Windows from your hard drive. You can keep it installed while using other software.
Is this drive your primary storage? If yes, remove the partitions via Windows Installer and reinstall. For storage use, format it after your new Windows boots up.
Consider adding this note to your troubleshooting list. If the issue involves a hard drive, you might need to replace the entire system if it's a X64 setup—just update the Serial key in the settings. It’s recommended to perform a clean installation and reinstall drivers afterward to avoid future problems. There are plenty of guides available for Windows installation now.
To set up Windows 10 on a new drive, you can start by installing it there first. Once that's done, you can later replace the old drive and reinstall Windows without having any duplicate copies active. You don't have to remove Windows from its current location before moving it—just ensure it's not already running on the new drive.
Follow @Lurick’s advice and install first, then clear your old storage drive. This ensures you have a backup in case the installation goes wrong. The activation code for your W10 might differ based on whether you used an OEM key, which can affect whether you need to contact Microsoft. Windows sometimes struggles with new hardware, even on the same system, because activation depends on the motherboard. Changing the motherboard (or sometimes just the CPU) can cause Windows to think it’s not fully activated. W10 appears to be more forgiving when reactivating on different hardware, though it might still have some quirks.