Fresh install?

[SupremeMeechus]

Hey yall, I have the Pavilion Gaming Desktop TG01-0170m CTO and it came with an HDD. I am buying an 1tb SSD so I can install windows on it. Do I need my product key? Do I need to format the drive? Do I need to Log out of my Microsoft account before I do the fresh installation? Will I have the Nvidia Control Panel and GeForce Experience or do I need to install that myself?

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

I recommend that you use the HP cloud recovery tool to create a bootable USB recovery drive that will reinstall W10, the drivers and the software that originally came with your PC.

Here is an info link for how to use the utility...

HP Consumer PCs - Using the HP Cloud Recovery Tool (Windows 10, 7) | HP® Customer Support

I would unplug the hard drive when using the cloud recovery tool or it will reinstall W10 on the hard drive.

Also if you plan on using the hard drive for storage, you will need to remove Windows from the drive or the PC will always want to boot from the hard drive.

If you would rather clean install W10 on the drive, you don't need a product key because it is in your PC's BIOS.

[hwsense]

I have done this in the past a few times, and the Win 10 key is associated with the motherboard, you can install Windows on a fresh new drive and it will pick it up from the motherboard. If you have concerns about that, just get one of those software tools that will show you your current key and write it down for later. 

[SupremeMeechus]

Thank you The first sentence sums it all up. Did you use the HP recovery tool or something else? I am gonna use the HP Tool, just to be safe because I never done anything like this.

[SupremeMeechus]

Thanks I will most certainly use what you recommended.

[SupremeMeechus]

One question. Does it Install windows on the New SSD instead of the HDD? Is that why you said unplug the HDD?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Yes, the cloud recovery tool will install W10 on the hard drive instead of the SSD if the hard drive is plugged in.

In the event the cloud recovery tool doesn't work on the SSD then you will have to resort to doing a clean install of W10.

[SupremeMeechus]

Ignore the other reply I wasn't reading all the way. Do I unplug the old HDD when the recovery tool is done doing its thing?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

No.

You unplug the HDD, install the SSD, and then use the cloud recovery tool on the SSD with the HDD disconnected.

If the SSD boots up after the tool does its thing, then you are good to go.

But when you plug the hard drive back in, you can expect the PC to boot from the hard drive, and not the SSD.

That is why you need to remove Windows from the hard drive.

[SupremeMeechus]

I see what you are saying. I was gonna buy a flash drive and get the windows 10 installation media and do a clean install.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10