Replacing hard drive - Seagate Barracuda 7200.12

If I purchase a bare drive, about $50. Is it possible to download the free version of Windows 10?
(I had Windows 10 installed already on the computer)

or

Is there an alternative hard drive available, which would contain pre-installed, popular programs?
(everyone HD I find, seems to be bare)

The computer is used as a workstation, networked to one other computer.

 

No, there's no such thing as a retail hard drive that comes pre-loaded with software. Would be too many combinations of destination computer to do that.

If you still have the Windows key, you should probably be able to download and install Windows on the new drive.. I don't know for sure because it's been a while since I've used Windows.

However, if your old drive still works, you could probably clone it to the new one, and just move all your data and software. It's not as simple as a direct copy but it's not incredibly complicated either.

 

Unfortunately, the old drive isn't working.

Hmmm, how about cloning the other "good" computer/HD.

 

The first question is, did you have a Windows 7/8/8.1 pre-installed on your computer. Or was it a windows 10 install from day one?
- Either way, you should be able to find the Windows Key as a sticker on the computer if it came pre-installed.
- If you did the install with your own disc, then you should have the key with the original disc.

From that point, you can do a clean install of windows 10. Just follow the recover options with Windows to download an ISO to put on a DVD or a USB.
- http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/windows-10-recovery-options
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

You can see some of the issues with installing windows 10 as a clean install at : http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/why-activate-windows-10

Best option is to install from the original version of windows and then upgrade to windows 10.

If you don't have the original discs, but you can find the windows key sticker on your computer. Go to the original manufacture of the computer and see if you can have a system install disc sent to you. Usually a small fee, but its the easy way to do it.

Last option is to just buy Windows 10, or install Ubuntu and enjoy a different OS.

 

you can clone another system, however Windows has a security feature that will detect hardware changes and will ask you to "reactivate" when used on another machine. Easy enough to get around, but a bit of a hassle. and cloning from two different sized hard drives takes a little finagling.

 

Win10 is actually pretty good about detecting that you only replaced one piece of hardware.

Often when the PC won't boot, it's just because a system file is corrupted, but you can still get all your files off it by hooking it up to a USB to SATA converter. You *might* even be able to clone it...maybe.

 

Its tends to balk at motherboard replacements...

 

That's a lot of pieces of hardware.

-jim