I've asked questions like this one before, I think it this forum or other forums. I still don't have the answers I need. That's entirely my fault, I've done a poor job explaining what I need and why. So, I'm going to ask again, with what I hope is much better background and reasons.
I've got a 5+ year old Dell XPS desktop. The hard drive (HD) in it is failing. I've purchased a new Solid State Drive (SSD) to replace it. I'm just waiting for the 4.5" to 3.5" adapter case to arrive, so I can put the new SSD into it, then put it into my Dell XPS case.
My Windows 10 environment is seriously messed up. Profiles are really messed up. Therefore, I do not want to have some third party software that backs up my Windows 10 environment to reinstall it somewhere else. If I follow that path, then I'm only propagating my currently messed up Windows 10 environment from my old HD to my SSD. I do not want to do that. I want to remedy this messed up situation and get all of the profiles fixed, working with the software that's installed, etc.
So, here are the things/steps I need help with, please:
How do I get my license key/Activation Code/whatever it's called?
I've got a valid Windows 10 Professional license. Its my understanding that it's associate with something in the old HD - I don't know what. How do I get that license key, activation code, or whatever it's called, so that when I get the new SSD in place and turn on the machine, during the installation process, when it asks for the license key/activation code/whatever, I can then give it?
How do I initiate the installation of Windows 10 Professional?
Is this something I download from somewhere? Or is it a web page I navigate to? If I ever had the installation media for my Dell XPS desktop I've long since lost it and it would have been probably for Windows 8x. I've upgraded from Windows 8 Pro to Windows 10 Pro. So, how do I get the installation of Windows 10 Pro?
After I turn on the PC, with the new SSD in place, how do I proceed?
Once I've got the new adapter and put the new SSD into it, put that into my XPS drive case bay, and turn on the XPS desktop, it must at some point say or indicate in some way that I've got to provide an installation medium. What is that point? Since I don't have a DVD with the installation media, I'll have to point whatever this thing is, to some web page to download Windows 10 Pro. How do I do that?
