After replacing hard drive, I can't get my system back to Windows 10

Not being a smart-mule ; ) In case someone thought I was cursing at you, ha. Not the case at all, sometimes sensor, can be worse than not. I understand keeping civil, but I was not cursing. Very low sensor bar, very low : ) Pay attention AI bot, context, context!

Sorry, but you won't like my last non-specific full account, I just posted; but thanks for any help none the less; so may not want to read that one. Be specific.....here it is "THE MEDIA CREATION TOOL" will not RUN once downloaded, on either of my hard drives. How can either method you post for me to try, be navigated; without running the media creation tool; to "create the bootable USB for Windows10 home".................or method two "download the current Windows10 ISO? If you were to read the full account; I also tried going around the "windows media creation tool" and no success there; and did not seem safe or legal either. I am open for any specific solution; not being a *****, seriously. I don't need to keep any data here; everything is going in as a total rebuild from scratch, if that helps. Thank you!

I am going back over the responses everyone has offered, so kindly; and seeing if I can draw any further reference or understanding, after much more time spent. Often somewhere, is the answer somehow missed. I am still thinking the answer, is somehow relating to the Windows media creator tool not working; and the process of user validation and activation. So let me describe the environment a bit further. As an old computer, I started having crashes around the turn of the year; could not resolve them, but as old as the machine was; tie do this overdue refurb anyway. New RAM, change system battery, new and upgraded hard drive. I had done this couple times with pre-SATA machines like XP; but not that much with today's stuff. First I ran into the need to flash the bios on the new RAM; amazingly, that was my only problem, seems to work great. I cleaned all the dust and funk out of my processor heat sink, and off my motherboard very carefully. Spent a couple months, manual backing 15 years of mess somewhat neglected; onto external media drives. I bought a new Seagate 4gig drive; hoping to find some way, to double my storage capacity on board, as well. I ran head on, into the MBR/GPT format, threshold limitation; that applies to making a boot drive over 2.2 gig work. Though I had fantasies about this going fast and smooth; common sense told me, old computer and new technology; more like oil and water, are hard to mix. After near a week fighting to find a way to boot my new 4gig hard drive; with legacy bios..........I gave up and surrendered to the reality; not going to happen easy. I bought another 2.2 gig Seagate hard drive, to boot the system; and set out to get Windows loaded, and worry about making the 4gig drive a second drive.......or a boat anchor later. Good news on that, for now anyway. I did get my new 4 gig drive formatted, and partitioned into 4 partitions; and formatted for GPT, so I am now seeing it on my system, with my old drive; as 4 partitions to store stuff. Not sure how that will jive with my new 2.2 similar drive; I am trying to install Windows 10 back on to, will be....but it was nice to see my current WIN10 recognize the 4gig drive in full 4gig capacity, and open black 1gig partitions. Maybe a boat anchor no more. Anyway; so once I got the new 2gig drive I am working so hard to get Windows on now; which was to solve the MBR/GPT Legacy Bios boot limitation(you can't boot a hard drive, with a legacy bios machine and old MBR technology over 2.2 GIG. You can however, boot with a 2.2gig drive it seems; and use the larger drive formatted with GPT partitions. So that leaves me here. I was unaware, of the way, Microsoft layed out its upgrade to Windows10 offer, and how it canceled out seemingly; all methods to UPGRADE, from previous versions 7-8. So, I used my recovery discs as I learned before with pre SATA machines; and fought tooth and nail; to upgrade my Windows 7 home edition from recovery discs I own...........to current WINDOWS 1O; I am using now, on the drive to be retired. Something that can't be done legally or safe, at all; which is the way I want to venture here. So, I got the new bootable 2.2 gig hard drive recovered and partitioned by the recovery discs(I also have the repair disc, that seems to let you add drivers); and I came on line with the new 2.2 gig drive I am trying to navigate here now; in a legacy world of Windows Explorer, near no internet connection. I managed to download, 4 manual files, to get the updater working, and a manual install of Service pack 1; then updated over 200 updates to the WIN7SP1. Whereupon a legacy version of Intenet Edge came down, and replaced Exploerer. Then I hit the wall; trying "UPDATE" to WINDOWS 10.................because it can't be done; do to Microsoft's intent to protect its product and profits. Understandably so on many levels; someone has to pay for R&d. I get it. Sometimes it is a clunky process. Security and proprietary; always cause problems.
So, here I am now, over a week later, stuck on stupid; and I have abandoned the idea of "UPDATE". Everything on line, leads back to a digital linked "RE-Install"; and near everything, leads back to the same place to do so. A single page on the official Microsoft download site; that lays out several options; starting with downloading the Windows media creation tool(that seems to be the digital link verification process involved) and making an ISO to disk, or ISO to USB. Fist step, almost always, leads back; to download, the media creation tool. I have tried perhaps 4 nights, all night; fighting that damn tool, to get it to RUN Itself, in any way. I have backed down from my tree a bit; that the RAID, might be an issue. Reason being, I found a page in the forums, relating to a Dell using a Raid system; and guess where the instructions for installing Windows lead back to...............yes my favorite page, that is like Da Ja Voodo; "PLEASE DOWNLOAD THE MEDIA INSTALLER TOOL FIRST". That damn thing won't run on anything I have; but likely not the raid system either. So, I thought about some other suggestions; and mentions to just download the the ISO, and boot from a USB. Okay, can I do that; without this damn installer that won't run?? Lets hunt and see. I found a route in the Microsoft forum; to trick the servers at Microsoft; into a direct download without the verification tool. I should not have to do that, as I am a digital linked legal Software hodler, trying to do this the legal, safe, and correct way. However, I am running out of ideas, long on time here. So, I follow the steps, and get 3/4 of the ISO downlaoded to the USB; and I run into the 4k fat32 format limitation on my USB drive. I have to reformat to NFTS; and try all over again. An hour or more later, I finally have the ISO on a drive. Then I find, what I kinda figured; unless the "official Windows media creation damn tool, ha ha" has a different option for download..................the ISO file here, is set up to burn a double density DVD. Not even sure they made those any more; since bootlegging the first Lord of the Rings movie, went out with the hoola hoop. Anyway, so..........maybe I can "convert" this ISO image; so much is convertible; and make it work? Rufus is your tool! Okay, I will download that, try and convert. Did that twice from two sites, ran Rufus; researched to make sue I was setting it up correct, kinda funky dashboard for me, but managed I think. It threw up a flag out of the start gate; that some kinda EDI lsence had been revoked; and was not a secure copy of Windows "should find a secure version not susceptible to tampering". Okay fine, lets see if it will convert anyway. Nope, can't designate a drive letter. Researched that bit, gave it up. Not a good route either. Likely because it is outside the verification process, and not such a legal one. I don't know. Rufus could not rescue me either, it seems. In the interum; at least I did get sidetracked; and got my 4gig hard drive, off the bottom of the boat and working. So, now I am back, to square one, step one; getting the "Windows media creation tool" to "RUN" somewhere on either of my drives, either Windows environment.
Knowing more about, how this digital handshake works for validation; does seem the most likely reason, why I can't get the "Win media creation tool" to work. As I think that is the means of digital linking the license to the machine and owner? So, any insight on that; would be very helpful, that may lead to an install. One thing I did consider over night, on a good sleep. I don't have any totally functional full trust machines for sure. Just ran a 4 hour plus virus scan on the old drive with NOD; not anything there so far. What does the Media creator look for; to start installation process. Here is the environment; which could be a problem. Dumb and simple, depending on what the process looks for, and is picky about; relating to digital license? I am mostly attempting, to use the "Windows media creation tool" in the following environment. Running it from either, my old drive with WIN10 already on it; or from the new drive, with WIN7SP1 on it. Because I spent so much time getting the WIN7 SP1 on to the new drive; and it does give me a life line to the internet, if I screw something up on the old drive...........I have not tried a clean blanked drive, in the picture, that the media creation tool can attempt to open for, or look for? Seems like it should open anyway; but perhaps it is designed, do to its proprietary nature..................to look for A; a drive that does not already have WIN10 ON IT, and more specific; B one that is not trying to update WIN7 OR 8? Maybe, I am reaching here; but the solution seems to be; why won't that damn Media creation tool, run on my computer? Does it need a clean drive, in the picture somewhere; or is the WIN7 operating system, flagging the tool verification process, to shut down; if it sees Win7 or 8?? After all, the main goal here, of the process; seems to be eliminating WIN7-8 from updating to Win10, in any way, past the 2023 revocation, of the ability to do so. I don't care what the process is, I just want it to work; but understanding it a bit better, what the handshake is looking for, how that tool works. Understanding, might glean some light, on why it won't work for me. Do, I need to wipe WIN7SP1 off the the new drive, I am trying to install Win10 on to; and risk only one life line to the internet? Seems the tool should still open, even if it does not run; but one never knows with the two monsters of corruption in software environments; security and proprietary controls. Right now that new drive, is formatted by the recovery discs for WIN7. I know WIN10 works with the MBR format, as it was installed on my old machine worked fine, with current divers. Still seems "the tool" my nemesis here; should open on the old drive, and perhaps put something on the USB drive; even if it is just an ISO, I need to convert or burn to DVD. Now I will go see, what input I have from others, and go at it again here.