SOLVED Install Windows 7 on another HD after Windows 10 Upgrade

[AGB]

I have a Toshiba Satellite L755 with Windows 10 Upgraded from Windows 7 SP2 HP when it could be done at no charge or purchase of a new Product Key. What I need to know is that a fellow employee has the same series Toshiba that I have but he doesn’t want to upgrade to Windows 10 and has an internal DVD/Blu Ray. The Blu Ray doesn’t play but the DVD’s do. I tried different programs that play Blu Ray and when they play they do so with pixilation. I had to return his Laptop because he needed it. What I want to do is take my existing Hard Drive With the Windows 10 out of my laptop and put in another Hard Drive and using the Toshiba Recovery Disk, install the Windows 7 OS on it To see if I can figure out what is going on and why the Blu Ray discs aren’t playing right. My question is, is that I know I will have to put in a new or different Product Key for the Windows 7 OS. But will that affect the Windows 10 OS when I put that Hard Drive back in and will it deactivate that Product Key. Or would that be like booting to another drive without any problems when I change out the Drives?

 

[Grizzly]

Since your laptop had Windows 7 HP originally on it you should have a CoA on the bottom of the laptop with the serial key belonging to your laptop. That way you would not have to have a different key for installing your original system again. Here is what I usually do when I upgrade to a newer system: I keep my old system on the original HDD (updated every month of course) and make a clone from where I upgraded to the newer system (in this case the free upgrade to windows 10). That way I get a digital license with Microsoft for Windows 10 and can delete the clone and install a clean install.
If you install your old system again it will not influence your digital entitlement for Windows 10 at all (for your laptop of course). Even if you swap back the old drive with the upgrade to windows 10, your license is still intact. What you cannot do is put your old drive in your fellow employees laptop as the hardware token is different and can negate the license.

 

[AGB]

Thanks for your reply. I just want to mimic his laptop as close as I can to see why the blu ray won't play. I tried all suggestions that Toshiba and Google had with no luck.
I have no problem with the cloning, but are you saying if I clone the Drive with 10 on it with all the latest upgrades then take the cloned drive and put it in I can do a clean install to Windows 7 and it will pick up the original CoA product key and when you say delete the clone do you mean just do a normal format without deleting any of the hidden partitions?

 

[Grizzly]

Ohhhh, ok. Looks like I have completely missunderstood.
If you can clone his HDD and stuff it in your laptop it should negate the digital license but gives you ample opportunity to find out why the blueray is not playing. This is an older model laptop so there may be some hardware limits involved.I am thinking (since you said it plays but with pixelation) that either the drive or the main board per se may not be capable (respective barely meet minimum requirements) to play BR's. A firmware update for the BR-drive may help if available....
Sorry for my missunderstanding........

 

[AGB]

No I'm the one who didn't explain it right. I'm not going to clone his HDD and put it in mine, I'm going to clone mine and take the original out and put in the cloned one and then I think you said, if I understood right that I could delete the cloned drive (format the primary part I'm thinking) and Install Windows 7HP and try to mimic his drive as much as possible to see why the Blu Ray part won't play right (pixelizes). I happened to have the exact same model number Bu ray/DVD Drive as his. (internal that is) I don't use that laptop that much anymore anyway. I just like to keep it as a backup for incase my desktop takes a crash.

 

[Grizzly]

well, even if you install Windows 7 again to test the BR capability, its not the same as clone his HDD. Your installation might get a complete different result. That is why I suggested to clone HIS drive. Then you have the exact same preferences as he has except you do not have to use his laptop. To evaluate the problem you need to have the same conditions so you can replicate the problem. A new install will not create the same conditions.
I hope I was able to clarify....

 

[AGB]

It just so happened that when I had his HDD I did clone it figuring that when I figured out the problem I would get his Laptop back and work on it. I tried what you suggested and put the cloned HDD into my Toshiba L755 from his L770. It worked after some of the drivers had to be reinstalled or updated. The only thing lost was the Activation Key. I happened to have a couple of older Toshiba Laptops that Has Windows HP and the stickers on the bottom. I just picked one of the Product Keys and selected the "Change Activation Key" option where it said "Windows Not Activated" and Wa La it worked. So now I can experiment with it until I find a solution. Thanks For you input. I am going to mark this a solved.

 

[Grizzly]

Glad to be of help, even though it took a while to get on the same page