Moving Windows 10 Ssd To Another Pc

[byu1]

how can I use a ssd with windows 10 (supposed to be retail channel activated) on another pc?

This ssd was originalled when I updated from windows 8 to windows 10 and activated with retail license from Microsoft. I took a whole image of it to a larger ssd, and it worked fine, without need reactivate or reinstall, and I am using it now. it was on same pc.

Now I want to take the original drive for insider build. I plug the drive on my pc, then it say 'your pc need to be repaired, operating system couldn't to loaded......'

I tried the drive on another pc, it get same error.

is there a good way to solve this?

 

[Tim Locke]

The SSD is not activated, the PC is activated. This PC you are moving the disc onto is not activated.


The activation of the OS is done at Microsoft. One of the dependencies is the motherboard. The disk is fine but as soon as you try to boot on a different machine it knows it is not a valid licence. I think it is a bit more complex than that deep down but different motherboard ( aka different machine) needs different licence to run.
If you installed that SSD on a different PC and then reloaded the OS, as you have a retail copy, it would run for a while and then need you to buy a licence to keep working.

 

[Trouble]

Sorry, but it sounds to me like what you are trying to do
Using a drive with a Windows 10 install (preview or otherwise) is generally not support, with the possible exception that the two PCs are identical.
The Windows installation / activation is attached to that computer
Your explanation is not completely clear but it sounds like you want to use the drive in a different PC to install the Windows Insider Program on.
You'll likely need to install Windows 10 on that drive in that computer first before you will be able to install and activate and Insider Build.

Sorry Tim. I didn't see your post prior to adding mine.

 

[Tim Locke]

It may well be that reloading the retail licence on that new machine will enable it to get an Insider build which will run unactivated. The retail licence will load and run more than once for some time...a few days.

 

[Trouble]

It may well be that reloading the retail licence on that new machine will enable it to get an Insider build which will run unactivated

No way of knowing. He could be using a drive that was in a UEFI / GPT system and trying to boot it in a Legacy BIOS / MBR machine

'your pc need to be repaired, operating system couldn't to loaded......'

 

[Tim Locke]

I hadn't thought of that...

 

[byu1]

Let me explain a bit more. I originally had windows 8 on a regular mechanical hard drive, then I bought license from Microsoft and activated with retail license, then updated to windows 10, license shows activated. I took a whole image of the windows install to a ssd(128gb), windows 10 shows activated. I forgot which software I used.

Few months ago, I got new ssd 256gb, I took image of the windows 10 on 128gb ssd, to the new one, windows 10 still activated, the one I'm using right now. So it just a copy or the installation on the 128gb ssd, All of those on the same PC I'm using right now.

I am try to do now is 128gb ssd, as seperate operating system on the same pc, or another pc, but get same error.

 

[Grizzly]

No way of knowing. He could be using a drive that was in a UEFI / GPT system and trying to boot it in a Legacy BIOS / MBR machine

That is what I am thinking too. Usually a drive that worked in one PC would start up in another as well (It might complain that it is not activated but at least it will start). Vice versa a MBR will not start in a UEFI configuration.

@byu1 , how are your PC's setup?? as MBR/Legacy type or as UEFI/GPT type (you can find that in the BIOS). These types are NOT compatible therefore if the drive you want to use in another computer is UEFI and the computer is set to MBR/Legacy, you will get these errors.

 

[Trouble]

I am try to do now is 128gb ssd, as seperate operating system on the same pc,

Depending on how or what you used to "clone" the 128 to the 256 it may have done something to the source drive to prevent it from booting.

 

[Tim Locke]

If you don't care what is on the drive any more then I wonder if you could download an ISO of an Insider build , put it on a thumb drive and boot from it. The OOBE should, I think, then format the drive to match the uefi or bios and load W10 on it.

 

[byu1]

That is what I am thinking too. Usually a drive that worked in one PC would start up in another as well (It might complain that it is not activated but at least it will start). Vice versa a MBR will not start in a UEFI configuration.

@byu1 , how are your PC's setup?? as MBR/Legacy type or as UEFI/GPT type (you can find that in the BIOS). These types are NOT compatible therefore if the drive you want to use in another computer is UEFI and the computer is set to MBR/Legacy, you will get these errors.

how can I tell it is legacy or UEFI?

I also tried to use visual bcd editor, copy set of current windows 10 set, and just change the drive letter. it didn't work.

 

[Trouble]

I am try to do now is 128gb ssd, as seperate operating system on the same pc

IF it won't work on the PC you removed it from, when it is the only drive in the computer and it's attached to SATA 0 as before, then there is something wrong with it, like......
It is no longer marked as active, or it no longer has the BCD (boot configuration data) necessary or it was wiped by the clone process.

 

[byu1]

The SSD is not activated, the PC is activated. This PC you are moving the disc onto is not activated.

The activation of the OS is done at Microsoft. One of the dependencies is the motherboard. The disk is fine but as soon as you try to boot on a different machine it knows it is not a valid licence. I think it is a bit more complex than that deep down but different motherboard ( aka different machine) needs different licence to run.
If you installed that SSD on a different PC and then reloaded the OS, as you have a retail copy, it would run for a while and then need you to buy a licence to keep working.

you are right. The SSD is not activated, the PC is activated

I plugged the drive into another pc and boot directly from it. windows 10 booted correctly, every working fine. windows is NOT activated now. I noticed there was 2 items in boot menu both windows 10, one of them is empty and not working, when I click on it I get the error, maybe that caused the problem. I just removed it.

So the windows license activate to the PC. what happened if you I change a new motherboard new CPU? I have to buy a new license?

 

[Tim Locke]

If you change the motherboard the machine is no longer activated. I'm not sure about the CPU but it would seem likely that changing cpu would do it. MS assume, reasonably, that a new motherboard is really a new machine and should get a new licence.

You can call Microsoft and if you have a good explanation as to why you changed those things they sometimes will reactivate the machine. If your licence is a retail one they are, i've heard, more likely to reactivate that if it is an OEM one which is tied to the machine it was originally activated on. I have done this but is was a long time ago and longer before Windows 10. ( A capacitor blew in the PSU and nearly set fire to the motherboard)

 

[byu1]

If you change the motherboard the machine is no longer activated. I'm not sure about the CPU but it would seem likely that changing cpu would do it. MS assume, reasonably, that a new motherboard is really a new machine and should get a new licence.

You can call Microsoft and if you have a good explanation as to why you changed those things they sometimes will reactivate the machine. If your licence is a retail one they are, i've heard, more likely to reactivate that if it is an OEM one which is tied to the machine it was originally activated on. I have done this but is was a long time ago and longer before Windows 10. ( A capacitor blew in the PSU and nearly set fire to the motherboard)

I think windows 10 activation now is tied up to Microsoft account and email. reactivate is through that?

yes, windows 8 had different in OEM and retail, you can take retail installs to run on other pc, OEM drives would not run when you to other pc. I tried that before. windows 10 iso from Microsoft and insider builds iso don't have OEM, all disc run the same.

 

[denis lacroix]

yes windows 10 its inside your email store account now

but when you change hard drive from computer its working habitually but sometime if your hardware its too mutch different it crash... but 90% of time its working and he reinstall driver auto

maybe between amd and intel switch he have a hard time

 

[davehc]

"If you change the motherboard the machine is no longer activated"

There were many complaints regarding this procedure. Among many others, I was tied up with interchange with MS on the subject.
It particularly related to the selling of a secondhand machine and, therefore, sacrificing your Win 10 installation.
As a result, it is now, as byu1 states, tied up with your account. Not sure, though, if this is particularly an MS account. I see no reason why it should no apply to a local account also.