Windows 10: Clone Win10 pro SSD Questions

Hello everyone! I'm new here and so far, have done five successful upgrades from Win7 Pro to Win10 Pro. All activated fine. These were fresh installs to new SSDs using the old Win7 Pro keys entered during installation or embedded bios .

My question is for two identical desktops. Both had valid Windows 7 Pro licenses.

The first one works fine, was activated using a cat5 connection. I cloned it and installed it in a second machine with a wireless connection.

I changed the second machine's name and user name and entered a new product key...or so I thought. It's been working great for almost a month. Several updates have been installed.

HOWEVER, ProduKey reveals that the product key I thought I successfully inserted didn't "take". The key from the first desktop is there, so I now both desktops have identical product keys.

So, can anyone give me some guidance on the best option to choose?

1) A fresh installation to another SSD, activate it, and take another 4 hours of time installing all my programs?

2) Same as # 1, but after activation is done, attempt to change the product key AGAIN in the cloned disk? My logic here is that once the second key is activated, it will remain valid in case I choose option #3.

3) Just attempt to change the product key in the clone again? (I'm afraid of doing so in case this would result in invalidating my second machine's key) What did I screw up the first time-maybe not using a utility to wipe out the SID?

I did search for answers but couldn't find anything specific for this scenario.

Thanks in advance, and sorry for the long post!!

:)

 

Moving to SSD. Clone or not to clone?

I kinda agree with you, but on a wholr, do not. While I have done things a bit differently than this specific situation, by installing Windows directly to the SSD, and cloning after, my testing shows that there are no issues doing this, very little that can go wrong, provided your system is stable.

There are certain features that must be disabled in this situation, like auto defrag and such, but even with a fresh install to the SSD, you need to take steps to ensure that you SSD performs properly, regardless of how the data got there.

Arming yourself with a bit of knowledge can go a long way.

Installing the latest chipset driver, and the RST Tools, will ensure optimal performance of the SSD. but rather than taking my advice, I suggest the OP takes a look here:

http://blogs.dirteam.com/blogs/sand...7-and-ssds-to-clone-windows-or-reinstall.aspx

Installing The SSD - Install A Solid State Drive In Your Notebook | Tom's Hardware

Keep in mind, also, Digibucc, that many retail drives include software and such that very specifically is to be used to ttranser the OS from an existing mechanical drive to an SSD, and if there really was alot fo issues stemming from the cloning process, they would not have packages like that, simply to eliminate tech support costs. While not the optimal option, cloning is NOT a bad thing, as long as you take the nessecary steps.

 

Win10: windows update stuck at never ending loop ?

When in win10:

• Update&security -> Windows update -> Finding update... .... .... ....

Planning to download the latest Win10.ISO (vers.1803) and manually update:
- Then wait that my ordered new SSD arrives and clone the old HDD to it.

 

Moving to SSD. Clone or not to clone?

Part of how I keep my SSD fast is to clone it to a platter drive, then clone back. You just want to make sure that you are only cloning teh used space, and not the empty space.


So, again, I isntall Windows to the ssd. Clone to platter drive, then clone back.

I am not sure why, but if I do not do the clone step, the drive's speed, and windows booting, decreases substantially within a week or so.

I am using a Corsair F60 SSD and a Western Digital 500AAKS as drives, and using the free version of Acronis that WD provides, if any of that matters. I am not sure, at this point.