Windows 10: I use my Windows profile with license key on 2 hard drives but how can I use only one?

because I have the same profile and the same license key my PC needs both hard drives to boot how can I use the new one without using the other one that I have my main account on the new hard drive and on the old one any account

Or is this only possible with 2 license keys

:)

 

Determining if I can use my product key for new build

So I currently have a Windows 8 Pro key that I bought in 2012 at Microsoft's official store for €30 (promotion for eligible people who had xp, vista, or win 7 - I had win 7), which further down the line gave me the free upgrade option to windows 10.

It's only been used on the computer I am using now (so only 1), and when I do "slmgr -dli" in cmd, the prompt shows: "Windows(R) Professional Edition, Description: Windows(R) Professional Edition, RETAIL channel, Partial Product Key: XXXXX, License Status: Licensed".

Question is: can I deactivate the key on this computer, and reactivate it on my to-be new build? Also, do I need my new windows 10 product key (if there is one - can't seem to find it on my computer), or do I just use the Win 8 Pro key that I have when I reactivate windows 10 for the new build?

Found an insane amount of conflicting information regarding this questions when I googled it, so I got no clue what website or article to believe.

Any help is greatly appreciated! *Smile

 

How can I access/change my Bitlocker password for my external hard drive?

Hi AveryDavis,

Thank you for posting to Microsoft Community.

Is this an external hard drive or an internal hard drive into which the Windows 10 is installed in?

I can understand how important the hard drive is for you. If the hard drive was encrypted with a BitLocker, it can only be opened with the BitLocker key. This is because the hard drive will be encrypted with respect to the BitLocker and cannot be accessed
on a different system without the key.

If you have not set the BitLocker key, the' Secure Boot' settings may be toggled to 'Disabled', which may be causing this issue. You can check that from the steps below.

1. Power the device 'Off' and then back 'On'.
2. You should be able to find a message on the boot screen just before the manufacturer logo appears. You may need to press the ‘F1’, ‘F2’, or ‘Delete’ button, this is usually indicated on the boot screen.
3. Enter the BIOS settings, look for a tab called 'BOOT' and select that page.
4. Depending on the BIOS manufacturer, this page could be 'BOOT', 'ADVANCED', 'STARTUP', etc.
5. Look for a setting for the 'UEFI Secure Boot'. Each BIOS could have a different name for this. These are the keywords to look for: 'UEFI', 'Secure Boot', 'Legacy Boot'.
6. Toggle the 'Secure Boot' setting to 'Enabled' and attempt to boot the machine.

However, if the BitLocker is set and the password is not known, you can refer this article on ‘Find
my BitLocker recovery key’. If you do not have the BitLocker password or the recovery key, the only option would be to proceed with formatting the hard drive to access it and if Windows was installed on this drive, a reinstallation of Windows.

Note: Formatting the hard drive will delete all its contents.

Hope it helps.

Aaron Summith

Microsoft Community – Moderator

 

Can I use windows 10 OEM on my other PC?

1.) What if I upgrade my existing build with a new motherboard? Is there a way to transfer the license unto the new one?

2.) I see. I'm assuming if two computers use the same license at the same time the license will be invalidated, that correct?