Windows 10: Running two Windows 10

There was no way to take ownership..Windows could not access the drive in any way.

 

Procedure for hiding Vista volumes on a multi.doc

I have attached a Word document. Someone else will have to help with instructions, but you can define the other drive in the registry and set it to visible on boot. I did this procedure in reverse to hide some Vista volumes from XP (Volume shadow copy problem solution when dual booting Vista and XP). This should give you some pretty good hints on where to look. As always, these kinds of changes can render a computer unusable if they aren't done carefully. Having said that the reverse process might work for you. Don't try it if you haven't gotten past Regedit 101. Click on the blue link above to read the doc. Not everything in it matters.

 

Hi there

consider THIS : say you take a backup and then apply some updates. You could have legally TWO copies of windows on the same computer -- no problems at all with dual booting that configuration -- it's the same windows licence on the same machine -- and in any case you might want to do that while testing your update so you could compare functionality in the two versions of the OS. (IMO a VM is a better way of doing that actually but that's another story).

So long as you don't RUN concurrently the two os'es on the same machine then it's 100% legal.

Same would apply to 32 and 64 bit os - if you could activate them -- as the serial nr is the same it might work but I don't have a 32 bit version of W10 to test.

Cheers
jimbo

 

The above is patently not true and never has been. The license reads

"Multiple versions. If when acquiring the software you were provided with multiple versions (such as 32-bit and 64-bit versions), you may install and activate only one of those versions at a time."

It says nothing about "running." The argument "I can only run one at a time" has been around forever and wrong for just as long. It is the least original argument on the planet.

 

This would be against the law.

 

Hi there
are you actually saying that RESTORING an old backup (because say an update hasn't worked or you have got a Virus / Malware on your machine) is NOT legal.

If that were really true pretty well ANY I.T organisation on the planet is then breaking the law if they restore back to an earlier version (it happens a LOT in large organisations).

Of course you can restore a previous version and run it. To even suggest otherwise is so idiotic it's not even worth commenting on.

Cheers
jimbo

 

I don't think you get it. You can restore (one system) but you can't have 2 installs licensed on the same key.

Sure you can swap disks (this is normal) but you can't install with the same key Windows on more than one machine. You can't install therefore your upgrade on VMWare and Hyper-V.

Sure you can fiddle it but it is against the rules (of MS and this forum).

If you are a home user your can native boot a VHD because (and only because) your underlying OS is accepted by the MS activation servers anyway. To run it as a VM you need another license.

 

I had legit copy of window 7 64bit on one drive and legit copy of windows 8.1(32bit) on another..MS sent me offer to upgrade on each OS.
Went with Windows 10 64bit where the 64bit windows 7 was and 32bit where the windows 8.1 was. I didn't think I broke any rules.

 

No, you didn't break any rules. Your hardware is registered. 32/64 bit is not differentiated - only Pro or Home is interesting and that comes from the key or your previous installed version.

 

Both 7 and 8.1 were qualified and each was licensed accordingly when upgraded to 10. Running two licensed copies of 10 is NOT the same as running two instances on the same license.

 

the op never ,ever said he was using the same key for 32 and 64 bit install , posters jumping to conclusions did ...,and to holding discussion of doing so in op's thread is of no help to him/her at all !!

 

He said he didn't think he broke any rules and I assured him he didn't.

 

Ditto

 

I'll wait until more updates are out before trying to run 10 on two drives. Thanks for all the information...