Windows 10: Swapping HD drive licensing query

Discus and support Swapping HD drive licensing query in Windows 10 Installation and Upgrade to solve the problem; Ok. I have an HP machine with a brand new replacement SSD 500 drive (win pro). All licenced etc The machine is playing up so have bought an identical... Discussion in 'Windows 10 Installation and Upgrade' started by Tanya, Nov 16, 2019.

  1. Tanya Win User

    Swapping HD drive licensing query


    Ok.
    I have an HP machine with a brand new replacement SSD 500 drive (win pro). All licenced etc

    The machine is playing up so have bought an identical model as a replacement. This come with 1tb HHD and freshly installed win10 home with licence.

    I want the 500 to be the boot drive in my machine running win 10 pro.
    I want the ITB to be a backup drive (however i wont wipe it until I know everything works with my set up)

    is it just a case of installing the smaller drive and ensuring the cables are correct etc?

    or will the replacement machine get confused over the licensing and not like me trying to activate winpro?

    ty in advance

    :)
     
    Tanya, Nov 16, 2019
    #1
  2. topgundcp Win User

    Cloning to SSD then swapping drive letters


    @SamHobbs
    What you want done is very simple and can be done in short period of time. Here's my suggestion:
    There's 2 modes that Windows can be installed: UEFI and the old legacy MBR. Open Disk Management, look at the disk where your C drive is, if there's a
    1. EFI System Partition, your Windows was installed using UEFI.
    2. System Reserved partition, your Windows was installed using MBR
    Next, Connect your SSD to an available Sata port (no need to format or do anything). Download: Macrium Reflect Free . Install and run. Follow the steps below:
    1. From Macrium, click on image this disk under your C drive and save it to either an Internal or External Drive. This will create a single backup image of the whole disk containing your C drive.
    2. Again, from Macrium, click on Restore tab and select the image created from step 1, Select your SSD as the destination drive, click Next->Finish
    3. Exit Macrium. If your Windows was installed using MBR, Open disk management and make sure the SSD is marked "Active" else go to next step.
    4. Shutdown your PC. Disconnect the HD containing Windows C drive then connect your SSD to it.
    5. Reboot. Your PC should boot and the Windows should have C as the drive letter.

    NOTE: The procedure above is to backup your Windows to an image file then copy it back to the SSD. This ensures proper cluster size aligment for the SSD. In addition, Macrium also perform Trimming for the SSD. This is more preferable than cloning.
     
    topgundcp, Nov 16, 2019
    #2
  3. Rohn007 Win User
    Swapping licenses

    You can't "swap" your Win 10 license to "upgrade" back to Win 7.

    You can BUY a new Windows 7 license (if you can find one) and install it, wiping out your Win 10 installation. But that will wipe all of your installed applications and personal data files! And as Dave pointed out, you first have to make sure you can find the
    required Win 7 drivers for your hardware.

    50 GB should be adequate if you use the cloud or an external drive to store your personal files.

    This article includes several ways to free up space on your drive.

    HD CLEAN UP / DISK CLEAN / (WIKI IN DEVEL)

    https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/for...
     
    Rohn007, Nov 16, 2019
    #3
  4. Nikhar_K Win User

    Swapping HD drive licensing query

    Error: problem with this drive. Scan the drive now and fix it when connecting an HD drive

    Hi,



    Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.



    To get a clear picture of the issue, we will need the following details:



    • When exactly are you receiving the error message?
    • Have you tried connecting the drive to any other USB port?
    • Are you able to access the drive on any other computer?
    • What is the make and model of the computer and the HD drive?


    In the meantime, I suggest you to refer the troubleshooting steps mentioned below:



    You can scan the drive for errors by following the steps mentioned below and see if that helps:



    1. Press Windows key + E, to open
      File Explorer
      .
    2. Click on This PC on the left pane.
    3. Right click on the HD Drive and select
      Properties.
    4. Click on Tools tab, under
      Error Checking
      click on Check. This will scan the drive for error and fix them.
    Note: If any bad sectors are found on the hard drive while Windows try to repair the sectors, data on the sectors might be lost.



    Please reply with the status of the issue, we will be glad to help you further.



    Regards,

    Nikhar Khare

    Microsoft Community - Moderator
     
    Nikhar_K, Nov 16, 2019
    #4
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Swapping HD drive licensing query

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