Windows 10: Temporary Hard Drive installing windows

QUESTION: If I install Windows and use a new key on a hard drive that is only going to be used temporarily while my laptop is having repairs done, will that wipe or otherwise ruin the Windows installation on my real hard drive when I put that back in? As I understand it, for HP Envy laptops with Windows preinstalled, the Windows key linked to the BIOS chip on my motherboard.


BACKGROUND INFO: I have to send my computer away for warranty repairs, and being a hobbyist techie myself I've already run diagnostics and determined the fan is going out, the heat sync isn't working well anymore, and the power housing is no longer good.


Because I have confidential information on my hard drive, I'm removing it in preparation for sending it out for repairs as I would open myself up to legal trouble with my clients if that information were ever in the hands of a third party.


The warranty repair company are jerks and having removed a hard drive for a previous repair they did, informed me when I scheduled the work that if my computer didn't have a hard drive they would return it without doing any repairs even though they have plenty of testing hard drives that they could and have used on previous occasions.


I have purchased a new hard drive to put in for temporary use, and I also have a Windows key through work that I never had occasion to use until now.

:)

 

Hard drive/ OS issue

a guy suggested :

• shutdown
• unhooked HDD
• restarted
• yay !!
• reconnected HDD
• restarted
• yay !!

also , try method 3
How do I unlock the drive where Windows 10 is installed?

 

windows xp installation and dual core am

could someone please list the steps they follow to install windows with a dual core processor and windows xp service pack to. I'm reletively new to amd dual core and i feel i'm missing a step. All help will be appreciated. thanx

 

Replacing old hard drive, need way to copy Windows installation across

Hey Guys,
What would be the best way of copying/imaging the entire contents of an old system drive over to a replacement hard disk for the same machine? I need to copy the Windows installations and all other data to the new drive, and then format the old drive to use as a backup.

Any suggestions? *Smile