Windows 10: Upgraded to 10 pro from 8.1 pro, then cloned and it all works

I took my 8.1 pro install and did a media tools upgrade from MS and said upgrade this PC, for an optiplex 755 6gb ram, core2duo 2.2ghz etc...

Then I wanted to clone win10 for a backup, but the machine only has one sata ability being a mini pc. So I took an emachines T3616 with everything different with AMD 64 bit CPU, it redetects hardware and boots fine.

Then I used this and made a copy without resize, Clone disk by using the best partition manager - Partition Wizard
It had to shut down to do the copy. EaseUS failed the copy, but minitool suceeded!

So I now have two SATA drives, a 250gb, a 500gb, with running and activated win10 pro, and both boot. One drive can backup the other drive. I decided to move on from 8.1, my wife was no fan of the 8 tiles.

I saw no option in EaseUS to clone a drive in use, so since it cant copy files in use, and it was not smart enough to know, it just failed Minitool knew and said it would finish the copy after restarting, and it did.

EaseUS fail




Minitool success




:)

 

My Windows 10 Pro has become "deactivated".

Upgraded the Windows 7 Pro Clone to Windows 10 Pro.

After activation, copied the Windows 10 Pro key.

Switched hard drives with the original bad Windows 10 Pro.

Changed key to the activated Windows 10 Pro key from the clone.

Windows 10 Pro activated on my original drive and kept all my installed software intact.

Convoluted solution, but now everything is as it should have been done in the first place.

Thanks again.

 

Upgrade from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 Pro

I would like to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro from Windows 8.1.

Should I upgrade from Windows 8.1 to Windows 8.1 Pro first then upgrade to Windows 10 Pro?

or

Should I upgrade from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 then upgrade to Windows 10 Pro?

Pro's and Con's of each route?

Thanks