Windows 10: Win 10 installed on separate hard drive changes win 7

I installed Windows 10 on a separate hard drive in my computer to keep from messing up my Windows 7 installation. It appears windows 10 still makes changes to windows 7 even on a separate hard drive. See attached picture. I can not correct this using the system repair disk or the original install disk because it tells me it is the wrong operating system any idea how to correct this? I tried to make a new system restore disk and it tell me the disk is for technical preview x64! even though im making it in windows 7. (See Pic) The disk windows ten was installed on was removed from my machine when I tried to make the system repair disk from the picture.




:)

 

Windows 10 activation problems

If you have an "OEM" Windows 7 and you win 7 install media and 25 digit product key. You could try re-install win 7 and take the chance on getting it activated (**trick**). Then upgrading o/s to win 10.

I bought a new hard drive and win 10 pro OEM version and ""product key"" (about $200). Removed win 7 hard drive install new hard drive and new install win 10 o/s. Same hardware hash as win 7 copy. Except for hard drive. The new hard drive constituted new
PC. That is argumentative.

If the hardware hash changes the current o/s will deactivate. In order to "upgrade" for free you need an activated win 7 o/s.

(**trick**) Do not allow auto activation after install. Manually activate, it will fail. Call the number on the screen and follow along. Answer the question at the end truthfully. If MS activates. That means they allowed hardware hash change. It is their
product they can do it if they want to.

 

INSTALLING WINDOWS 10 as a multi boot

I want to install win 10 as a clean install on a 160 gb formatted partition of my 2 tb hard disk. I already have win xp , win 7 and win 8 installed in 3 separate partitions on same hard drive. My question is will BOOT menu after installing windows 10 show
all 4 operating systems as it shows with win 8 as default browser or my other browser will not be shown at boot menu?

 

After a situation similar to yours, some years ago, I was forced to formulate my own Rule concerning two OS's on the same PC.

If one OS can see the other OS, it will have a tendency to mess with it... changing things it doesn't like and deleting things that it thinks are unnecessary. More specifically, One OS, deleted all the restore points for the other OS.

So my new Rule is, "never let one OS see another OS on the Same PC".
On this ten year old desktop that I'm running Windows 10 on right now, I have two other drives with OS's on them, but.....
this drive is the only one plugged in. The other two have NO data connection to the motherboard, so they are completely safe.

I can't tell you how to fix your OS that has gotten messed up, other than do a Restore from a Backup file.
If you don't do backups, shame on you! If you can even boot up to that OS, then try to do a System Restore.
Failing that, sounds like you're in deep doo-doo.

Good Luck!
*Cool

 

TechnoMage,

Lesson learned! The restore points appear still intact, Thankfully! I do backups frequently, To frequently, automatic backup ran last night at 2 am erasing the backup from last Sunday morning. I have run windows and linux in the same box for years with no problems, but never 2 windows systems. I have learned my lesson.

 

Was the Windows 7 disk connected and powered when you installed 10? If yes, Windows 10 likely messed with its boot loader to setup a dual boot. I unplugged my Windows 8.1 drive while installing Windows 10. Even then weird things happened when I plugged it back in. When I plugged it back in and tried to boot to it I got a repairing volume message. It eventually read 100% repaired and booted into Windows 8.1. It would appear that once Windows 10 saw the 8.1 drive it did something to it. What I have no idea. Lucky for me my 8.1 install is working OK, as near as I can tell anyway.

 

Alphanumeric,
Yes was powered up and connected. Didnt expect the change that makes a sys repair disk for windows tech preview instead of windows 7. I know for next time. Use and old box with nothing on it. Does anyone else see striking resemblance to linux in some of the system folders and App store?

 

Hi and welcome to TenForums,
Yep you'd have to remove the drive that 10 exists on then use this process,
Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times - Windows 7 Help Forums
After testing it you would format and re-install with the great advice already given *Smile
Cheers.

 

Windows is a constant learning experience, even for those of us that "think" we know what we're doing. *Wink

 

I hear ya!!! *Smile

 

Thank you thrashzone, I will give that a shot!

 

How true that is!

 

The disk is marked as active, and I can not use the install disk to correct the start up files because it says it is the incorrect disk. I think Im going to have to save everything and start from scratch.

 

The disk is marked as active, and I can not use the install disk to correct the start up files because it says it is the incorrect disk. I think Im going to have to save everything and start from scratch.

 

The disk is marked as active, and I can not use the install disk to correct the start up files because it says it is the incorrect disk. I think Im going to have to save everything and start from scratch. Kevin. If you are having trouble starting up win 7 and you can open win10. a work around is to go to settings/update recovery/recovery and then click the restart. Takes you to any other os on your system. *Cool