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01-29-2023 01:04 PM
Hi, my new desktop boots Windows 11 Home from my SSD card, which is fine.
For other reasons, a bit complicated, I have installed, as a 😧 drive, a hard drive I took out of my old pc desktop with Windows 10 Pro on it.
I want my new desktop to boot from my 😧 drive into Windows 10 Pro but the boot program is telling me that my 😧 drive isn't bootable. But it was on my old HP Desktop.
I've tried removing the SSD drive and the desktop won't boot at all.
I've tried going into the Bios and altering the boot sequence but, of course, if the desktop doesn't recognise the 😧 drive as being bootable, it doesn't appear as an option in the Bios program.
How can I make my new desktop recognise my 😧 drive as being bootable so I can boot into Windows 10 Pro from it ?
Also, the 😧 drive isn't an external USB drive. I've put it into a spare docking bay within the PC.
Thanks.
01-30-2023 05:51 AM - edited 01-30-2023 05:58 AM
There could be various reasons why the new computer will not boot from the Hard drive from the old HP PC.
For one thing, the hardware most likely is different and would cause a problem, but the main reason could be possible the old PC had the boot loader in a different place (or even on another drive) and the BIOS on the new PC cannot find the Windows install.
Unless the Windows 10 Pro was a retail version, it most likely will complain about the hardware change.
One could try using the Windows 10 install media, with the new SSD out of the picture ( you did state you had tried that) and having the install media start in repair mode. You can make the install media.
If you need the install media for Windows 10, you can make it from this Microsoft download
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
With a working PC, scroll down to the "Using the tool to create installation media"
and then follow the directions. You can make either the DVD or USB. Use this new media to boot the PC and pick "repair your computer" See here:
https://www.thewindowsclub.com/boot-or-repair-windows-10-using-the-installation-media
That site will guide you thru the repair feature.
Even if you get the new PC to boot from the old drive, it might not work with the new hardware.
I'm not an HP employee.
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02-14-2023 03:06 AM
Hi,
Thanks very much for this comprehensive reply.
My ulterior motive was to boot my new desktop into Windows 10 Pro, then get it to upgrade to Windows 11 Pro, then image copy the system so I can upgrade the OEM installed Windows 11 Home to Windows 11 Pro on my new desktop, so getting Windows 11 Pro for free.
I've since learned from the Microsoft forum that, as my copy of Windows 10 Pro was an OEM copy, I can't go this route as Microsoft will recognise the fact that I'm trying to port Windows 11 Pro on to a new PC and will block me.
I can't even see the product code for my existing Windows 10 Pro as, when I follow the command line commands to see it, the screen comes up as completely blank.
But, as upgrading through the MS Store to Windows 11 Pro will cost me around £119, this is an expensive way to get the few additional features in the Pro edition. The carrot would have been BitDefender but, as I already have a paid-up version of Malwarebytes, even this is a fairly small carrot.
So, thanks again for the advice. Really appreciate it.
Regards,
John Holt.
02-14-2023 05:39 AM
OEM Windows will complain about any new hardware and will not allow moving to a different computer. It is designed that way. That is why I cautioned about "unless it is a retail version of Windows". Those can be moved to a new computer.
Trying things is the way we learn, so do not be disappointed in learning about OEM Windows rules.
I'm not an HP employee.
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