Need some help cloning HDD

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mrgrunts

mrgrunts

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A friend of mine bought a HP Notebook with only 28GB HDD and it came preinstalled with windows 10 but no product key for the windows. It was bought from a pawn store. anyways I had her buy a new WD HDD for this notebook and I am about to install it for her however this is my problem. How can I clone the HDD with the windows 10 on it to the new HDD so that when I install it I can just fire it up and windows 10 will load and the active product key will work? I have no windows 10 disk nor the product key sticker on the note book. Can this be done and if so How?

Please let me know for I am trying to get this running for her by Mon when her new job starts and she needs this for her work.

Thanks in advance

Dennis
PS I am using my PC to do the cloning of the 2 drives if that helps
 
Solution
USAFRet


Yup...an eMMC drive. Can't be removed or replaced.
I have an Asus Transformer with a drive like that. It is useful only as a web browser system.
That drive is way too small for actual use beyond that.
Additionally, the CPU is pretty crippled.

Even using an external drive...you will run into issues. The next major update for Win 10 will fail. Not enough free drive space, even if you save everything off to an external. Just the OS sucks up too much space on that teeny drive.

Yes, the...
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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1. For any used system, you really, really, really need to do a full wipe and reinstall. On whichever drive.
Especially something from a pawnshop. Don't trust that the previous user was diligent with virus or other stuff you really really don't want in there.


If it came with Win 10...you don't need the license key.
Simply put the new drive in, and do a clean install of Win 10. It will automagically update itself when it goes online after the OS install.
If it does not, then the previous owner may have installed some bootleg OS or whatever....then you may need to purchase a valid OS for it.

You can create your own WIn 10 install USB or DVD from here:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10


Don't clone anything.....full wipe and reinstall.
 
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J

jaslion

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You can just get the product key of the os. There are a million programs that allow you to find it. Then you can just reinstall windows.

Best way to do a clone is to have a external sata dock and then clone the disk with something like easeus todo backup free.

If thats not a option just hook both of them up in a pc and clone ALL of the partions from 1 to another.
it is important that you clone ALLL the partitions.

After the clone you will need to allocate all unused space on the new hdd with a program like easeu partion manager to the main partition.
 
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mrgrunts

mrgrunts

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Ok this is what I am looking to do, Can you please give me advice on what software I need to do this. and step by step. I will be using my PC to do the cloning. I have 5 HDD bays in my PC and I only use 2 of them so I have 3 bays left to use. I figured I can Connect the old Hdd and the new Hdd to my PC and do the process that way then install the new HDD in the notebook and hopefully it will fire up and windows will run normally. Question, My PC is running windows 7 SP1 and the notebook is running windows 10. will this present a problem?
 
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mrgrunts

mrgrunts

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Ok I going to do a clean install of windows 10 on this but now here is a question for ya. I found my product key for the windows , shut down the notebook and started to take it apart, This is what I found, there is a spot for a new HDD but the one that is in there now that I want to remove is a small little card with a ribbon to it that is labeled SSD to the card and MB to the mother board. The new HDD that I bought from best buy is a larger HDD but best buy said it was compatible. how do I replace the HDD?
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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This depends on the exact HP notebook.
It may indeed not have a space for a regular SSD/HDD.

That little thing you see is a 32GB drive, probably mSATA connection type. Pictures would help here.

So, what is the exact model number of this system? The BestBuy person could be completely wrong about that drive being compatible.
 
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mrgrunts

mrgrunts

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this is the HP website with the model number and specs. you are correct in saying that best buy was wrong it is a 32 GB eMMC drive Im wondering if they will exchange for a proper drive, All she is trying to do is bump it up to at lease 500GB.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Yup...an eMMC drive. Can't be removed or replaced.
I have an Asus Transformer with a drive like that. It is useful only as a web browser system.
That drive is way too small for actual use beyond that.
Additionally, the CPU is pretty crippled.

Even using an external drive...you will run into issues. The next major update for Win 10 will fail. Not enough free drive space, even if you save everything off to an external. Just the OS sucks up too much space on that teeny drive.

Yes, the BestBuy guy was (surprise!!) totally wrong.
The drive you bought cannot work. Take it back and get your money back.

So, how to proceed:
There is a slot for an SD card. I suggest getting one of those, maybe 128GB.
https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Memory-Standard-Packaging-SDSDUNC-128G-GN6IN/dp/B0143IISD0

Start with that, instead of a whole external USB connected drive.

And again, do a full wipe and reinstall of the OS on the little 32GB drive. You'll have to delete ALL existing partitions when you do this.
The OS will activate itself when it goes online.


But really...be prepared for tears in actually using this thing.
The Celeron N3050 and the 2GB RAM will severely limit what this thing can do. And you can't change those either.

I hope you didn't pay more than about $50 for this thing.
 
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Solution
mrgrunts

mrgrunts

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Dont know what was paid for, another question, do you thing downgrading my OS to say Windows 7 would help a little?
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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No.
No real performance difference between 7 and 10. Even if drivers for Win 7 exist, which is unlikely.
Just leave it at Win 10.
 
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V

VTube1

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to find the windows produc key follow these steps
Open CMD as admin
type wmic os get "SerialNumber"


and if you want to clone the HDD to the new HDD or SSD

just go on youtube and search for VTUBE clone sdd to HDD. ( but both HHD have to be connected to the computer) if its laptop I would suggest to buy those hard drive cloning maching taht cost from 20 to 40 dollars
 
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