Asking for product key please help

[UltimateRob97]

Hello, i downloaded windows 10 today on my HDD, still works on my HDD. but i cloned it to my SSD and want that to be my boot drive, but when i boot from it, it wants me to reinstall windows, well just add a product key really, but i dont have one. I have entered my windows 8 key from my old laptop, but its still in use? what can i do because when i really want to use my SSD as a boot drive for windows 10?

 

[vrumor]

Shoulda read it first

 

[UltimateRob97]

read what?....

 

[USAFRet]

Hello, i downloaded windows 10 today on my HDD, still works on my HDD. but i cloned it to my SSD and want that to be my boot drive, but when i boot from it, it wants me to reinstall windows, well just add a product key really, but i dont have one. I have entered my windows 8 key from my old laptop, but its still in use? what can i do because when i really want to use my SSD as a boot drive for windows 10?

You either have to Upgrade from an existing WIn 7 or 8.1 install, or buy Windows 10.
You can't use the license key from your old laptop. It doesn't work like that.

Windows 10 may be a free Upgrade, but only if you are upgrading from something. It is not 'free'.

 

[UltimateRob97]

so im basically stuck with windows 10 on my HDD?

 

[USAFRet]

so im basically stuck with windows 10 on my HDD?

On this particular PC, was there an existing previous OS? Or did you just install Windows 10 on a blank drive?

 

[UltimateRob97]

there was windows 7 pro, but it was a site licence if that makes a difference. I think i have found a way to install it to my SSD. i found some key finding software, and found my product key for my windows 10 on HDD. will this work?

 

[USAFRet]

there was windows 7 pro, but it was a site licence if that makes a difference. I think i have found a way to install it to my SSD. i found some key finding software, and found my product key for my windows 10 on HDD. will this work?

What, specifically, do you mean by 'site license'?
Anyway...did you install the Win 10 from within the running Windows 7 instance?

 

[ccampy]

Ah that's your problem the free upgrade is only home/single licence system's

Volume lisnce kegs for company's ect are not eligible

 

[UltimateRob97]

in fact it cant be a site license as i upgraded my windows 7 from it originally. so i think its a personal key, will this work then?

 

[USAFRet]

in fact it cant be a site license as i upgraded my windows 7 from it originally. so i think its a personal key, will this work then?

1. Is it or isn't it?

2. Did you install it from within the existing Windows 7? Or did you just boot from your DVD and install it?

 

[UltimateRob97]

well im not sure but it cant be a site key from what that guy said, which leads me on to 2; i installed it from the windows 7 notification

 

[UltimateRob97]

good news, my key works now. i now chose to install windows 10 to my SSD

 

[USAFRet]

well im not sure but it cant be a site key from what that guy said, which leads me on to 2; i installed it from the windows 7 notification

OK then.
Your initial statement - " i downloaded windows 10 today on my HDD " led me to believe something completely different.
'Download' is not the same as 'install'

If you installed it from the regular Notification thing, then you should be good to go.

 

[UltimateRob97]

sorry, my bad man :/

 

[UltimateRob97]

in fact,i kinda take that back about it working, yes the key works fine! but now it gets to a certain point of the installation and resarts my pc, which is finr. But instead of carrying on it just restarts the installation progress? and now i have 3x 'windows 10 (on volume 2)' installed. If anyone is still active could they help me? sorry for being a pain guys

 

[USAFRet]

in fact,i kinda take that back about it working, yes the key works fine! but now it gets to a certain point of the installation and resarts my pc, which is finr. But instead of carrying on it just restarts the installation progress? and now i have 3x 'windows 10 (on volume 2)' installed. If anyone is still active could they help me? sorry for being a pain guys

How are you reinstalling it?
I thought you were cloning from the old drive to the SSD? Why didn't that work?

 

[UltimateRob97]

i have cloned it, windows is already on the SSD. but when i boot from it, it just starts the process again. so basically its pointless cloning it. its like a purple windows 10 screen, i enter my key, installs some of it... restarts, then asks for my key again. like some annoying loop. should i just download the usb windows 10 installer and boot from that maybe?

 

[USAFRet]

i have cloned it, windows is already on the SSD. but when i boot from it, it just starts the process again. so basically its pointless cloning it. its like a purple windows 10 screen, i enter my key, installs some of it... restarts, then asks for my key again. like some annoying loop. should i just download the usb windows 10 installer and boot from that maybe?

Then something went wrong with the cloning operation.

My suggestion is to do that over again.

 

[UltimateRob97]

alright thanks man, do you know of any good cloning software?

 

[USAFRet]

alright thanks man, do you know of any good cloning software?

Easus Todo, Macrium Reflect, Acronis Trueimage, Casper. The last two are not free, but have a free trial.

 

[GearUp]

Here I thought someone found cloning worked. Apparently it can but complaints suggest you won't get that to work. The Windows Easy Transfer might have worked and still could. Maybe you can try disabling the HDD and set the action to take as nothing, instead of play or do a file listing. This might reset the boot to the SSD. Also, first change the boot order in the BIOS to be the SSD.

 

[USAFRet]

Here I thought someone found cloning worked.

Cloning usually works. Usually.
When it doesn't, you have what happened above.

 

[UltimateRob97]

okay thanks. it still doe the same thing. my SSD is called drive 0, is this a possible issue maybe? have i done something wrong?

 

[GearUp]

It's good to know that cloning can be useful. The free Acronis software is decent although I would like an option to place the image on another drive.
I don't believe it has been determined if the license was activated yet, which could make a difference.