Windows 10, 2 boot drives?

[Tyler 19xx]

Hi all.

I recently bought a M.2 970 evo that I would like to make my boot drive. I am thinking that I would just start fresh with a clean install. My windows is a oem key, with I only just now found out what that even means. So my question is can I used the same key on my new drive, with all other hardware the same. Additionally, can I keep my old boot drive active on the same key, since its still on the same motherboard? w

 

 

[Suppersupport]

short answer: no

long: you can only use one install of windows per key (so one bootdrive) at a time the fact that they are on the same mobo only means it won't bork key support for the new one

[GoodBytes]

21 minutes ago, Tyler 19xx said:

Hi all.

I recently bought a M.2 970 evo that I would like to make my boot drive. I am thinking that I would just start fresh with a clean install. My windows is a oem key, with I only just now found out what that even means. So my question is can I used the same key on my new drive, with all other hardware the same.

Yes, of course! Ot locks in with your motherboard. As long as the motherboard is the same, WIndows 10 will activate perfectly fine.

 

21 minutes ago, Tyler 19xx said:

Additionally, can I keep my old boot drive active on the same key, since its still on the same motherboard? w

Better not. The activation system will probbaly detect this (somehow), as it has been reported of activation issues when doing this.

You don't want the 2 OSs to fight for activation, you'll just raise a red flag in the activation server and auto ban your key.

If you want your old drive to transfer files, just unplug it during Windows 10 install on your new SSD (also it is better to do this, as the boot partition will always be on the the first drive that your motherboard detects, and in some motehrboards, it puts SATA befoe M.2. As a result, of this flip, Windows will be installed on their SSD, but the boot partition may be on their old drive. So best to unplug it). Once Windows is fully installed, now you can shutdown and plug in your old drive. The Windows on your old hard drive should be ignored. If instead it boot form your old drive instead of your M.2 once you plugged it, then go in teh BIOS/UEFI and change the boot order.

 

While you are at it in clean installing Windows 10, may as well double check your UEFI is properly setup:

• Make sure that UEFI is enabled
• CSM is disabled
• XMP profile (or whatever the equivalent name for AMD boards) is set to Profile 1
• Make sure that HPET is enabled and set to 64-bit (CPU specific feature, you may not have it, it is ok if you don't have it)
• SATA controller is enabled (for your old drive) and set to AHCI mode
• If you have a "Windows 8/10" mode or something like this, enable it.
• SecureBoot is enabled.

[DeaconFrost]

Pull the old drive from the system.  Install the new SSD and install a clean install of Windows 10.  Once you get all of your drivers set and are happy with how it is running, activate it.  Then, reinstall the old drive, pull off anything you need to save, and reformat it as a D drive for data.