Installing Windows 10 on Multiple Devices?

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

  1. Posts : 15
    Windows 7 Home Premium
       #1

    Installing Windows 10 on Multiple Devices?


    I realize this is a forum for Windows 7, but I don't know where else to ask this question lol.

    Earlier I made a thread about my mom's computer being unable to reinstall Windows 7 after a factory reset. I think I've found a possible fix for this, but I'm not entirely sure.

    I'm currently in the process of installing Windows 10 on my own computer via the Windows Creation Tool, and I noticed that it gave me the option to not only install W10 on my own computer, but another's through a Flash Drive as well.

    So my question: after I've installed Windows 10 on my own computer, would it be possible to also put a copy onto my flash drive to install Windows 10 on my mom's computer as well? And if so, can I bypass the product key requirement to get to the desktop? I've got some code that I used to grab my own product key in order to install Windows 10 for myself, which I can also use to retrieve my mom's product key if I can get to her desktop to open Notepad.

    I've never booted a computer via flash drive, so I don't know whether or not I can do this. I don't have her product key, and I can only get it if I can access her desktop (unless there's another way, because the product key on the back of her laptop is too faded to read).

    Thanks in advance!
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 329
    W10 Pro x64, W7 Pro x64 in VMware
       #2

    Once you've made an install flash drive (or DVD or iso) from the Microsoft site, you can use it to upgrade any number of qualifying computers (genuine activated Windows 7 SP1) to Windows 10 without needing a serial. It must be the correct edition ie Windows 7 Home Premium needs a Windows 10 Home flash drive. A sneaky upgrade attempt from Home to Pro will appear to work, but won't activate (you will prob be nagged to buy the correct serial sometime in the future).

    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...load/windows10

    re : booting from flash - I found that the upgrade didn't work in that scenario. I had to run setup.exe from within Windows 7. If a clean install is your goal, once Windows 10 is installed, you can boot from the install media (flash, DVD etc) and install again, deleting all partitions. You don't need a serial for this, because MS 'remembers' the hardware and activates it accordingly. If you do this, all data and apps are deleted.

    Edit - if your mom's computer isn't actually running, you won't be able to upgrade it to W10 for free.
    Last edited by wasnotwas; 03 Aug 2015 at 08:40.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 20,583
    Win-7-Pro64bit 7-H-Prem-64bit
       #3

    Yep,
    USB Flash Drive - Create to Install Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

    I believe option 2 you can also download Linux iso and make a bootable flash drive with rufus too to recover your moms files before chancing it with an upgrade install on a messed up boot
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 15
    Windows 7 Home Premium
    Thread Starter
       #4

    I downloaded Windows 10 on my computer, and it was just crashing over and over again at different points (most of the time before I could even log in). Safe mode would log in, but even with "Safe Mode with Networking," I didn't actually have networking (however, networking worked just fine in normal mode when the computer would actually get to the desktop without crashing first, but then I'd crash anyway a minute or so later).

    I ended up reverting back to Windows 7 (through the "go back to previous build" option) because Windows 10 crashing so much was frustrating me, so now my computer is telling me that my copy of 7 is not genuine. Regardless, I've got Windows 10 downloading to a flash drive for my mom's PC, and we're going to try that. I, however, don't know how to fix the crashing issues with Windows 10 on mine, nor how to even get a genuine version of Windows 7 back.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 16,129
    7 X64
       #5

    How far do you get before seeing "not genuine". Do you get to the desktop, or is it before you can get to desktop?
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 15
    Windows 7 Home Premium
    Thread Starter
       #6

    SIW2 said:
    How far do you get before seeing "not genuine". Do you get to the desktop, or is it before you can get to desktop?
    The "not genuine" message is just in the corner of my desktop when I log on.

    Windows 7
    Build 7601
    This copy of Windows is not genuine
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 20,583
    Win-7-Pro64bit 7-H-Prem-64bit
       #7

    Yikes this has not been a good couple of days
    Just for the record what security do both of you have installed ?
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 15
    Windows 7 Home Premium
    Thread Starter
       #8

    ThrashZone said:
    Yikes this has not been a good couple of days
    Just for the record what security do both of you have installed ?
    We just continually renew the free trial of Avast Antivirus.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 15
    Windows 7 Home Premium
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Update: Windows 10 has been installed onto my mom's computer, but it isn't activated and her product key is read as invalid (I used some code in a notepad to get the key, and I can paste the code here if needed).

    Her computer runs fine, but we're not sure how long before it quits because she can't activate it. Also, I've read that my computer should revert back to Windows 10 after 30 days because I reverted back using Windows.old, but if it does, I still don't know how to stop it from constantly crashing on my computer (it runs perfectly fine on my mom's).
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 20,583
    Win-7-Pro64bit 7-H-Prem-64bit
       #10

    Which version of win-7 did your mom have installed ?
    Your option is to buy 10 Home or pro
    Home is the cheapest version about 100.us 64 bit or 32 bit
    10 pro is 140.us + tax/ shipping
    Microsoft Windows 10 Home - 64-bit - Newegg.com
      My Computer


 
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

  Related Discussions
Our Sites
Site Links
About Us
Windows 7 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 7" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

© Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:06.
Find Us