Sharing W10 recovery images between two identical tablets

First post :)

I have two completely identical tablets (Hipstreet W7 originally on 8.1) in front of me, one (mine) on which Windows 10 was installed via the upgrade route and which is working fine (all drivers etc), the other was a hacked together W10 install that gives lots of errors, missing drivers and blue screens and is basically a mess.

Would it be possible to create a recovery drive from Control Panel on the working tablet and use that to essentially reinstall Windows 10 onto the dodgy one, complete with all drivers etc and so ready to go? Or are recovery images system specific, meaning the image would try to use the working machine's license key etc? I know I could do a fresh reinstall, but I imagine getting a straight copy of a stable, working system would be more efficient, if it's even possible.

I think the licence key is stored in the BIOS, so it should remain intact?

Any help much appreciated!

It would be possible as long as the systems are identical. Yes it would have a different product key but it will eventually ask to reactivate Windows, but it should reactivate automatically.

If one original install was via an upgrade (digital entitlement) and the other original install was activated with a Windows 10 product key, then the restoration of the image made from the upgrade will not automatically activate on the computer originally installed with the Windows 10 product key. The product key will have to be reentered.

If the second computer ever gained a digital entitlement from an upgrade in the past, then the restoration will automatically activate.

NavyLCDR said:

If one original install was via an upgrade (digital entitlement) and the other original install was activated with a Windows 10 product key, then the restoration of the image made from the upgrade will not automatically activate on the computer originally installed with the Windows 10 product key. The product key will have to be reentered.

If the second computer ever gained a digital entitlement from an upgrade in the past, then the restoration will automatically activate.

Both tablets started off with Windows 8.1, and both have had Windows 10 installed and activated using the licence key stored in the BIOS - as far as I can tell, the difference is just that one was upgraded automatically through Windows updates etc., while the second had a 'manual' upgrade to get to the same point (maybe prior to the full release?).

Am I correct in thinking that a full recovery drive is enough effectively to reinstall W10 (just like a full reinstall), but with all drivers etc already i place? Or is that too much to hope for :)

ssme said:

Am I correct in thinking that a full recovery drive is enough effectively to reinstall W10 (just like a full reinstall), but with all drivers etc already i place? Or is that too much to hope for :)

The recovery disc should do that. If not then use Macrium Reflect Free to make an image of the first tablet and restore the image to the second tablet. But, be aware, that will carry over EVERYTHING from the first tablet, including user accounts and user stored data.

ssme said:

First post :)

I have two completely identical tablets (Hipstreet W7 originally on 8.1) in front of me, one (mine) on which Windows 10 was installed via the upgrade route and which is working fine (all drivers etc), the other was a hacked together W10 install that gives lots of errors, missing drivers and blue screens and is basically a mess.

Would it be possible to create a recovery drive from Control Panel on the working tablet and use that to essentially reinstall Windows 10 onto the dodgy one, complete with all drivers etc and so ready to go? Or are recovery images system specific, meaning the image would try to use the working machine's license key etc? I know I could do a fresh reinstall, but I imagine getting a straight copy of a stable, working system would be more efficient, if it's even possible.

I think the licence key is stored in the BIOS, so it should remain intact?

Any help much appreciated!

Hi where u able to do the recovery drive for your tablet and would you share it with me please, thanks

Petososa said:

Hi where u able to do the recovery drive for your tablet and would you share it with me please, thanks

You can make a system image from Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Back up and Restore (Windows 7) - Create a system image.

Tutorial here: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5...dows-10-a.html