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If you don't have your product key have a read through here and see if you can extract it from your windows 7 drive.
How to Find Your Lost Windows or Office Product Keys
If you don't have your product key have a read through here and see if you can extract it from your windows 7 drive.
How to Find Your Lost Windows or Office Product Keys
I owe you an explanation for your help! The PC came with two HDD. One was boot HDD only with Vista and it's Product code is embedded in firmware. MY MOB died. I took a photo ofthe MOB wiring and replaced it with an identical MOB. But it would not boot Vista. In comes my daughter in laws brother (computer engineer) He asked me if preferred Win 7 Pro. When I picked it up, I realized he went all the way to create a dual boot for Vista or Win 7 (he was not sure anything was backed up!) I never returned to Vista. Recently I backed up the files and formatted the disk and left it blank in case i needed it for file storage or a RAID set up (both HDD are 250 GB).
Then came the MS free upgrade to Win10. Knowing I hated Vista and so Windows 8.1 (Another story for another time!) I decided to use the blank former Vista drive for Win 10 and keep Win 7 as long as I could, while learning to love Win 10!
I guess when I used the reformatted previous Vista drive, it was treated as a fresh install. Why then can I not boot my Win 7 HDD (with the Win 10 HDD disabled)? It begs for an explanation, as they are not RAID cohorts? I wanted to preserve the dual boot Win 7 and Win 10. I think Win 10 is set up to seek and destroy it's ancestors! A Tojan horse of another kind.
Wow!! That is some pretty neat detective work!! Going to have to ask the mods if they can change your name to Sherlock. I would never have got that in million years
Agreed. We both wanted drive 0 as Win7 and this way is by far the simplest!
Basically, in the same way I was confused...well...so was the pc. So much had happened to it over the years. So much information to absorb. All of the data is there...it's just not being held in the rights places....Brings the whole thing grinding to a halt as it doesn't know what instruction applies to what program.
But dual boot is definitely possible by initially carrying out the simple install of Win7, 8 or 8.1 on to drive 0 (as described by Sherlock) and making sure it is activated correctly. Then you can move forward with making a dual-boot system.
@Goodgenie4u,
I've got another TenForums tutorial for you to read! It'll prepare you for the stage after.
How to Dual Boot Windows 10 with Windows 7 or Windows 8
As long as Drive 1 retains a full version of Windows 7 stored on it, you can restore booting from it. You can try installing Macrium Reflect Free. It has an option under tools to find non-booting OS and fix booting to them. That's about the easiest way I've found.
But be careful, messing with booting like that will change what gets upgraded or installed over. That's why I think try to install Win 7, 8 or 8.1 over existing Win 10 now is the easiest and safest.
I do not have a Product code to activate Win 7 or Win 8.1. That becomes a financial decision. unless I'm missing something. Also no experience with Macrium Reflect Free and how it would affect the unboot-able Win 7 HDD set up I had. Not sure what you meant by "will change what gets upgraded or installed over". Is Macrium Reflect a USB boot drive that will bring my Win 7 drive to life? or does it have to be installed as an app on my boot-able Win 10 HDD?
Sorry I have limited OS skills and it is holding me back from moving forward. I do not know how long I can go on with a non activated Win 10, which allows me to do 90% of the day to day needs. As "Why Me" said right off the bat, it is my top priority to get it activated.
My needs are to get win 7 pro and Media Center working to get OTA TV. going again. If I understood the Macrium Reflect repair routine, it may better than risking the Win 10 that works for now and having my PC dead!
I will look into Macrium Reflect Free.
Thanks
Now to figure how to install Win 7 Pro over Win 10 Pro and get it activated for free! I want the Win 7 Pro for it's Win Media Center to get my OTA Tv going!
I will always install OS with just one drive working. The other will have it's cables pulled. Once bitten twice shy! Whatever the outcome I need one Win 7 with Media Center and One with Win 10 Pro dual boot.
Thanks
Install Macrium Reflect Free in Windows 10. Under the tools Menu option, you will find the utility to fix boot problems,. It should find your Windows 7 and then highlight it and add it to your boot menu.
Then boot into Windows 7 and run showkey from this forum to retrieve your Windows 7 product key.
Then we'll go from there.
Thanks NavyLCDR .
I will venture to do as you suggest. I may need some respite, as our kids and grandkids have invited us to join them at a cottage next Friday. I have to get my 2002 Buick Regal checked out for this 600 km round trip into the north.
I got a terrible scare this morning. My Windows 10 after booting came up with Critical error notification. The error was that neither my Start nor Cortana are functioning. I could open some files, but not programmes No Task or start up at the bottom either. After several attempts to restart as suggested, I used CCleaner to check for registry errors and it rebooted OK. The Cortana thing is weird, as it is not yet released for use in Canada.