Upgrading a Cloned Windows 8.1 SSD

I cloned my original HDD to SSD and saved the original for a backup. To keep it relatively up to date I re-installed it and installed the windows 10 upgrade from the "Get Windows 10" taskbar icon. I've reverted back to my SSD with Windows 8.1 in hopes of upgrading it as well rather than re-cloning it to Windows 10. The "Get Windows 10" icon is in the taskbar but seems to fail to update a few times a day at least. Should I be using the media creation tool to update my SSD or will MS update it even though I used the "Get Windows 10" icon within the original HDD already?

Anyone with Information on this topic please add your input.
Thank you in advance,
trembuzz

trembuzz said:

I cloned my original HDD to SSD and saved the original for a backup. To keep it relatively up to date I re-installed it and installed the windows 10 upgrade from the "Get Windows 10" taskbar icon. I've reverted back to my SSD with Windows 8.1 in hopes of upgrading it as well rather than re-cloning it to Windows 10. The "Get Windows 10" icon is in the taskbar but seems to fail to update a few times a day at least. Should I be using the media creation tool to update my SSD or will MS update it even though I used the "Get Windows 10" icon within the original HDD already?

Anyone with Information on this topic please add your input.
Thank you in advance,
trembuzz

I've not seen a similar problem but in lieu of a better solution I'd wonder if it's failing since Win10 has already been activated on that computer and sees a second installation as different. The Upgrade tends to use the Product Key from Win8.1 and as with an install from disc can only use it once. To use a common acronym: IMHO.

If it were mine I'd probably try cloning Win10 onto the original drive but then you'd not have Win8.1 on it.

AddRAM said:

The cloning could have something to do with the failures, you can wait it out or try the usb method, if it asks for a key during the upgrade, I`ve read to pop out the usb and reboot the PC and the upgrade should continue.

Personally, I would do a clean install of 8.1 on the ssd, activate, then upgrade to Windows 10.

Are you thinking a factory reset on the cloned SSD? It's an OEM licence.
I suppose I could wait it out for a while as we have a year roughly to get the free upgrade.

CmmTch said:

Appears that you've used your free upgrade to W10 by putting it on your HDD. Other than the SSD, all the original components in your computer are associated with the W10 upgrade on your HDD. As far as the W10 upgrade your computer has been upgraded already.

You could reinstall the HDD and go back to the previous OS, then do the upgrade on your SSD, or do as you did originally and clone the W10 HDD to your SSD.

IMO the SSD should have been the upgrade and then that upgrade cloned/backed up/imaged to the HDD. Then you could have done the clean install if desired.

Yeah, I hear you but was a bit impatient waiting for the upgrade. I'll wait a while as I've read somewhere that you can still do a clean install of 10 on an updated PC. Do you know anything about that?
Thanks,
trembuzz

You should be able to do a clean install of 10 on the SSD (assuming it os on the same machine). You don't need to install 8.1 and upgrade.

You will have to clean install the same version (Home or Pro) though as you upgraded on the HDD.

Edit, sorry I just noticed @CmmTch said the same thing...

You can do that, or upgrade using the media creation tool or iso, or image your HDD back to SSD - whichever way it will be activated (assuming your Windows 10 is activated now)