How to fresh install Win10 while old system is still bootable?

Hi all,

I found it hard to figure out a descriptive title for my question. Sorry about that.

The issue

Getting lots of

Code:

"Event 4101, Display issues. Display driver amdkmdap stopped responding and has successfully recovered."

Nothing I have done has solved this issue, so I figured I should just try a fresh install of Win10.

However, the task of installing and setting Win10 up to the way I need is a time-consuming process while I still require to work on my existing OS.

What I'm trying to achieve

Dual boot option where one is the existing OS that I can use to work on. The second is a new SSD that I want to freshly install W10.

Therefore, I have the following questions:

1. I would like to buy a new SSD and install Win10 on it. Ideally, I want that SSD to be connected via external HDD/SSD device so I can still access my existing OS when I need via dual boot.
   
   The scenario is like this: When booting the PC, I can choose the new SSD and start the installation process.
   Finish installation, create my login and when I have time, I will use it to install all the software and set it up the way I need.
   When I don't have time to access it and I need to work on my PC, use dual boot and log in to my old/current OS.
   When I finish installing everything I need on the new SSD, install it permanently in my PC and retire the old SSD.
   
   Is this possible?
2. I know that Windows will seek C: drive, but both new and old SSD can't have the same drive letter. Is there a way around it?
3. Some games and programs are installed on a separate SSD. Instead of re-installing them, is it possible to have windows register them, thus save the download time of the games/apps?
4. License - How can I install Win10 on a new SSD while my Win10 license is activated against my existing OS?

Hope I was clear with my questions.

Thanks for the help!

I would just install the new SSD as an additional drive in the computer and not bother with connecting it via an external enclosure.

Have you done a clean install of the latest Radeon drivers?

You are adding much complexity by having a dual boot system. If the clean driver install doesn't work then I would be inclined to try a repair install first which preserves all your settings and programs-see Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

Steve C said:

Have you done a clean install of the latest Radeon drivers?You are adding much complexity by having a dual boot system. If the clean driver install doesn't work then I would be inclined to try a repair install first which preserves all your settings and programs-see Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

I have done in-place upgrade.
I have rolled back drivers and still rolling back.

The dual boot will be temporary. You know how long it takes to install everything and set windows up.
In the meantime, I must have work access to the old SSD. What other options do I have?
When I install AMD drivers, I always DDU utility.

gil said:

I have done in-place upgrade.
I have rolled back drivers and still rolling back.

The dual boot will be temporary. You know how long it takes to install everything and set windows up.
In the meantime, I must have work access to the old SSD. What other options do I have?
When I install AMD drivers, I always DDU utility.

I have a R9 280X GPU and it works fine using the latest AMD driver in Windows 10.

Did you uninstall the old AMD drivers first and choose the clean install option for the new drivers?

You could try this approach to remove traces of the old drivers:

1. First uninstall the current driver.
2. Then run DevManView from Nirsoft. Click on Manufacturer column. Scroll down to AMD entries. Select the devices you want to uninstall. You can select one or more device entries at a time. Then File->Uninstall Selected Devices to uninstall the device driver.
3. Next remove the driver from the Store so Windows won't automatically reinstall upon device detection. Download DriverStore Explorer. Run as admin. Click Enumerate. Look for any AMD entries, thenlick Delete Package.
4. Clean install the latest drivers for your GPU from AMD's site

Steve C said:

I have a R9 280X GPU and it works fine using the latest AMD driver in Windows 10.

Did you uninstall the old AMD drivers first and choose the clean install option for the new drivers?

You could try this approach to remove traces of the old drivers:
First uninstall the current driver.
Then run DevManView from Nirsoft. Click on Manufacturer column.
Scroll down to AMD entries.
Select the devices you want to uninstall. You can select one or more device entries at a time.

Then File->Uninstall Selected Devices to uninstall the device driver.Next remove the driver from the Store so
Windows won't automatically reinstall upon device detection. Download DriverStore Explorer. Run as admin. Click Enumerate.

Look for any AMD entries, thenlick Delete Package.Clean install the latest drivers for your GPU from AMD's site

I use DDU, Display Driver Uninstaller.
This utility removed all GPU's entries in the system while running windows in Safe Mode.
This is the clean install process.
After this I installed the latest drivers but the issue keeps coming back.

I now started rolling back drivers as part of figuring out when this issue no longer happens.

Additionally, I read that:
1. Some suggest to disable Hardware Acceleration in browsers

2. Edit/Add registry entry TdrDelay and set it to 8 seconds. In theory, this is to provide the GPU enough time to recover and resume operation.
In my case the PC doesn't resume operation, I have to hit the RESET button.It's not a BSOD screen and the monitors don't go black. Just freeze image.

This is a strange thing because why would the GPU need to recover from? I'm simply browsing the web.

The two instances that I noticed to trigger a PC freeze due to launching Origin games.

My setup is a bit more complex. I run two R9 290 and 3 monitors.
But I have this PC since mid 2012 and everything is water cooled and updated. Never ran into such issues till last November.

dalchina said:

Basic steps for your Radeon R9 200:
AMD Radeon R9 Display Driver Issues on Windows 10 [Solved] - Driver Easy
Drivers:
Microsoft Update Catalog

Hi and thank you. I don't like using apps like driver easy, they usually cause more harm than good and they always ask money when you chose to install the missing drivers.

The 2nd link, however, is interesting. It shows that the latest driver to be updated by windows 10 is from 24th April 2017.

Does that mean that I should revert to this driver?
There has been a lot of changed to AMD drivers in terms of game support and features, that reverting to that old driver seems like a dead end.