Robert in CA wrote:
On Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 12:46:05 PM UTC-7, Paul wrote:
Robert in CA wrote:
I'm just glad the computer let you finish!

Paul
The thought occurred to me that since we
restored Win 7 and downloaded 270+ updates
that we erased the Win10 license key in the
process.

So my question is how do I know if I still
have the Win10 license key should I ever need
it. Even though we created a Win10 HD will it
even work in the 780 now? or am I OK? Is there
a way to check if I still have the license key?

Since I haven't done anything to the 8500 it
should still be there. We just didn't create a
separte HD like I did for the 780. I kinda of
wish I did now.

Robert
Your "spare" hard drive, if you installed the OS
correctly, should be bootable all by itself.

You could slide out the Win7 drive, plug in the
Win10 drive in its place, and use the same cable
the Win7 drive uses.

If you installed the Win10 correctly, now it should
boot. The "slmgr /dlv" command could review license
status (the OS should still be activated).

If you want to reinstall Windows 10, you can do that
at any time, with just the Windows 10 drive for the
780 in the machine by itself. You select "Skip" when
asked for a license key, and the installer will
license and activate the OS all by itself. With the
usual Windows Updates to follow automatically, afterwards.

Paul

I might switch the HD's in the 780 next
time to see if it boots. If I need to
reinstall Win10 I'm going to need some
guidance like where to start again.

How would it work with the 8500 since
I didn't create a HD for it but only
obtained the license key. How do I know
it will work? Do I do the slmgr/dlv
command to find out?

Robert

Your "spare" drive is a drive for experiments.

You could put the spare in the 8500, by itself,
boot the Win10 DVD you made, and do a Windows 10 Professional
install on it. At the beginning, select Custom,
select the partitions on the disk and delete them.
The installer can make whatever partitions it wants
after that. Later, when the install is finished,
you make a local account (there is a button on the
lower left for local account). For the license key
step, you can select "Skip" to make sure it activates
without any help. Running slmgr /dlv kater will give
the details.

Then move the spare drive back to the 780, boot the DVD,
erase the partitions, and have it reinstall over there.
Skip the license key entry. Verify afterwards that it
activated by itself, and OK.

That sequence would leave (for the time being) a disk
suitable for the 780 at the end, since you are doing the
780 second.

Paul