Operating system swap

[Alecoco]

I'm upgrading my pc and my dad is getting my current build. However, we both need to keep our hard drives. If I were to disconnect my hard drive with windows on it and if he were to install his which also has windows on it would we encounter any problems?

 

[USAFRet]

I'm upgrading my pc and my dad is getting my current build. However, we both need to keep our hard drives. If I were to disconnect my hard drive with windows on it and if he were to install his which also has windows on it would we encounter any problems?

Swapping drives with the OS, between systems?

Yes, you may indeed run into massive issues.
Anyone that tells you not to worry and it always works just fine is blowing smoke.
It might work, it might fail completely.


What OS is this?
Where did the OS's come from?
What are the specs of the relevant systems?

 

[aquielisunari]

I'm upgrading my pc and my dad is getting my current build. However, we both need to keep our hard drives. If I were to disconnect my hard drive with windows on it and if he were to install his which also has windows on it would we encounter any problems?

Swapping drives with the OS, between systems?

Yes, you may indeed run into massive issues.
Anyone that tells you not to worry and it always works just fine is blowing smoke.
It might work, it might fail completely.


What OS is this?
Where did the OS's come from?
What are the specs of the relevant systems?

Consider your PC components and your dad's components in his PC. I expect that they are different. PC hardware needs things called drivers. It helps the components communicate with each other and many many other things. Windows 3.1 wasn't even as close to being as accommodating as 10 is. There's a good chance 10, has in its recesses the necessary drivers to make these types of swaps possible that weren't 25 years ago.

The problem is the aforementioned drivers. Without its' interpreter present Windows may not be able to communicate with said hardware and you could be greeted with a blue screen, stuck in Windows' 10 loading screen, it may not even get to 10 or a number of other problems can arise.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change