[SOLVED] Windows Simultaneous Installs Fix

[Jerzevlar]

I recently installed windows on a new SSD. While maintaining windows on a previous drive I updated my new windows install but now I want to go back to my original drive. How do I do this. I uninstalled the previous windows backup (I'm an idiot don't ask). I can manually boot to the original windows install but no windows features work. I can't access the start menu to update or fix anything. I'm lost. I can provide more info if needed, I just don't understand what's happening. I need help!

 

[Colif]

well, win 10 isn't designed to dual boot with itself. Why did you want it on PC twice?

I can guess answer to : did you have the old install in when you installed to ssd? is yes? as the new install has added itself to the boot partition and perhaps the update has erased all traces of the old install from there now.

 

[Mr.Spock]

if the new SSD has everything you need, then image that to the original drive - otherwise make an image of the original HDD somewhere else > remove the new SSD and boot using just the old drive - may have to go into safe mode or try Windows Repair on it

 

[Jerzevlar]

well, win 10 isn't designed to dual boot with itself. Why did you want it on PC twice?

I can guess answer to : did you have the old install in when you installed to ssd? is yes? as the new install has added itself to the boot partition and perhaps the update has erased all traces of the old install from there now.

I installed windows on a new drive, (Still have windows installed on an old hard drive on the same computer. Once I got windows set up on my new SSD I realized I didn't want to do that and I wanted to go back to my install on my old drive. The issue is I left the old drive plugged in when I new installed another windows on my new drive, I logged in with my microsoft account and I think I messed something up because I can launch windows on my old drive but all of the windows features are broken (eg, windows explorer, start button...)
My question is what did I do and can I undo it? I have tried recovery on both windows installs but they fail. Since windows is still installed on the old drive cant I just change something in the registry or use a cmd line to fix what's broken?

 

[Jerzevlar]

if the new SSD has everything you need, then image that to the original drive - otherwise make an image of the original HDD somewhere else > remove the new SSD and boot using just the old drive - may have to go into safe mode or try Windows Repair on it

Sorry it took me so long to reply, why would I need to make an image of the original hdd, cant I just use it has is. It still has windows installed on it? Thanks

 

[USAFRet]

Power OFF
Disconnect ALL drives except for the original HDD
Power UP

Does it work correctly?

 

[Mr.Spock]

always good to have the original, people make mistakes or have 2nd thoughts after doing a migration - this bails them out, done it for friends/colleagues many times

Sorry it took me so long to reply, why would I need to make an image of the original hdd, cant I just use it has is. It still has windows installed on it? Thanks