How to choose the correct Windows 10 edition to reinstall on a computer previously activated by digital entitlement when facing the following scenarios (especially for technicians): A computer (oem or assembled) comes to the shop and the holder says he wants Windows 10 back reinstalled onto the PC but, Windows is so damaged that there's no time to fix it and he doesn't remember which edition was used. Windows is unbootable to be able to see the edition. HDD/SSD is dead. A replace is needed but we don't know which edition was used prior HDD crash. Any other possible scenario where retrieval of edition is impossible. Obviously there's trial and error but it's a huge waste of time. In my case, when I talk about reinstalling Windows I mean to say clean install implying formatting or replacing HDD/SSD.
As far as I know. Windows 10 .iso comes with Home and Pro. It doesn't matter which one was previously installed as long as you did the upgrade to get Windows 10 free.
Try a StarTech Sata Adapter cable for 2.5 0r 3.5 inch Hard Drives, probably will show something. It's what I use to salvage what I can off dead HD, should be able to read something off it, works even when HD will not boot.
Put in a new ssd/hdd take a 10586 and up Multiple Editions iso and when a oemm bios key is present it should select the correct version. For systems with a HWID you simply can test it by installing both, home and pro and the one who is activated after install is the correct version.
Man... Really? I already know this but my questions are precisely to figure out a "trick" or method to avoid what you stated. Anyway thanks @Enthousiast
A trick to avoid guessing, to avoid installing both editions and guess which one activates. A trick to know for sure which one goes rightly.
One trick could be to install Core and then upgrade to Pro if it doesn't activate. Saves you from doing a full reinstall.
Well yeah, this makes much more sense. Still the guessing thing in the process which I don't like. Just hope M$ could assist on this in the near future.
"How to choose the correct Windows 10 edition to install ????" Easy, don't. Choose Win 7 Pro or ULti....
Keep two vhds handy one with core, the other with pro. Copy both of them tho the new disk, add them to the bootloader. then boot and see which one activates
Starting from Windows 10, now Enterprise (and probably all related editions like Edu and LTSB) are more useful, than Pro (and Home, ofc). Due to some telemetry settings in gpedit.msc - and nothing else, afaik.
Someone who has no idea what version they were running is almost always on Home. You would remember paying for a Pro license.
Great thing would be to boot a WinPE boot disk then fire up a M$ utility to hash the hardware (HWiD) and retrieve info about the edition entitled for activation from their servers.
no utility to find out which Edition activated before if M$ can do some HWID verification on their website {OR do HACKING }
I do not know but can you put bad HD back in, boot to BIOS and see, I'm guessing so be gentle with me
I have a really old laptop running a really old version of BackTrack I should be able to hack into their WiFi and get that info for ya in about half an hour, I just need a ride to Redmond to do it.