Not really OT - Windows 10

VidMus wrote on 4/21/2016, 12:49 AM

I got results with the free upgrade but not reliable results.

So I gave-up on the free upgrade and did a clean install with the non OEM pro version. Since Windows 10 is supposedly the last version, it is no problem buying the full non-OEM version that can be installed for years to come.

All I need to do on my current and future system builds is download the latest from Microsoft, burn it to a DVD, install it and use the key I bought.

No more OEM limitations, no more upgrade uncertainties and no more strange problems that can and most likely will happen with upgrades.

When I did the free upgrade, my system became unstable after some time and it would occasionally blue-screen-of-death on me as well as strange and unexplained crashes. With the clean install, my system is as stable as a rock. No more problems!

PeterWright wrote on 4/21/2016, 3:20 AM

Thanks VidMus - I am now resigned to doing a fresh install, but shouldn't that also be free?

On the computer in question I have W7, with Product Key to prove authenticity.

ushere wrote on 4/21/2016, 4:26 AM

should be no problem if you have your key - just enter it when requested....

PeterWright wrote on 4/21/2016, 5:13 AM

My problem Leslie is getting to a point where they ask for my Product Key!

When I try and run Media Creation Tool I get "There was a problem starting setup. Close the tool, restart your PC, and then try again.

I've done that many times with the same result.

I now need to find someone at Microsoft who will help me past this point.

Former user wrote on 4/21/2016, 7:28 AM

From my understanding and experience, you have to do the automatic update to Windows 10 first. Then your key number is generated and you can do a clean update on the same computer.

Any other way doest not work.

ushere wrote on 4/21/2016, 7:51 AM

peter - i think donaldt is right. iirc i let all my machines upgrade automatically - then did a clean install on my two nle's that were giving me problems. sorry if i misled you....

PeterWright wrote on 4/21/2016, 9:22 AM

Yes, I'm trying to find a way round this Catch 22. For some reason upgrading doesn't work on this computer. Maybe I'll try support@microsoft.com !

flyingski wrote on 4/21/2016, 10:13 AM

Peter, can you use one of your other computers to run the media creation tool? Sounds like the machine in question has some problems.

You do not have to do the Win-10 upgrade first. I downloaded the media creation tool and used it to burn the appropriate ISO version to a DVD. I booted with this disk and did a clean install with my Win-7 product key. After the install I ran a little program called ProduKey to extract the Win-10 product key. I can now reinstall Win-10 any time on that computer using the disk I burned and the key I extracted. Hope this helps.

diverG wrote on 4/21/2016, 10:13 AM

Peter,
It's quite a while since W10 was released so you may have taken action to prevent it installing. I did this to my machines. When I got round to trying the upgrade I had to remove a couple of registry entries first. Then it was good to go.

Just a thought

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Gwx]
"DisableGwx"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate]
"DisableOSUpgrade"=dword:00000001

PeterWright wrote on 4/21/2016, 7:22 PM

flyingski
Yes, I have used Media Creation Tool to upgrade two other computers, but I don't know how to use the Tool on one computer to upgrade a different computer!

diverG
I did nothing to prevent upgrading, but I'm willing to try your suggestion - I'll let you know if it worked...

wjauch wrote on 4/21/2016, 7:40 PM

FYI a few months ago Microsoft made an important change, a win 7 or win 8 key will work as a win10key. Download Win 10 on another PC, burn to DVD, install and when key is requested enter the win 7 key from your machine, Win10 should accept it.
After the Win 10 machine has been online for a few minutes Microsoft will have taken a digital fingerprint of your PC and they know it is legit. ( Go to "windows key", settings, and activation) and you should see windows is activated, either with a key listed or "with a digital entitlement" listed. If you ever need to reinstall Win 10 leave key empty when you reinstall and once PC has been online for a few minutes Microsoft should recognise the PC by its fingerprint and automaticaly know that it has a valid license. This is how it should work, but of course there could always be a glitch somewhere

flyingski wrote on 4/21/2016, 10:01 PM

Peter,
One of the screens on the Creation Tool gives you the option to either "upgrade this computer" or "upgrade a different computer". Pick the second option and it should guide you through downloading an ISO image file, which you want to burn to a DVD. When that's accomplished just put it in your machine and reboot. You may have to chose your DVD drive from the boot menu. Usually something like F2 or Delete while the computer is booting. Check your machine's documentation.

PeterWright wrote on 4/21/2016, 10:11 PM

Thanks flyingski, I'm trying that now.

PeterWright wrote on 4/23/2016, 11:33 PM

Great - I've successfully upgraded thanks to yours and others' help flyingski.

Things went a little different though - I put the DVD with ISO in the drive, specified this as boot device, but I still only got a choice to boot W7, so I opened W7, then ran the DVD which replaced W7 with W10. keeping all my programs and settings, which was what I preferred.

Interestingly I was never asked for my W7 product key - presumably the software did its own searching and checking.

ushere wrote on 4/24/2016, 4:34 AM

peter, not wanting to dampen your enthusiasm... as i wrote earlier, upgrading went fantastically with all our pc's, other than the two that have editing software. both displayed different 'idiosyncrasies' with vegas and one with vegas and ppro. rather than lose what little hair i have left troubleshooting (and not knowing where to begin anyway) i did clean installs over the upgrade. both are working fine now...

hope yours go according to plan....

John222 wrote on 4/24/2016, 11:12 AM

Media creation tool wouldn't work on my PC, nor would automatic upgrade. I had to use the media creation tool on another PC to create the disc needed to do a full install.

set wrote on 4/28/2016, 10:41 AM

http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/28/11525418/microsoft-windows-10-upgrade-prompt-storms-weather-report

#oops

Geoff_Wood wrote on 4/28/2016, 8:28 PM

Now, next thing, how best to get rid of those s tupid supposedly contextual Windows File Explorer columns for any folder with media files in, and get it to stick !

geoff

PS Wow, forum wouldn't let me write s tupid without a space added ! I guess crap is out of the question then ;-0

PPS - Apparently not !!!