Windows 10: The next chapter

[Audioaficionado]

Too bad Vista didn't get included in the free upgrade deal. I've got a couple of coasters laying around I'd love to convert into something useful.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

Technically it should be one or the other. You are getting a free upgrade by using legitimate Windows 7/8 keys to deactivate Windows 7/8 and activate Windows 10 in their place.

You can't ever deactivate Windows AFAIK. The activation servers don't keep track of that... Once it's activated, it uses up one online activation.

So technically, if you don't like Windows 10, you should be able to activate Windows 7/8 again after abandoning Windows 10, if you decide that.

Windows 7 Ultimate can be activated 50 times total per serial key. 3 online, then the rest via phone or chat support.
I recently activated mine via chat support.

 

[dyckah]

i know i took advantage of the windows 8 upgrade for cheap when it first came out, due to owning windows 7, was hoping to do the same, have a couple of other pc's that are in need of an operating system, so two extra copies of windows would be most welcomed!

 

[c627627]

Which did people hate more, Vista upon release or Windows 8.0 Metro on regular PC, I would say 8.

 

[ATMINSIDE]

Vista was much worse, IMO

 

[Audioaficionado]

Which did people hate more, Vista upon release or Windows 8.0 Metro on regular PC, I would say 8.

I rather liked Vista when it first came out. I bought the Pro upgrade version and did the double update method to get a fresh installation. Then I scored the Ultimate version from Microsoft for being a guinea pig/beta tester and went with that version until win 7 came out. I hated win 8 right away.

 

[orion456]

Vista was much worse, IMO

I hated Vista, but I loath 8 - both examples of wrong headed approaches.

Though I have to say, Vista now looks and feels a lot like Win7 except it is often very slow for some reason.

Win8 has improved with the classic shell to make it look more like Win7 - still I don't like Win8 - 10 better be a lot better.

 

[c627627]

So what did you guys hate about Vista, UAC, and what else?

 

[ATMINSIDE]

So what did you guys hate about Vista, UAC, and what else?

Performance.

 

[dyckah]

i never had vista, but i have windows 8.
at first it was super annoying, but once i got classic shell installed, windows 8 is very nice, i quite like it.

 

[c627627]

It's strange that so many places talk about the Windows 10 release and no one seems to be talking about clean install vs. not. Given that a huge percentage of people own Windows 7/8 and will upgrade - not buy new, that's beyond strange that no one asked or is talking about it.

Exhibit B: equally strange, no one is talking about RTM date or TechNet / MSDN release dates - given that Windows XP/Vista/7 and 8 - ALL were released significantly ahead of store release date which we now know is July 29. How can they release Windows 10 on the same day on MSDN as the day they release it retail, it takes a while to prep retail sales, weeks, I think it was like two months for previous Windows releases... No one seems to be talking about that...


Inevitably - there will be fake RTM releases, I'm guessing any day now, so beware of those in case you forgot this always happens just before the code goes gold for real - fake version leaks that are not RTM at all...


Also, Microsoft had Cortana announce the release date, that was a nice touch.

 

[dyckah]

i dont think i'll be using it unless i can do a clean install.
im sure that there will be a way to do a clean install.

 

[c627627]

Worse case scenario fresh install of 7/8, then immediate update to 10 - but no one has asked anyone from Microsoft about this to this day, and we already have the release date set...

 

[GTXJackBauer]

So, how is this going to work when you want to reformat say after the 1 year since release? Does my Windows 7/8.1 key for both of my machines get 10? Still trying to figure it out.

 

[Janus67]

My guess - is exactly that, if you accept the upgrade then that key is marked in their authentication database as being redeemed for Windows 10. So when you do an install and provide that key it will install 10 straight away. What I don't know is if that same key hangs out in the old databases after being uograded.

I've done a fresh 10 install via technet download so I know it is possible, for what it's worth.

 

['Cuda340]

How to stop the Windows 10 Upgrade from downloading

FYI...

How to stop the Windows 10 Upgrade from downloading on your system
Jun 1, 2015 Richard Hay


There will be many people very excited about the prospect of upgrading to Windows 10 on the 29th of July.

At the same time there are other users on Windows 7 and 8.1 who do not want any part of the upgrade for a variety of reasons.

Microsoft has confirmed that the new OS, currently in its final stages of development, will be made available for download/install on eligible systems on 29 July 2015.

In preparation for that, back in April, Microsoft released an update (KB3035583) for Windows 7 (Optional) and 8.1 (Recommended) that is called the Get Windows 10 app. It provides the prompt that started appearing on users systems (Windows 7 and 8.1) yesterday and gives you the option to reserve your copy of Windows 10.

But what if you are one of those users with zero interest in the Windows 10 upgrade?

Since KB3035583 was released as an Optional or Recommended update based on your OS it might not be installed if you avoid those types of updates. If that is the case then you have no further action to take.

If however, you did install that update then it can be uninstalled through Windows Update....

For those interested continue reading here...

 

[c627627]

I've done a fresh 10 install via technet download so I know it is possible, for what it's worth.

Of course, but the question is not 'can fresh install can be done,' of course it can, the question is, can our Windows 7/8 keys be used on fresh installs?
Other than MSDN/TechNet release date not being talked about, the third (important) question that "no one" is talking about inexplicably is the media center.

Windows 8 gutted Windows 7's ability to record TV and on Windows 8 you can only do that if you cough up $10 to Microsoft to activate the media center recording options (which was a free update for a short time after the initial Windows 8 release.) So will there be a recording function in the equivalent of Windows 10 Media Center? Will it be free? Will it be a paid upgrade like it is on Windows 8 currently? Any promotions on that? A TV card or a simple USB tuner stick gives you TV on Windows 10 so the need for the DVR function is great since Windows Media Center DVR is by far superior to any software that actually comes with those TV tuners.

At any event if anyone comes across answers to these questions before July 29, please post.
But I am guessing, we'll have to find out the hard way on July 29.

 

[AngelfireUk83]

Its been on my mind since I got the message about a free upgrade how will it install will it lay over my Win 7 Ult install like the old days and install as a update from W.U's, because it says it will download when it's ready via that. Once it's downloaded can I mount it to a CD/DVD or pen drive and install via that activate it and key my key to use when I need. And after the year say I need to reinstall 10 can I use the key again or do I have to pay ??? I am hoping my games via steam/Origin will work and play fine it maybe the case of partitioning half of my OS SSD and installing via a dual boot to see how it goes.

Last time I did a Dual Boot of Win XP/7 someone the XP boot up would go corrupt and I would have to reinstall and then I couldn't get into 7 so I stopped, but now I don't need XP anymore.

 

[Audioaficionado]

I keep seeing 'OEM' version listed. What do I actually get if I allow my 'Full' version win7 to be converted to win10?

 

[c627627]

It should be identical after July 29. Full to full.

AngelfireUk83, Key will simply switch from being a Windows 7/8 key to being a Windows 10 key, as long as you do the activation switch to 10 in the next year, the key will be Changed to a Windows 10 key without extra charges and this will be a permanent change to 10. I don't know what will happen if you switch the key back to 7/8 after a year passes... One thing is certain, they want us all on Windows 10. So they'll give it away for free and probably try to discourage us from going back to 7/8.

As I understand it there will be a Windows Update download as well of course an ISO full install download. I would imagine that the update would keep your installed programs but just like 8.1 update, all the little Windows settings will be reset to default after Windows update is done.

You need to do this to easily control multi boot OS:
https://neosmart.net/Download/Register/1
[Scroll Down and use any Name & Email to Download]