N
NJed
Guest
All,
I've held off upgrading my primary desktop/development machine while I check all my existing apps are compatible. However, I took the plunge and updated my HP laptop but hit some snags when it came to doing a clean-reinstall.
Generally I like to have a back-up DVD/USB stick with the OS ISO image ready to go on it and a product key to hand for clean installs. In this particular instance, I decided to replace the old hard disk in my laptop with a new SDD and install Windows 10 from scratch.
The laptop itself had Windows 7 SP1 installed and I had already upgraded it to 10 via Windows Update doing an in-place upgrade on the original disk. I used an app to pull the Windows 10 product key from the registry and noted it down but discovered it's a generic product key that all in-place Win 10 upgrades get.
I then read that the newer Win 10 ISOs allow activation using the original Win7 product key so I downloaded and updated my back-up media with that image.
Having inserted the new SDD drive I booted from the USB/ISO image and got to the "Enter product key" prompt. Neither the generic Windows 10 upgrade product key worked or the original Windows 7 upgrade key. So at this point I've hit a brick wall and can't go any further.
I understand that once a Win 7 -> 10 upgrade is done via Windows Update that the activation is linked to the hardware. This raises some concerns with me as to what can/can't be changed in the hardware without breaking activation. I tend to periodically do a system upgrade which often results in swapping out everything bar the disks and case.
So to sum up - As much as I'd love to upgrade from 7 to 10 the lack of a simple ISO + Product Key combinations as a clean install/fall-back path is putting me off.
* Can anyone clarify for me what exactly I can do to get around this? How can I upgrade 7-10 but still be able to do a clean install from the Win 10 ISO without having issues with product keys?
* How much of my hardware can I change without it breaking activation should I chose to upgrade?
Side note: I use a local user account under Windows 10 not a Microsoft one if that makes any difference.
Continue reading...
I've held off upgrading my primary desktop/development machine while I check all my existing apps are compatible. However, I took the plunge and updated my HP laptop but hit some snags when it came to doing a clean-reinstall.
Generally I like to have a back-up DVD/USB stick with the OS ISO image ready to go on it and a product key to hand for clean installs. In this particular instance, I decided to replace the old hard disk in my laptop with a new SDD and install Windows 10 from scratch.
The laptop itself had Windows 7 SP1 installed and I had already upgraded it to 10 via Windows Update doing an in-place upgrade on the original disk. I used an app to pull the Windows 10 product key from the registry and noted it down but discovered it's a generic product key that all in-place Win 10 upgrades get.
I then read that the newer Win 10 ISOs allow activation using the original Win7 product key so I downloaded and updated my back-up media with that image.
Having inserted the new SDD drive I booted from the USB/ISO image and got to the "Enter product key" prompt. Neither the generic Windows 10 upgrade product key worked or the original Windows 7 upgrade key. So at this point I've hit a brick wall and can't go any further.
I understand that once a Win 7 -> 10 upgrade is done via Windows Update that the activation is linked to the hardware. This raises some concerns with me as to what can/can't be changed in the hardware without breaking activation. I tend to periodically do a system upgrade which often results in swapping out everything bar the disks and case.
So to sum up - As much as I'd love to upgrade from 7 to 10 the lack of a simple ISO + Product Key combinations as a clean install/fall-back path is putting me off.
* Can anyone clarify for me what exactly I can do to get around this? How can I upgrade 7-10 but still be able to do a clean install from the Win 10 ISO without having issues with product keys?
* How much of my hardware can I change without it breaking activation should I chose to upgrade?
Side note: I use a local user account under Windows 10 not a Microsoft one if that makes any difference.
Continue reading...