Windows 7 to10 Update Option

[Pardus]

Resolved

 

[corkyg]

Basically, 7 to 10 is not an update - it is an upgrade. Big difference.

 

[Gt403cyl]

That was only available for the first year Windows 10 was out.
You can't do the free upgrade anymore.

 

[UsandThem]

I thought the same thing, but some users in this thread said they used their Windows 7 key recently to upgrade to Windows 10:

https://forums.anandtech.com/thread...s-10-from-win-7-fixed-solution-found.2546974/

 

[UnbiosedOpinion]

If your used laptop is Dell, with the Dell OEM sticker for Windows 7, and the Dell OEM Win 7 is currently activated, there's a good chance you can get to Windows 10 for free. I've done it multiple times this year, most recently in May 2018.

Not sure if it will work with any other type of license, but it might be worth a try.

I'd suggest cloning your Win 7 system to a different drive for the upgrade step, so you can easily go back to your clean Win 7 system if the upgrade fails. (Win10 rollback to Win 7 has created hassles for me by not restoring everything, so I don't use it.)

On the cloned drive, make it easy for the Win 10 upgrade to succeed: Delete any software that might be troublesome (third-party utilities, etc) and get current on updates and drivers.

Use the Windows 10 Media Creation tool to build your USB installer. It can be used for upgrades as well as the clean install later.

Use this Win 10 installer while signed on to Win 7 and setup will attempt the upgrade. Be sure you're online. You should get the version that matches your Win 7 version. (On my Dells, I can skip any license key prompts. Try it that way the first time.)

If it upgrades, check your status in the Win 10 Activation settings. The Dells get a "digital entitlement" license that stays with the hardware across installs.

I can then boot from the same Win 10 installer drive and do a clean install. I have to pick the Win 10 version that matches the upgrade, but I can still skip any key prompts.

And all is good (so far!)

With other licenses, if it fails to activate in the upgrade step, you can try inputting your existing key on the activation screen. Or even do another Win 7 clone and retry the upgrade, supplying your key up front.

Worst case, just go back to your original Windows 7 disk. And save up for Win 10...

 

[JackMDS]

I have No idea about the whole Gamut of the Win 7 to Win 10 Upgrade.

From my recent experience It depends on what type of the original Win 7 key is. The best chance is with Win 7 mainstream Retail Key.

One should run this free portable App, retrieve and save the Current key of Win 7.

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html

Then....

1. Use an imaging software to backup the current Win 7 to an External or Network Drive.

2. Upgrade Win 7 to Win 10. If asked for key number skip it.

Best way to Upgrade is to male a USB of the latest version throufgt MS Medai Tool (On line Upgrade is the most Risky one).

3. After Upgrade log on the new Win 10 install to the Activation and use the saved key from Win 7 to activate.

It might turn from No Active to Active immediately, or it might take few hours or even a day to activate (Win 10 will work well when Not Activates. Some features (mainly cosmetic would be available). If it does Not show active after a day you are probably out of luck and have to buy a new Win 10 Key.



P.S. A legal Key for Win 10 Home is about $80-100. if you see a key that is bellow $60, the probability is very high that it is Illegal/fake key.

P.S. 2 - With some computers (mainly Laptops), the device's BIOS might force to one form of Upgrade, In such cases YMMV).

 

[bruceb]

Retail Windows 7 key will definitely activate Windows 10 . For example: Windows 7 Ultimate will activate Windows 7 as Pro .. Dell OEM key may or may not activate it.

 

[balloonshark]

I have a related question. I have 2 old windows 7 laptops. One is a toshiba and the other an emachine. I guess they are around 8 years old. I don't see any windows 10 drivers for the toshiba and I'm assuming the same for the emachine. Would you try upgrading these laptops? Would the hardware work with Windows drivers?

 

[bruceb]

I have Windows 10 Home 64 running on a Toshiba C855-S5347 and it is doing fine. Not sure how old it is, but it was shipped with Windows 8 .. Odds are your Toshiba will work fine with Windows 10

 

[Nashemon]

I have a related question. I have 2 old windows 7 laptops. One is a toshiba and the other an emachine. I guess they are around 8 years old. I don't see any windows 10 drivers for the toshiba and I'm assuming the same for the emachine. Would you try upgrading these laptops? Would the hardware work with Windows drivers?

If the upgrade is free, I would try it. You can roll it back to Windows 7 within 30 days if it doesn't work out. If you're paying for it, I wouldn't risk it unless you have something to install it on if it doesn't work out.

Working in computer repair, in the past I've had to roll a handful of computers back due lack of compatible drivers being available. It doesn't happen too often, but it's always computers that came with Windows 7 or earlier. Windows 8 upgrades have never been an issue in my experience.

 

[balloonshark]

I have Windows 10 Home 64 running on a Toshiba C855-S5347 and it is doing fine. Not sure how old it is, but it was shipped with Windows 8 .. Odds are your Toshiba will work fine with Windows 10

If the upgrade is free, I would try it. You can roll it back to Windows 7 within 30 days if it doesn't work out. If you're paying for it, I wouldn't risk it unless you have something to install it on if it doesn't work out.

Working in computer repair, in the past I've had to roll a handful of computers back due lack of compatible drivers being available. It doesn't happen too often, but it's always computers that came with Windows 7 or earlier. Windows 8 upgrades have never been an issue in my experience.

Thanks to you both for sharing your experiences. Good to hear you had mostly good luck with upgrading. I'll probably image the windows 7 installs before attempting the upgrade like JackMDS suggests.

 

[bruceb]

What you might want to do, is do a Clone of the existing hard drive to a new laptop hard drive. Then you can upgrade the old drive to Windows 10 ... By doing it this way you can go back to Windows 7 as it currently is just by swapping the drive.

 

[VirtualLarry]

What you might want to do, is do a Clone of the existing hard drive to a new laptop hard drive. Then you can upgrade the old drive to Windows 10 ... By doing it this way you can go back to Windows 7 as it currently is just by swapping the drive.

Or, if your laptop is old enough to come with factory Win7, and you haven't upgraded yet to an SSD, take the opportunity to clone existing HDD to an SSD, and then pop in the SSD and do the upgrade to Win10. It should go much faster then, and then you'll end up with a better system overall in the end.

 

[balloonshark]

What you might want to do, is do a Clone of the existing hard drive to a new laptop hard drive. Then you can upgrade the old drive to Windows 10 ... By doing it this way you can go back to Windows 7 as it currently is just by swapping the drive.

Or, if your laptop is old enough to come with factory Win7, and you haven't upgraded yet to an SSD, take the opportunity to clone existing HDD to an SSD, and then pop in the SSD and do the upgrade to Win10. It should go much faster then, and then you'll end up with a better system overall in the end.

I do have an external HDD and dock so imaging isn't a problem. I installed an SSD in the dual core a while back but the other single core laptop isn't worth upgrading. It might not even have enough RAM to work with bloated Windows 10. I have a feeling 10 will slow both laptops down especially with all of its excessive "feature" updates.

 

[Lanyap]

I recently performed clean install of Windows 7 on a Dell system with a Dell restore disk and after a few Windows updates it asked if I wanted to upgrade to Windows 10 instead of continuing with Windows 7 updates.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I recently performed clean install of Windows 7 on a Dell system with a Dell restore disk and after a few Windows updates it asked if I wanted to upgrade to Windows 10 instead of continuing with Windows 7 updates.

It would be somewhat funny, if my friend ended up with Windows 10. He never, to my knowledge, got the Win10 updater thingy that most people complained about, and he has a legit retail-upgrade copy of Win7 (that I gave him years ago). Maybe his machine is just last on the list to upgrade from MS?

 

[Lanyap]

It would be somewhat funny, if my friend ended up with Windows 10. He never, to my knowledge, got the Win10 updater thingy that most people complained about, and he has a legit retail-upgrade copy of Win7 (that I gave him years ago). Maybe his machine is just last on the list to upgrade from MS?

IIRC the Dell restore disk was not SP1. After few updates it gave me the option install Win10 instead of installing Win 7 SP1.

 

[bruceb]

Some are and some are not. I have a Dell Windows 7 Professional Restore CD that does have SP1 in it.
Dell Part #: M1T3F .. it will self activate if your Dell Bios has the proper SLIC table in it. If not you need to get an updated BIOS and the correct OEM SLP Files to self activate or manually input a valid license key.
You can find these restore cds on Ebay (real cheap)

 

[bruceb]

I have a Dell Reinstallation DVD for Windows 7 Professional with SP1 in it. Dell Part #: M1T3F (you can find them cheap on Ebay) It will self activate if your BIOS has the SLC 2.0 or later table. You can also enter a legit license key. You can get some of the BIOS modified to have the correct SLC table. You also need the proper OEM cert file so that it will activate it.
This site can do the BIOS mods for you (some older BIOS can not be modified)

https://forums.mydigitallife.net/