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What do I need to do to put Windows 10 on my Windows 7 desktop pc? I don't need or want a new computer and I'm a complete spanner when it comes to this sort of stuff. Can I just buy a download from wherever and install it and it'll do everything else itself, or will I have to re-install all the shit that's on my lovely Win 7 pc?
If you have an official Win 7 installation (and you know the activation code) you can get a free Win 10 updte from Microsoft.
I basically did what is described here - Update Win 10
Go to the Microsoft website and search for Windows 10 upgrade. You can download the installation files (8 GB or so) and create a bootable USB stick or DVD. You can then do an upgrade installation. Your existing Win7 licence should be valid for a Win 10 upgrade, but you won't need to enter that if you upgrade an existing installation. You shouldn't have to buy a new licence.
What @hols2 said.
Media Creation Tool, here. https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10
"will I have to re-install all the shit that’s on my lovely Win 7 pc"
This depends on what you've got on your Win7 PC. Not everything Win7 is supported on Win10, either because it's technically incompatible or because it interferes with Microsoft's business model.
The Windows 10 upgrade wizard will scan your system and tell you about compatibility. Most likely problems are drivers for old hardware (I have a 15 year old Canon scanner/printer than is now just a printer), but Win 10 does seem to have pretty amazing backwards compatibility.
The upgrade wizard will save your old Win 7 installation and let you roll back to that if you don't like Win 10.
Maybe worth doing a fresh install anyway, just to get rid of all the shit you don't need.
And worth upgrading to an SSD, if you don't have one. Can get a decent one for about £40.
Also double check you're not running as an admin user with no password - you'll be locked out after upgrading. Don't ask me how I found this out 🙁
Maybe worth doing a fresh install anyway, just to get rid of all the shit you don’t need.
Do the upgrade first. That will sort out the Windows licence and let you check that Win10 runs properly and your software is compatible. After that, you can do a fresh install without needing to enter a serial number because your hardware will be linked to the licence.
Is it still that easy and free of charge? I thought they'd knocked the no-cost upgrade on the head a while ago, with some odd exceptions.
I thought they’d knocked the no-cost upgrade on the head a while ago,
Officially they have, but it still works apparently, so MS have obviously decided that they're better off having people upgrade.
What chances of getting an activation code if the MS licence label has rubbed to illegibility? any other way of getting one?
If you have Win7 installed and running, you can just upgrade to Win10 without needing to enter the activation code. After that, the hardware is linked to the licence and you can reinstall without needing the activation code.
You can use a tool like Magic Jellybean Keyfinder to interrogate your system for its current licence key.
You can buy a Windows 10 key for a couple of quid on eBay. Activates and works fine for me anyway.
Is it still that easy and free of charge? I thought they’d knocked the no-cost upgrade on the head a while ago, with some odd exceptions.
Officially it's available for free if you have accessibility issues. Unofficially, MS don't care, it's more important to them to get rid of all the legacy guff. I think they've even dropped that info from their website now. Corporate is where MS makes it's money, they don't care about a ten quid OEM licence when they can take you for several grand for a SQL server.
You can buy a Windows 10 key for a couple of quid on eBay.
Or you can save a couple of quid as you already have a licence. Jelly Bean is kosher, I've used it for decades.
cheers chaps! I've tried and failed before. not enough space in system reserved partition, despite there being plenty. I'll have another go...
So to summarise everyone's (excellent) advice, you can:
Install W10 as an upgrade. This will keep all your old files, apps etc. and you won't need to enter a key. It will also give you a roll-back option if it goes potty. Pro tip, if you're using third-party AV, uninstall it first.
Do a clean install, wiping everything. This will require a key which you can get either from the W7 OEM sticker or using Jelly Bean if it's illegible. Not really recommended as you've no roll-back if it goes wrong.
Install an SSD, do a clean install. You'll still need the key, but your roll-back here is "put the old drive back in." This is almost certainly your best option, but more technical. You can buy a USB caddy for the old hard drive for like ten quid to then copy your data back across (but you have backups of this already, don't you). Apps etc will all need to be reinstalled.
Whatever you do, once W10 is activated once you'll never need the key again. So you could, for instance, do the first option to initially register it all and then swap to an SSD at a later date.
not enough space in ssytem reserved partition
Point of note here that the "system reserved partition" is not the C:\ drive, it's the 100MB - 200MB boot partition at the start of the disk. You can't immediately browse to it as it doesn't have a drive letter assigned.
Assuming you're not doing something bonkers like trying to install Windows itself to the system partition, this can be increased but it's a buttload of command-line chicanery or third-party tools. Yell if you hit it again and I'll try and dig something up. Probably need your own thread for that to avoid confusion.
Really though, just buy an SSD. (-:
Thanks for all the replies. It's only some CAD software and some retro gaming stuff, nothing that can't be replaced. I was trying to avoid buying new stuff, this pc was used when I got it and is fast enough and has a nice graphics thinger, it's fine apart from the fact MS are stopping support for Win 7 at the end of the year.
Woah... It's downloading Win 10 and I can keep using my computer. That's smashing.
19%...
This is jolly exciting.
Don't speak too soon 🙂
I did an upgrade on my PC keeping all the files and programs intact with just a couple of requrements for driver updates. Doing the exact same procedure on Mrs Fruitbat's laptop resulted in a world of mysery.
Oh... Thanks for the warning.
39%
Good luck 🙂
Ta!
71%
Woo hoo! I am fully Windows 10ed up. Thanks for all the help 🙂
Oo oo! And smileys work now 😀
😂😊🤣❤😍😒👌😘💕😁👍🙌🤦♀️🤦♂️🤷♀️🤷♂️✌🤞😉😎🎶😢💖😜👏💋🌹🎉🎂🤳👀😃😆
Oo oo! And smileys work now
🙄
Need to upgrade mine too as Microsoft keeps reminding me ... 😐
smileys work now
Top tip, Win-[.] (full stop) is the keyboard shortcut for the pop-up.
👌✔🚲
Cool. Must attempt this on my stepdad's Lenovo when I'm next there. Didn't realise it was still free (on the quiet)
👍 Thanks for the pop-up tip too! 👌
😂😊🤣❤😍😒👌😘💕😁👍🙌🤦♀️🤦♂️🤷♀️🤷♂️✌🤞😉😎🎶😢💖😜👏💋🌹🎉🎂🤳👀😃😆
Too many smileys 😃