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Countdown to Windows 10...

Got a Win7 Pro install on a dual boot laptop (grub2/Mint 17.2) and the first go at it failed ... the update downloaded and ran, but on reboot i got the utility screen and then it reverted to the Win7 Pro install.

Giving it another try ...
 
Xyro said:
I can confirm that works. I was helping a friend and he used the 'advanced' method using the .vbs file on an upgraded-install, and then successfully activated a clean-install with it.
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Do you know if that works to activate a clean install on a separate machine? One of my buddies is encountering a bogus bug trying to upgrade from 7, and I was wondering if he could do an upgrade in a VM and then use the key for a clean-install on his primary machine.
 
codesplice said:
Do you know if that works to activate a clean install on a separate machine? One of my buddies is encountering a bogus bug trying to upgrade from 7, and I was wondering if he could do an upgrade in a VM and then use the key for a clean-install on his primary machine.
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I don't know. My friend did this all on the same PC.

The VM idea might work, as long as he could activate the windows 7 install on the VM (upgrading unactivated windows 7 to 10 will leave you with unactivated windows 10). I guess the VM would probably count as the same hardware, so no problems with his using his win 7 key in principle, but he would technically be using the same key on two in-use, internet-connected windows installs at the same time - dunno if it would reject that or not. Might be easier to make a second install of windows on his pc in a different partition/drive, if he can - you can use the same code in that situation for sure.

But, if your friend is doing a clean install anyway, he could wipe his current install, do a fresh install of 7 (with his original key) and upgrade straight to 10 - might fix whatever's blocking him that way.
 
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On the third startup, the Win Dual-boot splash twirly never appeared, even after twenty minutes. So I powered off and on. It then displayed, "Preparing Automatic Repair," but did no such thing (automatic despair?). I decided that since this appeared to be a MBR-ish problem due to my trying to dual-boot, I might as well do what I was gonna do anyway, what normal people do. So I booted Gparted and reformatted the W10 partition, then used a Macrium Reflect boot to rebuild the MBR with no W10 stuff.

Then, like normal people, I booted my existing Win7, loaded my Win10 CD and chose its Startup icon. It then proceeded to install W10 within W7. There are plenty of differences, but nothing amazing or terrible, so far. It's more like everything acts the same but looks little different. It does seem to use a couple more megs of ram than before, despite claims to the contrary.

And, as predicted by Amoco, it says I really am still activated.

So far, so something...
 
Comodo 8.0 free firewall no worky in W10.

Minesweeper, my favorite timekiller, appears to have vanished, although I got to keepWin Media Player.

....not sure if this is worth the trouble.
 
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Okay, I started this thread, so I can lambaste it. After being dismayed with W8x and a couple other W7 PCs, I've been eagerly anticipating the wonderfulness-to-be of the free Windows 10 upgrade. As an 'insider,' I tried a few preview dual-boot builds. They weren't wonderful, but they did work okay.

When the release arrived, right on time, I made another dual. It, understandably, didn't accept my W7 activation key. So I installed W10 atop W7, just like I was supposed to. The process took a while, but everything went okay and the key still worked. And it was pretty amazing that this new OS accepted all my ancient apps.

But now I'm back to W7HP because it acts like W7HP. W10, installed within W7, just seems like W7 with fancy earrings. I really can't see how going backwards can possibly help Microsoft to repair the damage caused by W8. I think Microsoft, even though they ruled the computing world back then, is almost doomed now.

So now I might try going HP Slate, after all.
 
In an effort to be as ready as possible for Win10, I'm considering formatting all the partitions on my hard drive, reinstalling Win7 and all the apps I regularly use.
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Cleared the hard drive. Got Win7 reinstalled. First thing to do is the OS updates. It took three tries just to learn there was about two hundred of 'em. But then it wouldn't even download, let alone install them.
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But now I'm back to W7HP because it acts like W7HP. W10, installed within W7, just seems like W7 with fancy earrings.
Click to expand...

So I tried the Win7 reinstall again and the updates worked this time, just had to give it it the twelve hours it wanted. Now I have a clean Win7 install, all ready for Win10. But, far as I can tell, there's no point so I won't bother.
 
Actually, I will bother, too much time on my hands. This time I chose 'keep nothing,' so I'll get the real thing, then add my junk later.
 
Didn't matter. It's still a poorly dressed Win7 with gaudy earrings. But, being that my PC was released in the XP days, I got no right to complain.
 
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