Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Upgrade Windows 7 to 10 for free (still works)

Options
123457

Comments

  • Options
    #182
    Zimmerframe
    Registered Users Posts: 1,661 ✭✭✭Zimmerframe


    Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »
    I have a 10 year old Dell Inspiron laptop (fairly high spec when it was new) that I use for browsing the net ...... Any advice?

    I would give Linux Mint a try.


  • Options
    #183
    Suckit
    Registered Users Posts: 11,215 ✭✭✭✭Suckit


    Definitely. Download it from the link above, create a USB and try it out without having to install it.
    Cinnamon would likely be decent on that laptop. I have Xfce on a 10+ year old low-mid range (at the time) Dell, and it's flying, It would have no issues with Cinnamon.
    https://www.ubuntupit.com/best-things-to-do-after-installing-linux-mint/


  • Options
    #184
    podgeandrodge
    Registered Users Posts: 5,751 ✭✭✭podgeandrodge


    Thanks for reminding me op. Upgraded an elderly relations Win 8 to Win 10, much better.


  • Options
    #185
    Danick
    Registered Users Posts: 1,457 ✭✭✭Danick


    Does anyone know where I could get a copy of Windows 7 - I have a legitimate key from my old laptop - I just want to put a fresh install of windows 7 on it as the original hard drive died.


  • Options
    #186
    Doodah7
    Registered Users Posts: 3,721 ✭✭✭Doodah7


    Danick wrote: »
    Does anyone know where I could get a copy of Windows 7 - I have a legitimate key from my old laptop - I just want to put a fresh install of windows 7 on it as the original hard drive died.

    Surely the Microsoft website would have been an obvious place to look???

    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #187
    podgeandrodge
    Registered Users Posts: 5,751 ✭✭✭podgeandrodge


    Danick wrote: »
    Does anyone know where I could get a copy of Windows 7 - I have a legitimate key from my old laptop - I just want to put a fresh install of windows 7 on it as the original hard drive died.
    Doodah7 wrote: »
    Surely the Microsoft website would have been an obvious place to look???

    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7

    and when you have Win 7 installed, quickly get moving onto Win 10 afterwards.


  • Options
    #188
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users Posts: 28,670 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    Danick wrote: »
    Does anyone know where I could get a copy of Windows 7 - I have a legitimate key from my old laptop - I just want to put a fresh install of windows 7 on it as the original hard drive died.
    podgeandrodge wrote: »
    and when you have Win 7 installed, quickly get moving onto Win 10 afterwards.

    You won't need to install 7 first if you have a key. Download Win 10 from the MS site, install (ignore the prompt for the key during setup), and then put the key in once in Window 10 to activate


  • Options
    #189
    CoBo55
    Registered Users Posts: 8,764 ✭✭✭CoBo55


    _Kaiser_ wrote: »
    You won't need to install 7 first if you have a key. Download Win 10 from the MS site, install (ignore the prompt for the key during setup), and then put the key in once in Window 10 to activate

    Provided it isn’t an oem key.


  • Options
    #190
    podgeandrodge
    Registered Users Posts: 5,751 ✭✭✭podgeandrodge


    CoBo55 wrote: »
    Provided it isn’t an oem key.

    This. A lot are OEM and you need to install 7 first and then go through the upgrade path I think. I had to do this going from Win 8 anyway...


  • Options
    #191
    CoBo55
    Registered Users Posts: 8,764 ✭✭✭CoBo55


    podgeandrodge wrote: »
    This. A lot are OEM and you need to install 7 first and then go through the upgrade path I think. I had to do this going from Win 8 anyway...

    Definitely the safest route to take. I’d leave the computer offline while installing W7 so it doesn’t grind to a halt doing updates that will take days to complete, just get to the w7 desktop and then go for W10, the update process with 10 is much better.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #192
    podgeandrodge
    Registered Users Posts: 5,751 ✭✭✭podgeandrodge


    CoBo55 wrote: »
    Definitely the safest route to take. I’d leave the computer offline while installing W7 so it doesn’t grind to a halt doing updates that will take days to complete, just get to the w7 desktop and then go for W10, the update process with 10 is much better.


    yep, i did an iso using rufus onto a usb key and installed the bare minimum operating system for Win 8. Then, after having Win 8 without any windows updates checked for, went for upgrade, again using Rufus, of a Win 10 iso upgrade. At the end, just let Windows update Win 10 at its leisure.


  • Options
    #193
    CoBo55
    Registered Users Posts: 8,764 ✭✭✭CoBo55


    podgeandrodge wrote: »
    yep, i did an iso using rufus onto a usb key and installed the bare minimum operating system for Win 8. Then, after having Win 8 without any windows updates checked for, went for upgrade, again using Rufus, of a Win 10 iso upgrade. At the end, just let Windows update Win 10 at its leisure.

    Rufus is the dogs bullocks, I love it.


  • Options
    #194
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users Posts: 28,670 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    CoBo55 wrote: »
    Provided it isn’t an oem key.
    podgeandrodge wrote: »
    This. A lot are OEM and you need to install 7 first and then go through the upgrade path I think. I had to do this going from Win 8 anyway...

    I dunno.. back in the old days of XP etc yes but I've clean-installed 10 on a DEL/HP/Lenovo laptop lots of times and used the key on the label to activate it.

    Possible that these keys were never used on that machine as they were ex-corporates which were reimaged on delivery anyway, but worth a try.


  • Options
    #195
    Monkeynut
    Registered Users Posts: 589 ✭✭✭Monkeynut


    CoBo55 wrote: »
    Provided it isn’t an oem key.


    Oem is grand. Install windows 10. Activate with 7 product key. Oem or not.


    Honest, I've done it hundreds of times. Just to clarify.


    If it doesn't work then try win7 to 10.


  • Options
    #196
    CoBo55
    Registered Users Posts: 8,764 ✭✭✭CoBo55


    Monkeynut wrote: »
    Oem is grand. Install windows 10. Activate with 7 product key. Oem or not.


    Honest, I've done it hundreds of times. Just to clarify.


    If it doesn't work then try win7 to 10.

    Is that clean install to newly partitioned drive from a bootable USB/ Disc? I got so many failure to recognise the key provided using this method I just lay down an operating os on the machine first, Win7, 8, 8.1 whatever it used previously and upgrade from within the os. It does take longer but works every time especially if I can get the owner to spend a bit extra on an SSD which dramatically cuts installation time!!


  • Options
    #197
    phobia2011
    Registered Users Posts: 1,291 ✭✭✭phobia2011


    Is this still available? Just dusted off an older laptop for the young lad, does win 10 require a better performance?


  • Options
    #198
    Danick
    Registered Users Posts: 1,457 ✭✭✭Danick


    Doodah7 wrote: »
    Surely the Microsoft website would have been an obvious place to look???

    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7

    Of course I tried that - it won't accept either of my windows 7 keys from two old laptops - I'm not trying to upgrade to windows 10 - I need to use a few progs the odd time that run best on windows 7 - all I need is an answer as to where I can download Windows 7 - Thanks and if someone does reply try not to be so condescending Thank You


  • Options
    #199
    peckerhead
    Registered Users Posts: 3,379 ✭✭✭peckerhead


    phobia2011 wrote: »
    Just dusted off an older laptop for the young lad, does win 10 require a better performance?
    The recommended minimum specs are discussed here, as well as a few other variables. I clean-installed Windows 10 no problem on a couple of very old and/or low-specced laptops and found they ran a bit more smoothly than under Windows 7, but the improvement wasn't dramatic. One of them had a particularly small HD and eventually couldn't accommodate the major 'cumulative' update that followed the earlier releases of Win10. The other is still doing fine.


  • Options
    #200
    Doodah7
    Registered Users Posts: 3,721 ✭✭✭Doodah7


    Danick wrote: »
    Of course I tried that - it won't accept either of my windows 7 keys from two old laptops - I'm not trying to upgrade to windows 10 - I need to use a few progs the odd time that run best on windows 7 - all I need is an answer as to where I can download Windows 7 - Thanks and if someone does reply try not to be so condescending Thank You

    Might of been more helpful if you had provided that information in the first place. No one is a mind reader.


  • Options
    #201
    styron
    Registered Users Posts: 904 ✭✭✭styron


    Danick wrote: »
    Does anyone know where I could get a copy of Windows 7 - I have a legitimate key from my old laptop - I just want to put a fresh install of windows 7 on it as the original hard drive died.


    There's a 64-bit Win7 Prof with Sp1 ISO on archive.org


    The Checksum for the download (faster on Torrent than direct) indicates it's a legitimate untouched image:

    Name: en_windows_7_professional_with_sp1_x64_dvd_u_676939.iso
    Size: 3320903680 bytes (3167 MiB)
    SHA1: 0BCFC54019EA175B1EE51F6D2B207A3D14DD2B58



    As Windows 7 is now a legacy non-commercial OS I'm assuming this is OK. If Mods decide otherwise, my apologies.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #202
    Suckit
    Registered Users Posts: 11,215 ✭✭✭✭Suckit


    Microsoft ISO downloader
    https://www.heidoc.net/joomla/technology-science/microsoft/67-microsoft-windows-iso-download-tool


  • Options
    #203
    vidapura
    Registered Users Posts: 718 ✭✭✭vidapura


    Sorry folks,
    Just before I got to all the trouble with this..
    Is there any way to find out in advance if my win7 key will work with the Win10 upgrade?

    Thanks


  • Options
    #204
    CoBo55
    Registered Users Posts: 8,764 ✭✭✭CoBo55


    vidapura wrote: »
    Sorry folks,
    Just before I got to all the trouble with this..
    Is there any way to find out in advance if my win7 key will work with the Win10 upgrade?

    Thanks
    No need to check, your W7 key will work if you Upgrade to W10, do not wipe the drive to clean install as you could run into activation problems. Once you have done the upgrade and W10 is up and running you can clean install as often as you like activation will be automatic.


  • Options
    #205
    vidapura
    Registered Users Posts: 718 ✭✭✭vidapura


    CoBo55 wrote: »
    No need to check, your W7 key will work if you Upgrade to W10, do not wipe the drive to clean install as you could run into activation problems. Once you have done the upgrade and W10 is up and running you can clean install as often as you like activation will be automatic.

    Thanks for that.
    Sorry to be so dumb now.. but how does it work with the subsequent clean installs then? Like if its a clean install..how does it get the key? Isn't it gone off the disk when its reformatted?
    Sorry, not being argumentative, just trying to understand...


  • Options
    #206
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users Posts: 28,670 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    vidapura wrote: »
    Thanks for that.
    Sorry to be so dumb now.. but how does it work with the subsequent clean installs then? Like if its a clean install..how does it get the key? Isn't it gone off the disk when its reformatted?
    Sorry, not being argumentative, just trying to understand...

    It'll tie it to the physical hardware ID of your machine and when Windows connects back to Microsoft after a clean install it'll automatically reactivate it for you.


  • Options
    #207
    zweton
    Registered Users Posts: 2,683 ✭✭✭zweton


    Just wondered if MS office will carry across with the upgrade?


  • Options
    #208
    podgeandrodge
    Registered Users Posts: 5,751 ✭✭✭podgeandrodge


    zweton wrote: »
    Just wondered if MS office will carry across with the upgrade?

    I don't think so. You need the reg code, and later versions are more difficult to extract that from i.e. the simple software available for previous versions doesn't seem to work. But if you have the reg code on a cd/dvd then grand. Or an email confirming it when it was purchased.

    On a relations pc, I simply opted to install Libre Office. For most casual users it's practically the same and is compatible with Microsoft file types, indeed you can even save them as Office format. Open Office is another.


  • Options
    #209
    SickBoy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,525 ✭✭✭SickBoy


    zweton wrote: »
    Just wondered if MS office will carry across with the upgrade?

    It will


  • Options
    #210
    Liamalone
    Registered Users Posts: 4,955 ✭✭✭Liamalone


    I tried this on a Windows 7 laptop, Windows 10 failed to install a few times so I did a clean install of Windows 7. Problem is, it won't authenticate the OEM Windows key that is in the battery compartment. Any ideas?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #211
    phobia2011
    Registered Users Posts: 1,291 ✭✭✭phobia2011


    Can windows 8 be upgraded for free?


Advertisement