Windows 10

[LoneWolf_53]

We finally got it done. We first had to make the DVD from a different computer and completely disconnected from the internet. We tried to do the clean install, but the key from my machine would not work, oh well. Win10 is indeed much faster on this laptop than was Win7---even to run LR5.

When going the "upgrade" route it has to be done as an upgrade the first time, as Win 10 uses the existing operating system to determine whether it's eligible for a free upgrade or not, so it has to be installed and activated.

Once Win 10 has been activated on the computer, you can then do a clean install (the option where it doesn't keep your files), and when it asks for the product key, which it will, just hit the "skip" option in smallish text toward the bottom left, and do the same the second time it asks, and once the install completes it will show as activated.

[Woodenhead]

For checking startup entries, nothing beats Autoruns. Free, small, no install needed, extremely detailed & powerful.

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sys ... 63902.aspx

[LongHaul]

This may be useful for anyone who wants to upgrade Win7 or Win8 to Win10 using the free upgrade but wants to keep the original OS and to do a clean install of Win10 in another partition (Dual Boot).
There is at least one “gotcha” to avoid when doing this.

Microsoft provides a method to revert back to your original operating system within 30 days. You may want to do this if Win10 is cranky with some of the hardware or applications.

One way to do this is upgrade the original OS to Win10, get Win10 activated with Microsoft and then revert back to the original OS. Lots of posts on the Internet on how to do this. Note: The documentation says the option of going back is available for only 30 days. However there are posts that in some cases the revert fails. Which it did for me. Got the “Sorry, you can't go back” message as per the following link.

http://www.thewindowsclub.com/were-sorry-but-you-cant-go-back-windows-10

Checked and the files for going back were still there. However one of the hidden files needed showed a modification date after the date the files were created.

Had downloaded the Media Creation Tool for Win10 from Microsoft and created a bootable Win10 USB to do a clean install of Win10. Did this in Win10 before trying to revert back to Win7. The modification date on the hidden file matched when the Media Creation Tools was run. Suspect this modification to the hidden file caused the “Sorry, you can't go back message”. There is a post that seems to support this theory.

https://www.reddit.com/r/windows/comments/3gcv44/windows_10_windows_81_rollback_option_not_working/

It appears to avoid this problem run the Media Creation Tool for creating bootable Win10 media under the original OS before upgrading to Win10. However don't trust the Microsoft “Go Back” option and would always do a system image before doing the upgrade.

In my case had done a system image so it was easy to get back to Win7, and then do a clean install from the bootable Win10 USB to another partition. The registration from Win 7 to Win10 upgrade, now rolled back to Win7, was on the Microsoft Servers so skipped past the requests for enter the licence.

Checked and Win10 showed as “activated”.

[kgcayenne]

The laptop won't even boot up now.
Black screen.
Nobody's home.
Doesn't even show up on the network with the LAN connected.
I already disconnected the battery and power cable and did the one minute power button hold-down.
I noticed the hard disk light doesn't even flicker when I turn the power on; only the LAN light blinks once, the little light in the 'caps lock' button blinks, and the little wifi light is on.

cotton pickin.. @#$#%$@ lapdog.

[Woodenhead]

Can you at least get into the BIOS? (google for instructions if you don't know how, it's easy)

I get the feeling that lappy of yours is kinda old and underpowered anyway. :/

[kgcayenne]

I'm in denial.

[Woodenhead]

That's in Africa. Post again when you're home!

[Glacier]

We cannot log into one of our computers after upgrading to Windows 10. It says our profile is not found, and when I try to get in through "safe mode" it will not load Windows. It just freezes on a black screen.

[Woodenhead]

ah, look who's in on the act now (of helping people easily avoid Win 10):

https://www.grc.com/never10.htm

haha Good stuff.

(GRC has long been a great site with some very useful tools & services, for nerds and n00bs alike)

[pepsilover]

So what is with Windows10 and Microsoft? I read in this thread somewhere that they are creating it as a DEFAULT of sorts? OK, so here's what happened - this morning. First off, I have Windows 7 (or HAD), I purposefully have not upgraded to Windows10 although popups continue all the time daily asking me if I want to. I had heard all about how awful Windows10 was so always clicked 'no' or 'ask me later' or just 'x'ed' my way out of the window, closed it.

So TODAY, I did those things but instead of Windows10 going away like it has a million times before, it started downloading into my machine AUTOMATICALLY. I never asked it to do it, in fact I told it NOT TO. I do not like Microsoft and their bs lately either.

So is this normal? To have Microsoft basically taking over your computer like by remote access almost? OK, so 'remote access' is an exaggeration, but that's what if feels like.

Should I be concerned that this is some sort of pirated version or hack? I'm concerned enough already that it is the dreaded Windows10 which is already causing me some grief. My touchpad and screen don't seem to be synchronized as well as they should be, for starters.

[Woodenhead]

Welcome to the world of Windows 10, like it or not.

(yes, that's normal microsoft behaviour these days)

[Scadam]

Like others, I was saying no every time Windows 10 asked to upgrade - not because I dislike Windows 10 or anything, but more of an "if it aint broke don't fix it" attitude toward the computer (and 8.1 was working just fine). I got hit with the auto-upgrade a month or two back when they changed the severity of Windows 10 in windows update, to sneak it on automatically. It was sort of a blessing in disguise when I got home one day and the PC booted up as Windows 10. I do prefer to use the more recent more secure version, but I would have procrastinated and avoided taking the plunge because there's not that much improvement. In the end it worked out well for me. Probably lucky, but hey, it happened.

[Bsuds]

I would have procrastinated and avoided taking the plunge because there's not that much improvement.

They claim a lot of the improvements were "under the hood" where most of us wouldn't see them anyway.