Windows 10: Guidance on brand new install and UEFI vs traditional

Hi all,

Collected my new PC parts today for a major PC upgrade. Also ordered a new OEM DVD of Win Pro x64 as my current copy is attached to my old PC.

My new PC includes Motherboard MSI X Power Titanium Edition and I7 6700K CPU. Using my existing Samsung EVO 850 SSD which I will format.

My question(s) -
Can I use this DVD to install Windows 10 in UEFI mode or do I have to download the OS to a USB stick to install as UEFI?
If I have to download to install as UEFI, can I use the license on the DVD pack for registering my copy of Windows?

Does it make any difference if the OS is installed in UEFI mode or traditional mode? It seems that UEFI is the popular route but why, when it is a huge hassle to download GB's of data over wifi first?

Thanks!

:)

 

Installing Windows

UEFI is a new replacement for BIOS. It requires booting the media as a UEFI device, clearing the drive if it isn't already formatted GPT which is the required formatting for UEFI.

Once can also install to Legacy BIOS on most UEFI Systems, but it's not taking advantage of UEFI's enhanced GUI, Security Features, mouse Support, and greater stability.

UEFI BIOS vs. Legacy BIOS - YouTube

 

SD Card Issues

Lemme guess--is it a PNY-brand card? Some cards can be too slow to be compatible if you bought one designed for a camera. Follow your phone manufacturer's guidance on speed requirements and size limitations (e.g., Class 10 vs Class 4 / 64GB vs 32GB
max, etc) . Alternatively, buy most any SanDisk "Ultra" or "Extreme" card, and you should be fine.

 

Short version: UEFI doesn't make much of a difference for most people.

You can do a UEFI install from the DVD. (I have preferred a USB flash drive for years, but only because it's a significantly quicker install. Probably not worth copying the DVD to a USB drive for a single install, though.)

You don't need to use a USB drive, but the license key would be valid regardless of what medium you use.

UEFI offers some security features (e. g., secure boot) and some additional interaction with the operating system. (I really know very little about it.) UEFI offers a more GUI based way of navigating what used to be called BIOS settings. (Some of the recent non-UEFI BIOSes looked similar to UEFI, though.)

Gigabytes of data over Wifi? You are not required to download the Win 10 updates during the install, regardless of whether you are using UEFI or not. If your DVD is for the initial release of 10 (build 10240, from July of 2015), then Windows will want to upgrade to the November release (build 10586). Combined with the additional security and other Windows updates, that could run to a sizeable download. That's not different from the recent previous versions of Windows. If you clean installed 8.1 using the latest ISO downloaded from Microsoft, I'm not sure how many Windows updates would be required to bring it up to date, but it might be more than 100.

The main complaint I've read about UEFI is that "secure boot" can pose a major problem for people who wish to run Linux. I presume that most of the major Linux distros have released updated versions that will work with secure boot, but I'm not a Linux user so I can't answer that.

 

If the DVD is build 10240, then I would not install it from the DVD. I would make a USB flash drive with build 10586 from a freshly downloaded ISO file. Just install build 10586 and skip build 10240 and the subsequent upgrade to build 10586. The product key from the DVD will work with the same version and edition of Windows 10 (IE: Home, Pro, standard Window 10, "N" edition, Single Language Edition).

The current downloaded ISO files contains both Home and Pro and the first question presented when starting the install will be to enter a product key (if there is not one in BIOS) - and that is where you would enter your DVD product key. If the DVD product key is not accepted there it is because you are trying to install the wrong edition - you have a product key for standard Windows 10 and you download Single Language edition by mistake, for example.

I would do the install in UEFI mode with secure boot disabled.

 

Q1: Can I use this DVD to install Windows 10 in UEFI mode or do I have to download the OS to a USB stick to install as UEFI?
You can do the both. I would suggest you to use the "Boot Menu" key and run the installer as UEFI. In the Boot menu, you will see two options for your installer (DVD or USB); one is without UEFI and the other is with UEFI. Choose the later one, proceed with installation, let the installation process format the HDD/SSD at its own.
Generally the Boot Menu Key for a MSI motherboard is F11.

Q2: If I have to download to install as UEFI, can I use the license on the DVD pack for registering my copy of Windows?
As far as you are using the same edition of Windows, you can use the License Key supplied with the DVD.

Q3: Does it make any difference if the OS is installed in UEFI mode or traditional mode?
First, visual difference. UEFI loads the motherboards logo during boot. It looks cool.
Second, The Secure boot feature.
Third: Fast Boot.
Fourth: The benefit of GPT disks.
And so on. But, as the other posters said, a user will not feel a big difference.
Still I would suggest for UEFI.

 

Great, thanks for the info! On my DVD packaging (I have not broken the seal to open it just yet) it does not say whether it is build 10240 or 10586. What is does say on the packaging is "Version 1511". Also shows a build date 12/01/15. Can you tell from this which build it is?

 

Version 1511 is build 10586 and released in Nov 2015.

Jim *Cool

 

Correct - and good to go to use it to clean install or upgrade with.

 

Hi, make sure your BIOS is configured to use AHCI for your SSD.
Why do i need AHCI with a SSD Drive (Guide Here!) ... - Crucial Community

I also note you're using Bitdefender: some people have experienced high latency (lagging, audio stuttering) with this running. Try it anyway- if it works on your hardware- fine.

 

Thanks yes, running with AHCI mode. Thanks for the tip on Bit Defender. Reminds me that I need to update my system spec's. *Redface
Still using it though.

 

One last question on UEFI install. How can I confirm that the OS is installed in UEFI mode? Is the only way to check by looking at how many partitions were created in the initial installation routine?

 

Easiest way .....
Type msinfo32.nfo in the seh/cortana .... it will open the system configuration window. Check it here: