Windows 10: Important precautions to take before upgrading to Windows 10

If you have an external hard drive, make an image of your current hard drive using Macrium Reflect Free. Look for a Windows 7 COA sticker for a product key, if no COA sticker, run showkey plus from this forum and write down Windows 7 product key. If showkey says it is an OEM:SLP product key, it won't work for Windows 10 activation. Run the gatherosstate.exe file (after you copy it to your desktop from the Windows 10 DVD), and save the resulting genuineticket.xml file to a USB flash drive or other external location where you will have access to it.

Now, either create an empty space on the hard drive for Windows 10 by shrinking the Windows 7 partition using MiniTool Partition Wizard (do not create a new partition) - or be prepared to wipe the entire hard drive. Boot from the Windows 10 DVD. Click "I don't have a product key" when asked. Select the matching Windows 10 version for the Windows 7 that you had. Click custom install. If you want to wipe the hard drive, delete every partition on the hard drive and install to the unallocated space. If you made an empty space for Windows 10, then select that unallocated space without deleting the existing partitions. Click next to install Windows 10 to the empty space.

If all goes well, you will end up with a clean Windows 10 and depending on how you did, it might be dual booting with Windows 7. Activate the Windows 10 by either changing the product key on the activation tab under settings, update and security to the Windows 7 product key or copy the genuineticket.xml file to the proper folder. If you are dual booting now, you will have to erase the Windows 7 immediately because you are violating the EULA to keep them both installed at the same time.

You will lose your Windows 7. If you don't have the computer's Windows 7 restore media made or the Macrium Reflect Free image, the only way to get it back will be to do a clean install of Windows 7 - which you will need the install DVD/flash drive to do. Just be warned of this before you erase the Windows 7 be either deleting it's partition or wiping the hard drive.

Macrium Reflect Free

Best Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Free
Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First - Windows 10 Forums

 

Hi NavyLCDR,
Of course..THANKS SO much for your timely reply, what you state really makes sense. I'm surely not the type of person to give up on something..I have already downloaded/installed the Macrium Reflect Free software that you included in your reply. I'm typing the post on my windows 10 laptop..I copied the macrium installation file to a usb drive and plan on installing the software on the laptop I'm trying to get windows 10 to install on. I can't remember ever having so much trouble trying to install some software. Thanks SO Much !!
David *Smile