Windows 10: 'Upgrade to Windows 10' query

Yes- System image tucked away safely. My total confidence in the early assurances is just beginning to get that wobbly lower lip feelng. Why could M$ not just do the key an easier way so I can go straight to a working dual-boot without all this......................*Mad

I've booked a ticket to Thailand................*Biggrin

 

Because a dual boot install is not an upgrade, it is a new and separate Operating System installation and is illegal to do with the free upgrade. That's one of the biggest reasons why a workaround is required to set it up.

That being said, MS sure could have made it easier by just requiring a user to provide an existing Windows 7 or Windows 8 license key to activate a clean install of the free Windows 10 - I agree.

 

Something -- we agree on!!

 

Sorry, Captain, I do not follow the logic there. I can do a 'Clean Install' (a 'new and separate Operating System installation') but not run W10 alongside a legit commercial W7 installation??

 

Are you asking if you can physically do it or legally do it? Physically, yes. In order for you to be legal you have to have two separate licenses. If you are going to dual boot between Windows 10 and Windows 7 then you need either 1 license for Windows 7 and a separate NON-UPGRADE license for Windows 10 or 2 licenses for Windows 7 - one of which will be used for the upgrade to Windows 10. An upgrade does not create a separately licensed new version of the operating system.

If you are going to run Windows 10 on a separate partition than Windows 7 or on a virtual machine created in Windows 7 the separate partition or virtual machine is considered by Microsoft to be a second device - requiring a second license to legally have an operating system on. A Windows 7 license upgraded to Windows 10 is still a single license.

 

OK - I had 'the impression' this was an unrestricted freebie from M$ for legit 7/8 holders and no-one in their right mind would risk running the upgrade with its uncertainties on a machine on which they depended! I see reports of 7 systems 'recovered' after a 10 setup which have permanent 'damage'. Back to running an un-activated dual-boot then until we can all be sure M$ have not screwed the pooch with this one as they have managed with some of the updates. Reminder set for 11 months.

My thanks to all who have responded.

 

The Free upgrade is, and always has been, exactly that- an Upgrade - there has never been any offer of a free copy of windows 10 - once you have the upgrade you can clean install on the same system.

As with previous upgrades there is an option to revert to the previous OS - I've heard this compared to making eggs from an omelette, so should be taken as always with a pinch of salt.
A full system and data backup should be performed prior to any upgrade

With past windows versions you have been required to pay for a new key before the upgrade, which always made the licence for the previous operating system null and void. so this is a limited free upgrade offer.

As in the past you need one licence per device so double boot is possible with Win7 and Win10, but as always two licences would be required.

The simple type in a valid key upgrade method has not been used as Microsoft is changing the licensing model from distributed to central, (the licence data will be held on Microsoft servers not the user system). This is of course an inconvenience to the end user but is due to the amount of piracy now current

 

As I said, Nigel, I'll stick to 'playing' with it on dual boot for a while - it will take some getting used to!

 

Think of the average computer user. They turn it on, they log onto the single account that they created using the OOBE wizard when they bought the thing, their cable company connected it to the internet for them. I'll bet over 50% of computer users would have no idea how to even do the upgrade if it was anything more than pushed via Windows Update or given to them on a disk or flash drive with printed instructions let alone make a backup image and full restore or dual boot. Most of them probably think dual boot means having both a left and right.

 

Have been a long term advocate of multiple installations

Not sure what my record is for multi-boot but this snip shows what is possible





I keep the snip as it shows that you do not require a primary partition for an OS

 

I've tried every which way to test/search etc to find out what I will not be able to run in 10 OR what I will have lost should I take the 'revert' option to 7 within the 1 month limit. A few things depend on the set up I have at present. Running in Virtual Box does not seem to produce the 'upgrade' icon so I am stumped there.

One observation that puzzles me - with a dual-boot, the system appears to 'lose' my normal profile folder on my original drive in 'Users' so I cannot access that.