Windows 10: Upgrade vs Clean Install

I don't know why would be anybody afraid of having to use ISO to update/upgrade, it's really more convenient way to do it. First, direct WU update is riskier and ISO is easier to get and download from multiple sources at one's leisure or even get from somebody else.

 

Microsoft said that Windows 10 will be a free update for Windows 8.1, Windows 8 and Windows 7 users for the first year. An update means an update. Users will not be able to clean install Windows 10 unless they buy it.

 

Microsoft have also said that Windows 8 users are eligible to upgrade, but will use an ISO (and therefore can clean install) - see the Upgrade Matrix on this link:
http://www.zdnet.com/article/windows...eed-to-run-it/

 

Ther is a difference in an update and an Upgrade. Windows 10 will be an upgrade to windows 7/8/8.1 users.

 

Gary, I was making the case for clean installs, according to the OP's original post.

However, I don't think we'll be forced to buy Windows 10 if we want to do a clean install. I've seen it said that we "trade in our license key" for a qualifying OS in order to clean install.

 

Isn't it more important to know for sure that Ms will go thru with promise of free update/upgrade than how it is to be accomplished ? To and for me it's more important if we insiders are going to get free, retail version of windows of our choice. I would love to be able to keep my 8.1 license for another computer to use on.

 

Mike, if Microsoft goes back on its promise of free upgrades to Windows 10 there would most likely be such a move from Windows to Apple and Linux that our computers would probably be swept up into the vortex! IOW, it ain't happenin'. *Smile

It's a given that the free upgrade will happen. It's also a given that, again, most likely (gotta learn to qualify every statement I make) not even Microsoft knows exactly how the upgrade will work. My belief is that if they had figured out all the logistics, we'd know too and that this "guessing game" would be much less active than it is. *Smile

 

It's my belief too but wouldn't be first time to get disappointed. Anyway, I think it's pointless to debate the way it will be doneand get into all those semantics until MS comes clean officially.

 

I don't think Microsoft have promised free upgrades to Insiders though, which I think is what Mike is hoping for.

All that's been promised so far as I understand it is that users of Windows 7 and 8/8.1 can upgrade for free - most probably replacing that licence so you couldn't keep Windows 8.1 to use elsewhere.

 

One can hope though. *sarc

 

Yup, but the fact remains that as long as we don't have a definitive answer, the debate will rage on. *Smile Just a fact of life.

One thing more: I'd bet a dollar to a doughnut that even if Microsoft put out an official statement defining exactly how the upgrades would be done, there would still be some who would get some of it wrong. Human nature, dontcha know . . .

 

Yeah, I know but I like donuts !!!

 

Aha! See, even I wasn't clear on Mike's actual statement. I believe I've seen a statement from Aul that said, in essence, that even Insiders have to have a qualifying OS in order to get a free copy of Windows 10. I don't remember where, but most likely in one of these threads.

What I think too, David. I've been running Windows since around 1985, and every time I've upgraded from one version of the OS (95, 98, XP, Win 7, etc.) I was not allowed to keep the "old" version for use on another machine. So, with that in mind, I'm not expecting to be able to use my retail copy of Windows 8.1 if I upgrade from it to Windows 10.

And, although Microsoft has been generous (my words only) in promising a free upgrade, they're not so generous as to allow us to keep an active license to the "old" version of Windows.

A thought just occurred to me . . . probably dangerous!

I have a retail copy of Windows 8.1. Using that copy of 8.1, I upgrade to Windows 10 and get to keep the active retail copy of Windows 8.1. I put it on an XP machine that didn't qualify for the free upgrade and start the process over again. OK, that worked, so I put the retail copy onto a third machine, that happens to be Vista this time . . .

Nah, I just don't see Microsoft letting us keep the license to the version of Windows we upgraded from. *Sad

 

Yeah, I'd eat the donut and then go back to spreading information that I may or may not have gotten wrong. *Smile

 

Clean install is a no-brainer. Some people who do online upgrades takes 12-hours or more to finish. And most of the time ends up with a lot of unexplainable and unfixable bugs and issues. At the end of the day, they have to do clean install to fix the problem. Most people who wants to do an in-place upgrade are those who wants to keep their installed programs intact. Clean install will take 30mins max and say another 2 hours re-installing your programs. Having a clean installation to start a brand new OS is always nice.