Windows 10: Will Free Windows 10 "Upgrade" work with Clean Install (CMPXCHG16b)?

I have a 2006-era Compaq PC with an AMD 64 X2 4400+ CPU (Socket 939), and it runs Windows 7 Home Premium x64 perfectly. It can even run Windows 8 x64.

However, it cannot do the in-place Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 Technical Preview 64-bit upgrades, due to this confounded CMPXCHG16b CPU atomic memory swap instruction issue (not an issue with 32-bit variants, but I'm not interested in 32 bit, as my system has 4 GB PC-3200 of Crucial DDR RAM - all matched sticks, 3-3-3-8, dual channel, 128 bit access, very fast, and I want to be able to use *ALL* of it - hence my insistence on 64-bit).

My question is: With this free Microsoft Windows 10 "upgrade" policy, can I still take advantage of it, but using a clean install, instead of the (impossible) in-place Upgrade, using my valid Windows 7 Home Premium x64 retail Product Key?

Thanks in Adavance,

- Trev

:)

 

Windows 10 - Clean Installation Activation Failed

Got Laptop with preinstalled activated windows 8, upgraded to 8.1 and then free upgraded to windows 10. Facing some problems and decided to clean installation of windows 10 by using "Creating USB". Performed clean installation and now "Activation Failed".

 

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Welcome to the forum.

Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 have some CPU requirements above those required for Windows 8. Following the "fail early" principle the incompatibility is checked for early and the upgrade is not allowed to proceed. I don't see how a clean install would change this. The CPU does not meet requirements and nothing will change that.

 

Hi, LMiller -

I have heard some anecdotal stories from the field about some users with 2005- and 2006-era AMD CPUs who have successfully *clean-installed* (not in-place upgraded) Windows 10 64-bit Technical Preview (the in-place upgrade would fail for these users).

My question really focuses on this: If I can somehow successfully clean-install Windows 10 64-bit on my early AMD CPU-based desktop, would I still be entitled to Microsoft's "free" Windows 10 program, using my retail version Win 7 x64 product key?

 

Is there a list of CPUs excluded from win 10?

 

hi, banger --

"...list of CPUs excluded from win 10?"

Not that I'm aware of, no -

but I do know that a lot of AMD Socket 939 CPUs from the 2005 era, and some intel Pentium D 8XX (and possibly 9XX) dual-core CPUs, and some Core2 Quad CPUs will also have the same problem with this CMPXCHG16b CPU instruction, and will not do Windows 8.1 or Windows (10) Technical Preview in-place upgrades from Win 7 / 8.X. In some cases, even if the CPU isn't the problem, the chipset and/or motherboard itself may be.

This whole CMPXCHG16b instruction thing smells fishy to me. More M$ greed? (in bed with Intel / AMD / motherboard OEM's?)

- Trev

 

My Dual Core Pentium 4 seems ok on Win 10 to go.

 

Have you tried to perform the upgrade from Win7 to Win10TP yet? That might be the path you have to take or you may have to purchase the ISO when it comes out later this year to do a clean install. I really don't see why your processor would not work with Win10.

 

BunnyJ, no offense, but it appears that you did not fully read or comprehend the question.

I have already stated that my processor will not work with the 64-bit variant of Windows 10's *In-Place Upgrade", due to this upgrade procedure requiring the CMPXCHG16b CPU instruction, which my CPU does not have.

Other users who have this processor have successfully done *clean installs* of Windows 10 64-bit.

My question is this: If I do a CLEAN INSTALL of Windows 10 64-bit (using this same processor), will I still be able to somehow take advantage of Microsoft's "free upgrade" policy, if I have a valid retail product key for Windows 7 64-bit?

 

If you reed carefully the info provided by MS, if you have a legit Key for 7,or 8 you can upgrade from win 7,win8,to win 10 TP for free,now the compatibility of your system,it's very easy to test just go to MS and register,Ms also can test your system,also you can make an ISO Win 10 TP to a DVD or USB and if it boos to it without any error you know it works,also if you want to update is the same you can check if it accepts it,you don't loose your Win 7 OPS system just by trying as long you don't pass the install and format disk or erase disk.You also can do as i did,get another HDD and try it in there.

Windows 10 - Microsoft Windows

 

I'm getting old.............. too old to keep trying to decipher confusing posts in a help forum!
But I have a plan!
I'm presently running Win8.1.1, on this machine, and I also have Win10TPx32 running on a second machine. A third machine runs Win10TPx64.
The machines running Win10TP were previously running Win7, one 32bit and one 64bit..............
which means that I have two Win7 licenses.
I'm planning to continue "upgrading" the Win10 machines until the "final" is released and then I plan to "swap" my two Win7 licenses for two Win10 licenses, one 32bit and one 64bit.
Hopefully the media I need will be downloadable from MS and I will, of course, need to download both the 32bit and 64bit versions.
I will install both versions, clean install, from DVD, and then register them, either with the two numbers I have for Win7, or with numbers issued by MS as the free "upgrade" from Win7. I'm assuming that if my two license numbers are used to license Win10 they will become invalid for another install of Win7. If new licenses are issued for Win10 I'm assuming that to get the new licenses you will be required to surrender your Win7 licenses.
I'm sure MS won't allow me to run two new versions of Win10 and keep running my two versions of Win7, for free!
MS also said I can do this "swap" for free if I do it within one year from release date. If I wait too long and want Win10...... I have to pay for it.
I would also assume that after the one year free "swap period" expires MS will offer an upgrade version and a "full" version, priced appropriately, so the world doesn't end!

That's my plan... please don't tell me it won't work???

 

Roger, I'm not sure if your remarks were about my posts in particular, but what is so confusing about the difference between an in-place upgrade, and a clean installation?

My CPU will not permit the in-place upgrade from Windows 7 x64 to Windows 10 x64, but it *will* permit, and run Windows 10 with a clean install (which entails a full wipe/format of disk & partitions).

My question is simply this: Will I still be able to get Windows 10 x64 free, as an "upgrade", if I do a clean install, and somehow apply my Windows 7 x64 retail Product Key towards this "free upgrade" policy from Microsoft?

 

If you are running Win10TP you update from MS Update. Click the button and MS makes changes!
A clean install means you ain't runnin nuttin!
You need media (ISO) for a clean install.
An upgrade is handled through MS, MS Updates or Windows Store.
No DVD or flash drive involved.
I hope I've made it clear but since Win10 started semantics seems to cause a lot of problems.
Come back if my explanation isn't clear and I'll try again.

 

"My question is simply this: Will I still be able to get Windows 10 x64 free, as an "upgrade", if I do a clean install, and somehow apply my Windows 7 x64 retail Product Key towards this "free upgrade" policy from Microsoft? "

I think maybe you're hungup on "upgrade"..................

Moving from Win7 to Win10 is an upgrade, sure, but you upgrade by swapping Win7 license for Win10 license.
You don't upgrade your present OS to Win10 by making changes to your presently installed OS.
You'll need to download an ISO for Win10, burn it to DVD, and do a "clean install". USB media also works!
Your Win7 retail Product Key will be necessary to register Win10............. how I don't know yet.