Windows 10: Windows 10 upgrade messed up and no way of reverting to 7

Just "upgraded" to Windows 10 from 7. These are the items that I have found so far which no longer work.
1. Network adapter missing - so no network of internet connection
2. Video and audio devices missing as well as PCI components
I ran Scannow and apparently some files were repaired. I also tried to install the network adapter and audio files from my Intel MB CD but all failed! I tried reverting back to Windows 7 but error msg to the effect that backup files were missing even though I have Windows.old along with $ WS, and $BT. All 3 have yesterdays date and appear complete.
All my personal files are on a separate drive, so at least no worries there. I am hesitant to try a clean install as I do not have a product key for Windows 10 and would probably have difficulty reinstalling 7 as it was an upgrade from Vista. Obviously I wished I had never tried "upgrading" as there is a lot to be said for if it aint broke etc! Suggestions as to getting 10 to work or revert to 7 would be greatly appreciated.

:)

 

Updating from Windows 7 to Windows 10

upgrading a Asus desktop from windows 7 to windows 10 and this somehow has messed up something with the registry and had to revert back to windows 7. Any ideas would be helpful.

 

It is asking for product key for windows 10 after performing Clean install?

We are having a similar problem. Win 7 upgrade through windows update messed machine up into a boot loop. Trying a custom install of win 10 now but do not have win 10 product key. Also no original copy of win 7 to revert back to. We do of course have that
product key. Help!!!

 

Be for one best if you can fill in system specs here in your profile. Using drivers from older OS disc would not be advised, only if no other updated drivers are available for your PC. This is the part were it is hard for us to know your system without specs. Should always try your PC manufacturer's site for updated system driver for Windows 10, be always when you go to a newer OS.

Should always plan before you upgrade, either having older OS disc, recovery discs or system image of it before upgrading.
Do not have any of this then having trouble reverting back, one suggestion to try before a clean install which will wipe everything off the hard drive except new OS. inplace repair upgrade or through the media creation tool make a disc or USB Flash drive of OS.
Were you activated with the upgrade already and do not need a windows 10 key as you did not to upgrade this PC ?

Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade


https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/9...-download.html

 

I have updated the specs as you suggest. I do have an image file but is is a couple of months old. My experience with Acronis has been that one only really knows whether the image file is good until one tries restoring it so that would be my last resort in this case.
As for the system drivers there are no updates for that particular MB. Can I do a clean install of Windows 10 without a product key as I presume I can only obtain key by buying it???

 

If you did the free upgrade and it was activated, yes you can do a clean install of Windows 10. Was even a tutorial of how to do a clean install before the upgrade if that may work for you. If the image is good and i know the older version of Acronis were troublesome with Windows 10. Once you have new OS for 30 days you can not go back to older OS.

If going to do the clean install there are some drivers you will need to re-update them again and of course put third party software you had back on system again. I will list the tutorials for you on clean install. As said could of tried inplace repair upgrade, but not sure would repair loss of old windows files. No key for windows 10 is needed, see in tutorials.

 

You need to make sure that Windows 10 currently is activated. If it is, then you can reinstall Windows and it will activate - without entering a product key. However, I wouldn't do that.

Using your old backup image you can go back any time - also after the 30 day period.

So you are missing the Network adapter, the NVidia graphics card and the sound card.

The sheer amount of missing devices makes me think it is not the driver of one of these devices, which is the trouble maker, but it in fact is the chipset, for which you still need to find the right drivers. Have you tried the newest ones from the Intel Download Center (which only are from 2012/2013)?

Or do you have unknown devices inside the device manager?

 

https://www.windowsphoneinfo.com/threads/clean-install-windows-10.246/


Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First

 

Other devices depend on chipset. If chipset has generic drivers it may not work properly or fully installed, so other devices are not detected. Download latest chipset driver directly from Intel, forget your manufacturer's outdated drivers. Install the chipset driver and restart. Then the missing devices should be detected. Proceed to install drivers from them and you should be OK.

 

Looks like Printman has custom built an a Intel Motherboard, integrated LAN, be only place to find drivers are at Intel or some will come in Windows 10 for certain ones.

 

He can always download individual drivers straight from manufacturer (Intel, nVidia, Realtek etc). This is usually the best option as they are the most current drivers, while computer manufacturers may have not updated their support site and still provide outdated and not-working drivers.

 

As an update - I reinstalled Windows 10 twice but the second time was more successful as all necessary drivers were present and working, i.e, network adapter, sound and video drivers. Also, when I left clicked the start window a rectangle containing picture icons popped up. Previously a left click had produced nothing. However when I tried to activate it using my win7 product key it was rejected. I then spent nearly an hour with Microsoft who used their remote control on the pc. Their conclusion was that my product key was showing in the windows log as not being genuine even though they agreed that it was a valid product code. Despite that they could not correct the error but told me to revert back to win7 and call them when ready to upgrade and the problem should be taken care of.


I then tried to revert to "the last version of windows" and it did - only problem was that it was the earlier corrupt version of 10! So now I'm back where I started!
I will try to restore my image file, and if that works, will take MS up on their offer to call them with my case# and see if they can help me get a good working version of 10 with a valid key. The reason I wanted to activate was in order to complete a clean install. The irony is that the latest install seemed to work well and I would have been hapy to keep it but I believe in thirty days it would need to be activated anyway.

 

Since now you are back to your earlier Windows version, you can run the utility from Windows Setup to get the activation token, as described here. Then you can just format your disk and clean-install Windows 10 and use the token to activate automatically. Just make sure the present Windows version is activated and is 7 with SP1 or 8.1

 

As said before when you upgraded you needed to be activated before you can do a clean install, i also gave you a link in a past post about doing a clean install without upgrade first. Now if there is some kind of issue with your original windows 7 being genuine then would be an issue either way, upgrade then clean install or clean install i linked without an upgrade. What is strange to me something i am not sure of maybe you said it was, after the upgrade were you sure Windows 10 was activated ever ?

Not sure can get by using method from link posted to do a clean install of Windows 10 without the upgrade if there is an issue now.
Need to have a Genuine copy of Windows 7, 8, 8.1 on PC first.
As i said do not use a Windows 7,8, 8.1 key to activate Windows 10, no key is needed you skip this in the clean install if ever done to.People who upgraded never used a key to activate Windows 10. Have you had Windows 10 for 30 days before this issue ?

 

Windows 10 had been installed less than 24 hrs. I am not yet back to Win7 as I have not had time to try anything further since my call to MS last night. If I can't restore an image file I will reformat and reinstall 7 and then call MS back as they suggested. No question that my Windows 7 is genuine as MS confirmed that (for the record it was purchased at Best Buy). The problem seems to be in the log file that Windows 10 uses to verify validity. That's why MS wanted me to revert to 7 and call them back.