Free Windows 10 upgrade
#166
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Pittsburgh
Programs: MR/SPG LT Titanium, AA LT PLT, UA SLV, Avis PreferredPlus
Posts: 31,009
We have begun rolling out the public release of Windows 10 to the world, starting with our valued Windows Insiders...We invite you to get the final release of Windows 10 on other PCs you may own" (with links to the download) email yesterday.
#167
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E50K (*G) WS Gold | SPG/Fairmont Plat Hilton/Hyatt Diamond Marriott Silver | National Exec Elite
Posts: 19,284
I signed up 8 days ago. I got my "Hello Windows Insider,
We have begun rolling out the public release of Windows 10 to the world, starting with our valued Windows Insiders...We invite you to get the final release of Windows 10 on other PCs you may own" (with links to the download) email yesterday.
We have begun rolling out the public release of Windows 10 to the world, starting with our valued Windows Insiders...We invite you to get the final release of Windows 10 on other PCs you may own" (with links to the download) email yesterday.
#168
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Los Angeles, CA USA
Posts: 31,206
Completely unimpressed.
Firefox drags, shockwave crashes on just about every page, and something keeps hitting my processor every ~45 seconds.
Cortana sucks, is a resource hog, and mines an incredible amount of personalized data. Took me an hour in privacy settings to make sure everything was turned off.
And what's with automatically applying that cheesy HDR effect to photos, backgrounds, wallpapers, etc.?
Firefox drags, shockwave crashes on just about every page, and something keeps hitting my processor every ~45 seconds.
Cortana sucks, is a resource hog, and mines an incredible amount of personalized data. Took me an hour in privacy settings to make sure everything was turned off.
And what's with automatically applying that cheesy HDR effect to photos, backgrounds, wallpapers, etc.?
Last edited by anrkitec; Jul 30, 2015 at 6:10 am
#169
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Some hole
Posts: 2,783
Windows 10 upgrade notification
So I currently have a Windows 7 desktop and notebook. Reserved Windows 10 weeks before. Anyone know when and how will I get the notification? On my desktop, I checked Windows Update>View update history and Upgrade to Windows 10 Home - Failed. Anyone getting the same? Trying to contact Microsoft support via chat but can't get through.
#170
FWIW...I think I jumped the gun.
8.1 seemed to be more seemless for me perhaps it will just take time. Browsing does seem slower on 10 and for the life of me I cannot get regular Chrome to work. I had to download Chrome Canary which does work but I had taken it off 8.1 because it wasn't as stable as regular chrome.
Is there a simple way to revert back to 8.1 ?
edit to add: Just found the revert button. It is in recovery and allows you to go back to Windows 8 BUT only can be activated up to one month after W10 install.....
8.1 seemed to be more seemless for me perhaps it will just take time. Browsing does seem slower on 10 and for the life of me I cannot get regular Chrome to work. I had to download Chrome Canary which does work but I had taken it off 8.1 because it wasn't as stable as regular chrome.
Is there a simple way to revert back to 8.1 ?
edit to add: Just found the revert button. It is in recovery and allows you to go back to Windows 8 BUT only can be activated up to one month after W10 install.....
Last edited by david55; Jul 30, 2015 at 7:53 am
#171
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards. Tha... that's about it.
Posts: 4,332
So I currently have a Windows 7 desktop and notebook. Reserved Windows 10 weeks before. Anyone know when and how will I get the notification? On my desktop, I checked Windows Update>View update history and Upgrade to Windows 10 Home - Failed. Anyone getting the same? Trying to contact Microsoft support via chat but can't get through.
But you can also skip the wait and go to the download page directly:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...load/windows10
The buttons on that page are to download the Media Creation Tool, which is a small program that will create Windows 10 install media for you. Best practice is to use an empty USB flash drive, (minimum size 6gb). The tool will turn the flash drive into an install media for Windows 10 which can be run on both your laptop and desktop.
Check both of your current Windows 7 machines to see whether they're running Win7 64-bit or 32-bit; right-click on My Computer and select Properties. Under "System" you will see an entry "System type:" which will say either 64-bit or 32-bit.
When you run the Media Creation Tool, it will ask you whether you want to create 64-bit or 32-bit media, or both. I recommend selecting Both, even if you only think you're going to need one. Just in case.
Once the MCT has created the install media on your flash drive, you can use the flash drive to install Win10 on your computers. This is the point where I am at the moment; I'll run the actual install on my test machine in a week or so (tight schedule and Windows installs take several hours).
#172
BEWARE: Chrome may not work
I downloaded 10 last night and my primary browser Chrome would not work. I uninstalled and reinstalled and still nothing.
I downloaded Canary Chrome ( a little buggy) but it works.
Others are having the same problem:
https://productforums.google.com/for...g/MGr4fjW7GPIJ
I downloaded Canary Chrome ( a little buggy) but it works.
Others are having the same problem:
https://productforums.google.com/for...g/MGr4fjW7GPIJ
#173
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Freeload Univ. Where are you sitting?
Posts: 14,818
Now that the 29th has come and gone, I have another question.
I have a computer that I was going to load Win 7 Home Premium on. If I do that (sometime between now and next year), will I be able to activate it, and will I still get the free Win 10 offer?
I have a computer that I was going to load Win 7 Home Premium on. If I do that (sometime between now and next year), will I be able to activate it, and will I still get the free Win 10 offer?
#174
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: SEA or BGR, Lower Earth Orbit
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 17,217
I'm wanting to do a clean install of W10 on one of the laptops, it came preloaded with Windows 8, and doesn't have the product key sticker on the bottom. I ran the Belarc Advisor and got a KK4NJ-XXXXX key, and found a VB script that gave me a QQ39H-XXXXX key. Am I being too cautious and the product key is embedded into the bios on the machine? It is a Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook, with a build date of 4/13.
#175
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Freeload Univ. Where are you sitting?
Posts: 14,818
I'm wanting to do a clean install of W10 on one of the laptops, it came preloaded with Windows 8, and doesn't have the product key sticker on the bottom. I ran the Belarc Advisor and got a KK4NJ-XXXXX key, and found a VB script that gave me a QQ39H-XXXXX key. Am I being too cautious and the product key is embedded into the bios on the machine? It is a Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook, with a build date of 4/13.
I know it works with XP and Win7, and supposedly it works with Win 8. To get Win 8.1 you apparently have to get a 'premium' version (cost).
The premium version is also required to get the key from the BIOS, if that's what they used, on Win 7, 8, and 8.1
#176
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: in the vicinity of SFO
Programs: AA 2MM (LT-PLT, PPro for this year)
Posts: 19,781
I'm wanting to do a clean install of W10 on one of the laptops, it came preloaded with Windows 8, and doesn't have the product key sticker on the bottom. I ran the Belarc Advisor and got a KK4NJ-XXXXX key, and found a VB script that gave me a QQ39H-XXXXX key. Am I being too cautious and the product key is embedded into the bios on the machine? It is a Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook, with a build date of 4/13.
I'd keep a copy of the other two keys, just in case.
#177
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Freeload Univ. Where are you sitting?
Posts: 14,818
And now for something completely different...
I've been doing some Windows rollout/deployment gigs lately. Got one coming up next week at a pretty big bank.
They're doing a company-wide OS upgrade --- from XP to Win 7!
Seriously!
Like a lot of outfits, they decided not to go to Vista, but doing Win 7 now? Or maybe they want to grab the free Win 10? I dunno.
They're doing a company-wide OS upgrade --- from XP to Win 7!
Seriously!
Like a lot of outfits, they decided not to go to Vista, but doing Win 7 now? Or maybe they want to grab the free Win 10? I dunno.
#178
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: LGA - JFK
Programs: UA, AA, DL, B6, CX, KE, Latitude, VIFP, Crown & Anchor, etc.
Posts: 2,589
I'm wanting to do a clean install of W10 on one of the laptops, it came preloaded with Windows 8, and doesn't have the product key sticker on the bottom. I ran the Belarc Advisor and got a KK4NJ-XXXXX key, and found a VB script that gave me a QQ39H-XXXXX key. Am I being too cautious and the product key is embedded into the bios on the machine? It is a Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook, with a build date of 4/13.
not be a problem. Product key/serial number came with the welcome guide/manual & quick startup documents, just in case & uploaded to cloud storage.
Unless you are doing in a # of alternate ways, you need to do upgrade from W8 (or W7) to W10 with the .~BT folder ready to install, process if 95%+ automated, only minimal entries at the end for configuration with a local account (option to change/add $S Account later on) - took about 1 hour from start to finish. Had a Dell Laitutde desktop done & fully activated within an hour of the clock hitting midnight & laptop was activated after dinner, everything on the D: drive and even C: drive stayed - old OS moved to a *.OLD folder for going back within 30 days.
It's like learning a few tricks under W7.1 and W8.2 and Chrome browser is doing just fine (v44.x is mine) and even Chromecast is running off W10Pro - both 64 bits & 32 bits ... their activation servers getting hammered worldwide so be patient, it's a nice surprise, actually that most users upgrading find this painless.
Once the upgrade is activated, your machine ID and other details & profile, etc. are stored on their server, you can go back and create a DVD or USB stick (8GB preferred) - do a full backup as needed - and then proceed to do a clean & fresh install of W10, and the activation will be there/retrieved as it is linked to the MB/hardware of the PC.
#179
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: in the vicinity of SFO
Programs: AA 2MM (LT-PLT, PPro for this year)
Posts: 19,781
If the latter, no free Win 10 for them (although they may already be paying for it via an enterprise agreement and/or software assurance.)
#180
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Some hole
Posts: 2,783
You'll get a broadcast email.
But you can also skip the wait and go to the download page directly:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...load/windows10
The buttons on that page are to download the Media Creation Tool, which is a small program that will create Windows 10 install media for you. Best practice is to use an empty USB flash drive, (minimum size 6gb). The tool will turn the flash drive into an install media for Windows 10 which can be run on both your laptop and desktop.
Check both of your current Windows 7 machines to see whether they're running Win7 64-bit or 32-bit; right-click on My Computer and select Properties. Under "System" you will see an entry "System type:" which will say either 64-bit or 32-bit.
When you run the Media Creation Tool, it will ask you whether you want to create 64-bit or 32-bit media, or both. I recommend selecting Both, even if you only think you're going to need one. Just in case.
Once the MCT has created the install media on your flash drive, you can use the flash drive to install Win10 on your computers. This is the point where I am at the moment; I'll run the actual install on my test machine in a week or so (tight schedule and Windows installs take several hours).
But you can also skip the wait and go to the download page directly:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...load/windows10
The buttons on that page are to download the Media Creation Tool, which is a small program that will create Windows 10 install media for you. Best practice is to use an empty USB flash drive, (minimum size 6gb). The tool will turn the flash drive into an install media for Windows 10 which can be run on both your laptop and desktop.
Check both of your current Windows 7 machines to see whether they're running Win7 64-bit or 32-bit; right-click on My Computer and select Properties. Under "System" you will see an entry "System type:" which will say either 64-bit or 32-bit.
When you run the Media Creation Tool, it will ask you whether you want to create 64-bit or 32-bit media, or both. I recommend selecting Both, even if you only think you're going to need one. Just in case.
Once the MCT has created the install media on your flash drive, you can use the flash drive to install Win10 on your computers. This is the point where I am at the moment; I'll run the actual install on my test machine in a week or so (tight schedule and Windows installs take several hours).
As for the media creation tool, I don't have an empty flash drive so is there a way around that?