DOS76 Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 Windows 10 free upgrade ends at the end of July next month. Now I understand that many of you are not upgrading by choice due to personal preference and I completely understand that but I think that everyone should strongly consider getting a copy of Windows 10 for free just for future use. Windows 7 is aging and while it may be what you want to use now in the future to get newer Windows features you may be forced to upgrade anyway. You can upgrade but keep your copy of Windows 7. The way to do this is not to do the in system upgrade but to create your own installation media. By doing this either with a disc or a USB flash drive (to do this you will need to enter your BIOS and change your boot order) you will be offered the option to choose a partition on which to install Windows 10 if you install another drive or create another partition on an internal drive (emphasis on the words install and internal as this will not work on a USB drive). After you install it the next time your computer starts it will now be setup as a dual boot computer and you will be prompted to choose an OS every time that you boot the computer up. All that will be required is that you occasionally boot up Windows 10 periodically and keep it up to date thus leaving you ready for when (not if) you are eventually forced to move on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliveBarker Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Users can wipe the partition afterwards if they want/need extra space. Just get the activation key before formatting Win 10. Honestly, DX12 is just not worth it right now, too few games have implemented the API and only Ashes of Singularity has made a full implementation. In my opinion is not going to be worth it (for gaming) to upgrade until there is a substantial amount of DX12 and Win Store exclusive games, and for me that is going to take at least 2 years from now. There are still DX9 games being released these days... But if a person wants to upgrade because of non gaming reasons I don't have any argument to make against that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SentaiBrad Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 So a few misconceptions. If Windows 7 is your base OS and you try and remove it your drive will not boot. The Master Boot Record is kept with the first installed OS. The MBR will be tied to 7 / 8.1 and not 10. Once the promotion ends, it is unclear if you will be able to re-install the free upgrade of Windows 10. Their EULA is vague as all hell. I had two machines, one fresh and one the same. I wanted to install MY key of Windows 10 from my old PC to the new one, and it simply did not work. Re-installing Windows 10 on my old machine so my wife had a fresh Windows 10 worked great. If you replace the motherboard you need a new key, they will not provide you with one. If the motherboard is the same, the key is supposed to be kept in here so you don't need to enter it for a re-install, however I still needed to enter it in on my wife's PC anyways. The screwed up part? Our key's were EXACTLY the same. My mother in law's PC is the same. It's the same key they gave to everyone probably in batches or per IP potentially. I would have to confer with someone else and check their key. Another thing? They don't actually give you the key. I had to have software tell me what the key was, and I am glad I did. Belarc Advisor is supposed to work, but it did on one machine and not the other. I can't remember the other software I did use right this second. So, the free upgrade is still a good deal... but very BS. I mean... it's free, what did we expect? If you are on Windows 8.1, just run the upgrade. You're already half way there. The upgrade worked so well for my wife that Start 8, the Start Menu replacement we were using transferred to Windows 10 perfectly. It was obviously bugged so we had to uninstall it, but it was creepy how well the upgrade worked. Don't forget to prune the Windows.old folder when you're done with it. If you are on 7, it may be a harder sell. Honestly, I've actually enjoyed Windows 10 with some changes to their default settings, but most OSes are like this. There is a Windows 10 thread on the forums actually that goes over a lot of the changes I had made when I first upgraded and I shared with everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOS76 Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 Actually any time I install Windows 10 as a dual boot (which has been a few) it takes over as the main OS and the boot screen changes from the Windows 7 text style one where it asks which OS to choose to the Windows 10 tile based option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SentaiBrad Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 But does the MBR reside with Windows 10? That never used to be the case, it used to reside with the first OS installed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOS76 Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 I'm not really sure. There is software to change that anyway if necessary. Easy BCD there is a free non-commercial version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SentaiBrad Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 If someone see's this, be very careful with those. As easy as it is to change it over so that you can remove 7 or 8.1, it's just as easy to mess it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombeaver Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Honestly, I've heard no small number reports about compatibility with certain applications (especially older ones, which is a big deal for me) and I'm not at all a fan of the rather draconian approach that Microsoft is taking with UWP. Everybody remember how awesome Games for Windows Live was? Oh yeah, now I remember... it was a steaming pile of shit. I'm sure I'll be on W10 someday, when I have little (or no) choice, but that's likely a couple years down the road... probably when I'm working on a completely new PC from scratch. In my experience, it's rarely a good idea to immediately migrate to a new version of Windows - there are always unforeseen issues, no matter when you do it, but early adopters get to deal with the brunt of the problems that are inherent in any new OS. W7 is doing everything I need it to do (and doing it without issue) for me currently. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SentaiBrad Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Which is totally fine. It works and I don't want to break is really all the answer anyone needs to give. Besides changing a few options though, which happens on every OS, Windows 10 has run flawlessly for me. Performs better than 8.1 did which did better than 7. My other computer had all 3 at one point. 8 had more kinks to overcome than 10 does though for sure. The UWP thing absolutely does not matter in terms of upgrading your OS. It's really not all that bad, the idea behind is fine, but it's kind of what ever. If you're not buying games from the Windows Store, and I sure as hell am not, then it should have absolutely zero bearing on your decision. I've run old applications and they don't all necessarily run better, but not any worse than 8 or 7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombeaver Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 SentaiBrad said If you're not buying games from the Windows Store, and I sure as hell am not, then it should have absolutely zero bearing on your decision. The Windows Store isn't the problem. The issue is with UWP specifically. The two are related but not interchangeable. UWP isn't the store, it's the underlying architecture. I (like Tim Sweeney in the article I linked) am in no way opposed to Microsoft having their own storefront. It's going to be shit, but there's nothing wrong with them having one and there's nothing wrong with more competition. The problem is that Microsoft is locking down Windows features to be usable exclusively through UWP, creating their own little walled garden so that they can get a nice little cut. Sure, nobody's forcing developers to use UWP, but hey "If you want to be able to do [insert], you can only do it if it's in UWP, and if it is, you're going through us." I'm opposed to that on the very principle, regardless of the real world consequences (or, potentially, lack thereof). My guess (or perhaps hope) is that enough developers will continue to not develop for it and that it'll just collapse in on itself before I have to go near W10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOS76 Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 I was more hoping to let people know to get the update for free and to keep on using the OS they have this way they have a copy they don't have to pay anything for regardless of what anyone's personal reasons for upgrading or not upgrading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombeaver Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 DOS76 said I was more hoping to let people know to get the update for free and to keep on using the OS they have this way they have a copy they don't have to pay anything for regardless of what anyone's personal reasons for upgrading or not upgrading. I get that, and it's fair enough, but from what I understand it's only usable on the specific PC that you're potentially upgrading correct? If I could just get a one-time-use key that I could just use whenever (including a future PC) then I'd be all over it, but I don't think that's how it works right? Basically what I'm saying is, I have no intention of upgrading my current PC to W10 and, because of that, the free upgrade wouldn't be viable. I realize eventually I'll be on W10, but it'll be my next PC at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackSol Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I'll be using Win 7 til 2020. Not even going to entertain the thought of Win 10 on my HTPC because it is an OC'ed G3258 on an H97 board. Since the word came down from Intel that there is to be no Non-Z OCing in Win 10 the choice is simple for me. There is a workaround, but Win 7 is working just how I want it so "if it aint broke, don't fix it". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOS76 Posted July 1, 2016 Author Share Posted July 1, 2016 It depends on the type of license you have when you upgrade if you have a Windows 7 or 8 OEM version then yes it is machine specific if you have a retail license which I have about 9 of for Windows 8 then you can install it on any machine. You had to love when they had the $15 dollar promotion if you purchased a new PC I had about 6 of those but only bought one PC they didn't verify though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SentaiBrad Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 2020 is probably a stretch? Who knows when their support for W7 ends, unless their site says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackSol Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 Yep, Jan. 14, 2020 is the end of Win 7 extended support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SentaiBrad Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 We'll have Windows 11 by that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOS76 Posted July 1, 2016 Author Share Posted July 1, 2016 If Windows 7 is still widely used they they will probably extend coverage longer like they did for XP but by 2020 it will be like using XP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SentaiBrad Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 XP was drug along because of corporations. Some stayed in DOS (sadly), some stayed in XP, some use Windows 7, some use 8 and some use 10, depending on the job needed. Let's take my local game store for example. He upgraded his 7 machine to 10 and he said it ran a hell of a lot better, but his PoS (Point of Sale) software wasn't patched for 10 yet and they were taking their sweet time, so he had to go back to 7 for a while. Walmart's self check out machines use Windows XP (I used to work self check, and they would crash a lot). Walmart's Jewelry registers still run fucking DOS. Some business switched over to proprietary or upgrade slowly because it costs them a shit ton of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ps4isthefuture Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 I'm still not sold on W10 yet. Win7 works great for me. If it's not broke don't fix it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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