How to download with a limited data plan

andreah1 said:

Can I ask a stupid question? First - I downloaded the tool and for my laptop (as I had free wifi where I was) I used the tool to update it. Everything worked fine, didn't need any drivers. I then also created installation media for another pc so that I can use that for the desktop I have at home. BUT, before I do that, I want to know if it will update my desktop or will it be a clean install? I only want to update it (save my settings and files) but from googling I can't get a clear answer, it seems that it would be a clean install which is not what I'm looking for. Thinking I'm going to have to sit up all night when I have free data at home from midnight to 5am to do it correctly. Any help ASAP would be greatly appreciated!

Do not boot from the USB. Just put the USB drive in while running your old operating system and run setup.exe found on the USB drive and you will do an upgrade.

get someone to post you a dvd with the ISO file on it.

Isn't the ISO the same as the usb and as long as I don't boot it should work the same? That's what I'm going to try but want to be sure it will update not overwrite.

andreah1 said:

Isn't the ISO the same as the usb and as long as I don't boot it should work the same?

Absolutely correct. If you don't boot from it, it won't do a clean install, it will do an upgrade.

Oh I hope so, so afraid to try it. :)

andreah1 said:

Oh I hope so, so afraid to try it. :)

If you wish to do something as major as an OS upgrade, it'd be nice to have an image of your current installation, and a bootable device that would allow you to restore it if something goes too wrong. (Which is unlikely, but not impossible.)

I use Acronis True Image. Works fine, with the only complication that I needed to create a WinPE restore disk. (Their Linux-based default install disk didn't like my X99 motherboard at the time.)

Macrium Reflect Free is popular, and free for home use:

Macrium Reflect Free


You'd still have to come up with a second drive to store the image, internal or external. (I got a 128 GB USB3 flash drive on sale at Best Buy a couple of weekends ago for $30US. My primary backup is an external 4TB Seagate drive, about $130 a few months ago.)

Cliff S said:

For the desktop just boot into Windows 8.1>plug the USB in and double click setup.exe(near bottom), it will mount the USB drive in file explore >. Note you should be connected to the internet though so it can search for updates and to automatically Activate Windows 10.

Well I hope being connected to the internet will not mean any data usage, the whole reason I'm doing this by USB is because I have limited data allotment per month. I was planning on telling it my connection is metered so I can do the updates myself every so often (that's working well with my laptop).
As far as making an image, yes, that would be a smart thing to do but I DO back up all my documents, pics, etc to an external drive and in one drive so if I were to lose all my settings it wouldn't be a complete disaster. And I do have a reinstall disc for win 8.1 and also a recovery usb that I made shortly after I got the computer in December. I may try tonight, wish me luck!

Ut oh, speaking of one drive, I have my settings for that so that they are available on my computer AND online, I hope that doesn't disappear and one drive try to upload (or download) all my pics again?