OK to install Win 10 drivers in Win 7 system prior to upgrade?

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

  1. Posts : 1,750
    Windows 10 Pro
       #1

    OK to install Win 10 drivers in Win 7 system prior to upgrade?


    So far my attempts to upgrade a Win 7 Pro 64 system have not been successful. My system is built around an ASUS P9X79PRO motherboard and ASUS has separate driver sections for Win 7 and Win 10. Is it Ok to install the Win 10 driver versions prior to doing another upgrade attempt? Is it necessary? Is it necessary to NOT to that?


    So far my attempts to upgrade a Win 7 Pro 64 system have not been successful. My system is built around an ASUS P9X79PRO motherboard and ASUS has separate driver sections for Win 7 and Win 10. Is it Ok to install the Win 10 driver versions prior to doing another upgrade attempt? Is it necessary? Is it necessary to NOT to that?
    So far my attempts to upgrade a Win 7 Pro 64 system have not been successful. My system is built around an ASUS P9X79PRO motherboard and ASUS has separate driver sections for Win 7 and Win 10. Is it Ok to install the Win 10 driver versions prior to doing another upgrade attempt? Is it necessary? Is it necessary to NOT to that?
      My Computers


  2. Posts : 16,325
    W10Prox64
       #2

    x509 said:
    So far my attempts to upgrade a Win 7 Pro 64 system have not been successful. My system is built around an ASUS P9X79PRO motherboard and ASUS has separate driver sections for Win 7 and Win 10. Is it Ok to install the Win 10 driver versions prior to doing another upgrade attempt? Is it necessary? Is it necessary to NOT to that?
    I would not recommend installing W10 drivers on a W7 system. I would have them saved somewhere and ready to access after the upgrade.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 15,027
    Windows 10 IoT
       #3

    I would not install the Windows 10 drivers in Windows 7. Is your Windows 7 install Retail or OEM? Have you considered doing a clean install of Windows 10? It can be activated with a Windows 7 or 8 key.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 1,750
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #4

    alphanumeric said:
    I would not install the Windows 10 drivers in Windows 7. Is your Windows 7 install Retail or OEM? Have you considered doing a clean install of Windows 10? It can be activated with a Windows 7 or 8 key.
    I have a retail Win 7. The reason I don't want to do a clean install now is that my "Programs" partition, Windows + installed programs and no real user data, is about 130 GB. Don't ask me how. I have Microsoft Office installed, Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access, OneNote, plus Project and Visio. I also have Adobe Acrobat, Lightroom, Lightroom 6 Extended installed. Plus lots of other "stuff."

    Sure I ought to do a clean install, and maybe filter out some of those programs. But first things, first.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 15,027
    Windows 10 IoT
       #5

    It is no longer a requirement to have to do the upgrade install before doing a clean install, if that is what your wondering. It was originally, but now you can install and activate Windows 10 with Windows 7 and 8/8.1 keys. Your copy of Windows 7 being Retail makes it easier. I would not try to install Windows 10 drivers in Windows 7, unless you know for a fact that they are backward compatible with Windows 7. Otherwise you will likely cause issues. Assuming they actually install. The normal series of events would be, upgrade OS, then upgrade drivers to match.

    What is currently stopping you from doing the upgrade?
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 1,750
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #6

    simrick said:
    I would not recommend installing W10 drivers on a W7 system. I would have them saved somewhere and ready to access after the upgrade.
    Merci bien. Thank you very much. I suspected that would be the case, but I've wondered about those situations in which a Win 10 upgrade supposedly fails over driver issues. Seems like a chicken-and-egg situation.
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 16,325
    W10Prox64
       #7

    x509 said:
    Merci bien. Thank you very much. I suspected that would be the case, but I've wondered about those situations in which a Win 10 upgrade supposedly fails over driver issues. Seems like a chicken-and-egg situation.
    It has gotten better over the past year, but yes, we still see driver - related failures. Sometimes they can even be overcome by upgrading without internet. But, I will say this: I have seen, time after time, upgrades from W7 (not W8) with lingering problems, all of which were resolved with a clean install. Just sayin'.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 1,750
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #8

    simrick said:
    ...But, I will say this: I have seen, time after time, upgrades from W7 (not W8) with lingering problems, all of which were resolved with a clean install. Just sayin'.
    I hear you but I'm real busy right now, and I know that it would take me days and days to do a full clean install. I probably should do that sometime in the future anyway. The software guys I know call that "technical debt." A great term, if you ask me.
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 16,325
    W10Prox64
       #9

    x509 said:
    I hear you but I'm real busy right now, and I know that it would take me days and days to do a full clean install. I probably should do that sometime in the future anyway. The software guys I know call that "technical debt." A great term, if you ask me.
    I went through the same thing. I just installed programs as I needed them over a 2-week period, making images as I went along with Macrium. It wasn't so bad, really. :)
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 15,027
    Windows 10 IoT
       #10

    I can do a clean install and be up and running with Office installed in a few hours. Not bragging, just saying. Then I install stuff as I need it. I'm retired though, with simple needs, and not a whole lot of software to install. I can remember when it would take a week, or weeks, to get everything up and running smoothly.
      My Computer


 

  Related Discussions
Our Sites
Site Links
About Us
Windows 10 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 10" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

© Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:32.
Find Us




Windows 10 Forums