Uninstall Win 10 and upgrade later in year

carrotmuseum · 09 Sep 2015

I was using Win7 home premium. I just have tried Win 10 for a couple of weeks and found it sadly lacking and slow! The mousepad needs re-installing every couple of days and wifi keep dropping off, and other issues.

So what I would like to do it go back to Win 7 and maybe upgrade before the "free" year expires and maybe Miscrosoft repairs some of the faults.

I understand I can go back easily within the one month period but will I still receive another invite to upgrade when i am ready? Otherwise how can I ensure I get Win 10 for free before next July?

alphanumeric · 09 Sep 2015

If you have already done the free upgrade and Windows 10 is activated, you can clean install Windows 10 on that PC anytime you want. Even after the free upgrade offer expires. Your hardware ID is already stored on the activation server. It will activate on a clean install now.

bobkn · 09 Sep 2015

You can always upgrade using the Media Creation Tool.

Windows 10 - Upgrade Installation - Windows 10 Forums

As alphanumeric posted, as you have already activated the upgrade, you could even do a clean install and have it activate on the same hardware.

You may be disappointed if you expect your problems to improve with a later install. I'd guess that you have a somewhat corrupt installation, rather than bugs that may be fixed in time.

A clean install might fix that, but it could be a lot of work.

Joergi · 09 Sep 2015

You both have not answered the actual question:

After you have upgraded to Windows 10, you will be able to do a clean installation. That is true.

But the question is:

Is that also true, if inbetween you downgrade again? After all you will then be using the license with your old Windows version again. Given that Microsoft does not allow using the same license for two different systems at the same time, I would not be so sure, that they will still list that license as usable with Windows 10, but they should list it as usable with the old Windows version. In fact they should enable you to use the old Windows version again.

carrotmuseum · 09 Sep 2015

So can I or can't I?

Joergi said:

You both have not answered the actual question:

After you have upgraded to Windows 10, you will be able to do a clean installation. That is true.

But the question is:

Is that also true, if inbetween you downgrade again? After all you will then be using the license with your old Windows version again. Given that Microsoft does not allow using the same license for two different systems at the same time, I would not be so sure, that they will still list that license as usable with Windows 10, but they should list it as usable with the old Windows version. In fact they should enable you to use the old Windows version again.

NavyLCDR · 09 Sep 2015

carrotmuseum said:

So can I or can't I?

You are still on Windows 10 now, correct? In an elevated command prompt ("Run as administrator" command prompt) type slmgr /xpr

You should get a message that says "This machine is permanently activated." That's exactly what it means for Windows 10 - you have a permanent activation for Windows 10 stored on the Microsoft activation servers. Future installs/upgrades of/to Windows 10 on that same machine will continue to activate. Your Windows 7 license is not revoked by Microsoft when you upgrade to Windows 10, it just violates the EULA to use both the Windows 7 license and the Windows 10 license obtained from an upgrade at the same time (including dual boot and virtual machines).

alphanumeric · 09 Sep 2015

Joergi said:

You both have not answered the actual question:

After you have upgraded to Windows 10, you will be able to do a clean installation. That is true.

But the question is:

Is that also true, if inbetween you downgrade again? After all you will then be using the license with your old Windows version again. Given that Microsoft does not allow using the same license for two different systems at the same time, I would not be so sure, that they will still list that license as usable with Windows 10, but they should list it as usable with the old Windows version. In fact they should enable you to use the old Windows version again.

Old license for old OS, new license for new OS. There is nothing to stop you from reinstalling the old OS back on that PC. It will be licensed just like it was before you upgraded to 10. Rollback is only good for 30 days because the Windows.old gets deleted after 30 days. Once the Windows.old is deleted Rollback doesn't work anymore. You can still go back to your old OS after the 30 days have expired, provided you have install media to do it and or an image to use.

Joergi · 09 Sep 2015

The permanent activation of slmgr /xpr refers to the fact that there also are activations with an expiry date. Something like that can be found in Enterprise environments.

@NavyLCDR: Do you have a source to back up that Windows 10 will still activate, if you used the basic license and with it the old OS instead of the new one? It surely would violate the EULA to use both, the new and the old version, at the same time. But that's not what we're talking about. That would be especially relevant for this case: You have upgraded, activated and downgraded again. Then, while you are using your old OS, the free upgrade-year ends. What now? Will it still activate Windows 10 or won't it? After all the upgrade has kind of been undone by the downgrade and also by using the old version instead of the new one...

alphanumeric · 09 Sep 2015

Joergi said:

You have upgraded, activated and downgraded again. Then, while you are using your old OS, the free upgrade-year ends. What now? Will it still activate Windows 10 or won't it? After all the upgrade has kind of been undone by the downgrade and also by using the old version instead of the new one...

Why has the upgrade been undone? Based on what? Do you have a source to back that statement up? Like I said earlier, If you have already done the free upgrade and Windows 10 is activated, you can clean install Windows 10 on that PC anytime you want. Even after the free upgrade offer expires. Your hardware ID is already stored on the activation server. It will activate on a clean install now.

NavyLCDR · 09 Sep 2015

Joergi said:

The permanent activation of slmgr /xpr refers to the fact that there also are activations with an expiry date. Something like that can be found in Enterprise environments.

@NavyLCDR: Do you have a source to back up that Windows 10 will still activate, if you used the basic license and with it the old OS instead of the new one? It surely would violate the EULA to use both, the new and the old version, at the same time. But that's not what we're talking about. That would be especially relevant for this case: You have upgraded, activated and downgraded again. Then, while you are using your old OS, the free upgrade-year ends. What now? Will it still activate Windows 10 or won't it? After all the upgrade has kind of been undone by the downgrade and also by using the old version instead of the new one...

Yes I do have a source. I have done it. Upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10. Went back to Windows 7. Clean install Windows 10. Same computer, in that order. No problems with activations. Microsoft has published that once an upgrade is done to Windows 10 on a computer that clean installs of Windows 10 will activate on that same computer for the life of that computer. They have made no mention that installing another version of Windows in between would do anything to invalidate that.