Upgrade vs Clean Install

BunnyJ said:

Gary, Your making this so complicated. You enter your key for Win7/Win8.1 and MS will verify it.. this is not an activation process. You can't just enter any numbers.. it's got to be a valid MS licensee/key. Stop worrying.. this is not going to be that complex to get the upgrade to Win10.

Maybe so, but I don't think anyone outside Microsoft knows yet how keys are going to work. Will it accept your old Windows 7 key? Will there be a new Windows 10 key? What about people with 8/8.1 keys in their motherboard? None of us knows yet - it's all guesswork at this stage.

Gary said:

I just checked and it is the same. So what you are saying that if I give them my key they will verify it and then I could do a clean install. This will work even though I have a clone of Windows 7 which I made using Macrium Reflect?

I'm sorry, Gary, but you're dragging me in circles and I'm just not prepared to go back and read every word I've said in order to be sure you have it correct and I actually said that.

You will be able to update through Windows Update. Most here agree that there will be physical media to install from if you want to do a clean install. And that's as far as I'm willing to stretch my neck out.

Wynona said:

I'm sorry, Gary, but you're dragging me in circles and I'm just not prepared to go back and read every word I've said in order to be sure you have it correct and I actually said that.

You will be able to update through Windows Update. Most here agree that there will be physical media to install from if you want to do a clean install. And that's as far as I'm willing to stretch my neck out.

Sorry Wynona but it is MS that is running everyone in circles. They would have been much better off if they laid out all of the facts on the Free upgrade when they first released the information. You will be able to use a Downloaded ISO if you use the MS version to burn it with. You will be able to get it from Windows Update if you so desire. I know that a clean install is the best way to go with this but I have many programs and data that I cannot do without. I no longer have the downloaded files to re install everything. If I go with Windows 10 it will be through Windows update and not until it has been out for at least 6 months. I am done using the Previews as I have wasted enough of my time with Windows 10.
Windows 10 works fine if you use all of Microsoft's Programs. If you use a third party firewall then Edge and other things stop working. So good luck to you and enjoy Windows 10. I will just wait a tad longer.

badrobot said:

But it's better to do the slow re-installation of your programs for 2 to 3 days rather than wasting your time figuring out how to fix your upgrade issues for weeks before deciding to do a clean install.

So far with Windows 10 I've been very lucky doing the upgrade option. The only time anything messed up and I had to start over was when I was playing around with system restore and I lost my start menu and search. I might bite the bullet and do a clean install. Luckily I still have time to decide. :)

Forgot to add. What ever direction I go a Macrium Reflect image will be the first thing I do.

Wynona said:

And that's why I normally avoid doing a clean install of my day to day OS; too many programs to be reinstalled. First I gotta write 'em all down, then do a whole house search for some that have disappeared; now why did I leave that one there? This one has to be upgraded through three or four iterations . . .

I wonder if there's a way to bring Windows 8.1 back to a pristine condition (since I didn't do an image when it was new) before installing Windows 10 as an upgrade? Because that's the only way I'd do an upgrade over 8.1.

On the rare occasions I do clean installs I use the opportunity to clean out any unused or unneeded programs. :)

CountMike said:

Well, it's not like you will have to do it many times once it comes out as finished product, it may be well worth to do all that to get a squeaky clean system, make a good backup of it and be at peace for some time to come.

If I go with a clean install I'll use Macrium Reflect to make a image before I install any programs and one after I install all my programs.

Wynona said:

Yup, I can and I did, Alpha. :) Using Kari's and WHS's tutorial.

Funny thing on the way to the clean install . . . I plugged in the bootable flash drive, and away it went! Problem? I had picked the wrong "ISO" and reinstalled 10074! Sigh . . .

<StarFerret's over there in her corner giggling>

Been there, Done that. So your not the only one to use the wrong ISO to clean install. I did catch my mistake before I installed any programs. :)

Winuser said:

Been there, Done that. So your not the only one to use the wrong ISO to clean install. I did catch my mistake before I installed any programs. :)

Yeah, so did I. For some reason, I always look at the bottom right corner to see the version installed. Huh? Build 10074!?

Gary said:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/i...1-0edc4649bf43

OK you know more than the folks at MS then.

I agree with Jeff. MS is not going to make upgrading to Windows 10 that hard. I would imagine it will work something like this. If doing a upgrade from your qualifying OS Windows 10 will install and be activated. If done right you should keep all your installed programs. If doing a clean install Windows 10 will search for a valid key and install and be activated. If a key is not found you will get a screen where you will be able to install your valid key. If you don't have a valid key to install you might get to run it just long enough to try it before it stops booting. This is not from MS, This is how I think it will work.