BIOS setting and W7 to W10 Upgrade


  1. TV2
    Posts : 2,221
    W10 Pro 22H2
       New #1

    BIOS setting and W7 to W10 Upgrade


    I'm looking to help someone upgrade a fairly new desktop PC from Windows 7 to Windows 10 using the MCT method.

    When we installed Windows 7 on this machine I recall going into the UEFI BIOS and changing the Boot > Safe Boot > OS Type setting from the default "Windows UEFI Mode" to "Other OS", as this was necessary for a successful install of Windows 7.

    Question is: what should I do with this setting now that we are going to do the Upgrade?

    Keep it as is to run W7 in order to start the upgrade process, then change it after the upgrade to Windows 10 is finished and activated?

    Note: a clean install is not possible now since we need to get W10 activated on the Windows 7 license.
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  3. dalchina
    Posts : 42,989
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       New #2

    Note: a clean install is not possible now since we need to get W10 activated on the Windows 7 license
    Actually it is possible should you choose to: see
    Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First
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  4. Megahertz
    Posts : 6,319
    Windows 11 Pro - Windows 7 HP - Lubuntu
       New #3

    Safe Boot isn't mandatory on Win 10. I have a Win 7 disk and a Win 10 disk and Safe Boot is disabled and "Other OS" is set on BIOS.
    If you want to have Safe Boot enabled on a upgrade install (run Win 10 setup from win 7) you should wait till Win 10 is installed.
    If you going to do a Clean install using the Win 7 key, you can enable Safe Boot before installation.
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  6. NavyLCDR
    Posts : 18,432
    Windows 11 Pro
       New #4

    If you want to enable safe boot after the upgrade, you will likely need to replace the NTFS System Partition with a FAT32 EFI System Partition (ESP) first. Are you prepared to do that?
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  7. Steve C
    Posts : 7,905
    Windows 11 Pro 64 bit
       New #5

    I would only bother to disable any Fast Boot / Fast Startup options in the BIOS
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  8. TV2
    Posts : 2,221
    W10 Pro 22H2
    Thread Starter
       New #6

    Thanks all.

    The machine is on the west coast and I am on the east coast. The woman who owns it it technically capable but has not done any of this stuff before. The plan is for me to send tutorials and then walk through by text and phone.
    So the operation needs to be as more simple than complex.

    Dalchina: A clean install would be preferable (to me) but the owner just wants to get the upgrade over with because Windows 7 has reached end-of-life. She's procrastinated this long just because she'd rather not be bothered (busy-busy). An in-place upgrade is preferable because she will not need to reinstall all her stuff.

    Megahertz: Thanks, good to know it can run without problems with the Other OS setting. That's what I really wanted to know. Again, if it were mine I would do things differently, but it's not.

    NavyLCDR: I would enjoy the challenge of creating the ESP after the fact, I've never actually done it, but it sounds like "fun".
    But in this case I think that would be a bridge too far. I think we will just do the upgrade with the typical Windows 7 partitioning scheme if it make no difference to the operation of Windows 10.

    Steve C: Good advice. I'll see if she is comfortable poking around in an UEFI BIOS and walk her through that part.
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  9. Megahertz
    Posts : 6,319
    Windows 11 Pro - Windows 7 HP - Lubuntu
       New #7

    Important to backup all the data to an external disk. Better be safe than sorry.

    You can "upgrade" to Win 10 in two ways:
    From Win 7
    - Create a USB boot able Win 10 installation disk Windows 10 download
    - Run the Setup.exe on the USB Win 10 installation disk. You will end with Win 10 on the drive.
    The disk partition style (MBR or GPT) will remain the same.

    Clean install (recommended)
    - You MUST have all data backed up, as a Clean install deletes everything on the disk.
    - On BIOS, set OS to Windows 10 and disable Fast Boot
    - Boot from the Win 10 installation disk as UEFI, not legacy. Delete all partitions on the disk and proceed.
    - When asked, insert the Win 7 code key
    It will install as UEFI-GPT
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  10. zbook
    Posts : 41,474
    windows 10 professional version 1607 build 14393.969 64 bit
       New #8

    1) Consider making a backup image before the upgrade:

    Imaging with free Macrium - Windows 7 Help Forums

    2) Consider test driving Windows 10 while using Windows 7 to test for any compatibility issues:

    Windows 10 - Test & Try with No Risk, No Install - Windows 7 Help Forums

    3) To increase the likelihood of a successful upgrade run through this checklist:

    Code:
    UPGRADE CHECK LIST:
Run through this check list before the next upgrade attempt:

1) remove nonessential hardware
docks
USB devices
printers
headset
speakers
joysticks
projectors
scanners
plotters
portable optical drives (CD, DVD)
microphones
cameras
webcams
smartphones
bluetooth devices
USB drives (other than a windows 10 iso if used for the upgrade)
USB Wireless Mouse or Keyboard Receiver, USB Wireless Network Card
secondary monitors


2) These should be the only attached devices:
wired mouse
wired keyboard
monitor

Any of these that have been done in the past week are not necessary to repeat:


3) open administrative command prompt and type or copy and paste: (repair file system)
chkdsk /r /v 
This may take many hours so plan to run overnight
Find the chkdsk report in the event viewer using the information in this link and post into the thread:
Read Chkdsk Log in Event Viewer in Windows 10 Performance Maintenance Tutorials
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/40822-read-chkdsk-log-event-viewer-windows-10-a.html 

4) open administrative command prompt and copy and paste: (repair operating system)
sfc /scannow 
When this has completed > right click on the top bar or title bar of the administrative command prompt box > left click on edit then select all > right click on the top bar again > left click on edit then copy > paste into the thread

5) update windows (have all recommended updates installed) and reboot after updates

6) List and uninstall all non-Microsoft antivirus software
(This includes always on and manual software.)
(This includes running the applicable antivirus uninstall tools for any AV that could have been incompletely uninstalled)
(Also if in use, uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials)

7) List and uninstall all non-Microsoft firewall software

8) List all Microsoft and non-Microsoft drive encryption software. 
Uninstall all non-Microsoft disk encryption software

9) Run disk cleanup to clean temporary and system files

10) Verify that the drive has > 30 GB free space (At least 25 GB is needed for creating dumps)

11) Detach all SATA devices other than the disk drive that has the Windows operating system
(Make sure that the only disk drive that is attached to the computer at the time of the upgrade attempt is the disk drive containing Windows)
(Other disk drives may be able to be detached by disconnecting cables or if necessary to remove the drive from the computer)

12) Make sure that there is no metered connection:  https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17452/windows-metered-internet-connections-faq

    Imaging with free Macrium - Windows 7 Help Forums
    MACRIUM REFLECT - Create Bootable Rescue USB Drive - Windows 7 Help Forums

    Disk Check - Windows 7 Help Forums
    Check Disk (chkdsk) - Read Event Viewer Log - Windows 7 Help Forums
    Disk Cleanup - Open and Use - Windows 7 Help Forums
    Hard Disk Space - Free Up and Recover - Windows 7 Help Forums

    Upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7 for Free
    Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First
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  12. TV2
    Posts : 2,221
    W10 Pro 22H2
    Thread Starter
       New #9

    Thanks for all the great advice on how to upgrade and install Windows 10.

    But it's good to know that we can pull off an upgrade installation with the current BIOS settings.
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  13. Megahertz
    Posts : 6,319
    Windows 11 Pro - Windows 7 HP - Lubuntu
       New #10

    Please mark this thread as Solved
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