Upgrading to Windows 10? Here are the supported paths

BunnyJ · 20 Mar 2015

groze said:

Then that means there won't be 32 bit windows 10 even though Microsoft provided it with the windows 10 previews. I am not upgrading if I have to use UEFI. I have UEFI but I also multiple boot with other operating systems some are UEFI and some are not. I don't want to have to re-install my other operating system. I also read people have problems with Macrium Reflect if UEFI enabled.

What if you have a motherboard or HDD/SDD failure?? You would have to reinstall the OS.. the key to making this easy is having copies of the software you install ready so you don't have to re-download everything and the process goes faster. IMO

jimbo45 · 20 Mar 2015

Hi there

The whole UEFI thing is Pie in the sky -- there's almost BILLIONS of perfectly serviceable non UEFI computers out there which are quite capable of running Windows.

If you use an SSD in any case there's usually not much value into turning that into a GPT drive. Other GPT drives can be perfectly read and written to by non UEFI computers.

On my laptop I've installed an SSD drive. I installed the normal version of Windows even though the laptop has UEFI capability.

Cheers

jimbo

adamf · 20 Mar 2015

BunnyJ said:

What if you have a motherboard or HDD/SDD failure?? You would have to reinstall the OS.. the key to making this easy is having copies of the software you install ready so you don't have to re-download everything and the process goes faster. IMO

If you had a motherboard or SSD failure you'd have to replace the broken hardware. You don't have to download anything - you get your new hardware and restore your backup.

BunnyJ · 20 Mar 2015

adamf said:

If you had a motherboard or SSD failure you'd have to replace the broken hardware. You don't have to download anything - you get your new hardware and restore your backup.

I was just pointing out that if you did have a motherboard failure that you would have to re-install the OS and having the software ready to install would be nice and make the process faster.

adamf · 20 Mar 2015

BunnyJ said:

I was just pointing out that if you did have a motherboard failure that you would have to re-install the OS

What makes you think that? You might have to re-authenticate your Windows activation (by phone, I did it today) but you certainly don't have to re-install.

BunnyJ · 20 Mar 2015

adamf said:

What makes you think that? You might have to re-authenticate your Windows activation (by phone, I did it today) but you certainly don't have to re-install.

I've both read that somewhere and I've had to do that when one of mine died years ago.. but it might not be the same today.
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/...-cpu-swap.html

groze · 20 Mar 2015

Jesse Williams said:

So, basically if we don't have a UEFI BIOS, then we can't get Windows 10?

I guess that a yes according to beta news. Just like here, people in the comments disagree. Dual booting could be a problem, I think WHS dual boots as well.

A close look at the Windows 10 system requirements for smartphones, tablets and PCs

Regardless of the configuration, UEFI 2.3.1 must be supported and secure boot enabled.

One thing I am confused on in the comments, Is it really true it won't even allow a cd/dvd/usb drive with another operating system to boot up? If so that is actually scary. The reason it is scary, it because sometimes you to need to use a disks that works outside of windows, to fix issues. I see trouble with mini-wizard partition boot cd.

adamf · 20 Mar 2015

groze said:

One thing I am confused on in the comments, Is it really true it won't even allow a cd/dvd/usb drive with another operating system to boot up?

No. If you read the article MS made it a condition that Secure Boot could be turned off years ago.

Winuser · 20 Mar 2015

I don't think that requirement #6 is correct. How would users with Windows 7 computers be able to upgrade if they don't have a UEFI computer. I know my Windows 7 computers don't Have UEFI or secure boot.

adamf · 20 Mar 2015

Winuser said:

I don't think that requirement #6 is correct. How would users with Windows 7 computers be able to upgrade if they don't have a UEFI computer. I know my Windows 7 computers don't Have UEFI or secure boot.

Agree - must be a typo (surely) and only be for new devices. Interestingly this directory turned up after a clean install though (and I have a BIOS install not EFI)