Windows 10: upgrade information

ignatzatsonic said:

Slartybart said:

Keep in mind that you can do both, keep your current system and get the free upgrade..............Basically, you would create an system image (a partition backup) of your machine with the current OS just the way you like it. Then upgrade to Win10 and create another system image with the machine upgraded to Win10. The two images allow you to switch back and forth by restoring the image.

By my reading, that implies that the "free upgrade" will not be available as a DVD or ISO that can be "clean installed" on bare metal by anyone who is a legit owner of so-called "retail" Windows 7 and has the relevant Product Key.

Is that what you mean and is that known for a fact? Any links re that specific point would be appreciated.

That is also my understanding - it is an upgrade though some distribution cahnnel (WU, Anytime upgrade, or MS Store / catalogue ESD). I don't know if there will be an upgrade disc - probably, or how that disc would take advantage of the free upgrade offer.

edit: There will be a disc since you'll have to purchase Win10 if you don't take advantage of the free offer during the time it is offered. So - I answered my own question - yes, there will be a disc - no it will not be free.

But yes, the free upgrade in itself is not for a clean install. There are some smart folks around here that can help convert a WIM or ESD to an installable ISO, but going from Win7 to Win10 will also require some WU work prior to the upgrade. Win8 might also have some WU pre-reqs, just fewer.

I'll try to locate some links, but this is fairly new information. MS announced it in the Win10 Briefing on 21 Jan.
Here's the video: Windows 10: The Next Chapter

Lots of marketing and building excitement in the briefing.
There might not be any hard information about the free upgrade path on pages until they work things out.

Other information:
https://insider.windows.com/
Blogging Windows

groze said:

Slartybart
On Windows 7 sister forum windows 10, it has been reported. You have to start the free upgrade using Window 7 or 8.1 via windows update but you should have an option to do a clean install. My question becomes, since your drive got to be formatted or deleted where does Microsoft store the installation files when doing a clean install.

Myself, I would prefer upgrading using a windows 10 operating system using a dvd or usb 2.0 flash drive. I am not going to worry about any of this because I am not upgrading at this time.

Thanks, Win8 and Win10 are a bit different from Win7 with regards to Repair Installs and clean installs.

Refresh = Repair install
Reinstall = Clean install

These are governed by the OS and controlled through Recovery. Once you have Win10 installed, sure ... the same options will be available.

I'm not sure if I follow your question.
When you upgrade, Windows will create the partition structure it needs. The Recovery information might be encrypted on a reserved partition. I'm not sure on those details (partition, encryption) but essentially Win8 and Win10 are self healing.

edit:There are other mechanisms on those OSes that aid in Recovery.
If catastrophe strikes and you lose your HDD, you can, in theory - I haven't tested it, recover your system using those additional Recovery features.

The same structure would be created on a clean install.

I don't want to cloud the free upgrade with a clean install. It would be difficult for MS to differentiate between an upgrade and clean install from a disc install (you would have to buy the disc - so it's no longer free).

I think the key distinction is that the free offer is time limited. Only by offering a downloaded upgrade can MS define the end of the offer. Sure, there could be checks and balances if someone acquired a disc and tried a free upgrade, but.... that is another piracy issue. Easier to only offer the upgrade though a particular channel.

Bill
.

Slartybart said:

But yes, the free upgrade in itself is not for a clean install. There are some smart folks around here that can help convert a WIM or ESD to an installable ISO, but going from Win7 to Win10 will also require some WU work prior to the upgrade. Win8 might also have some WU pre-reqs, just fewer.

Imagine it's a year from today. Win 10 has been released. The "free upgrade" offer is in effect.

You've got a pile of new unused parts on your desk and intend to build a new PC running Win 10.

You want a clean install if at all possible.

What's the method?

Build, install retail Win 7, and then "upgrade" to 10 via Windows Update? No free-standing ISO that could be burned and installed directly, no DVD disc. Any later reinstallation due to failed hardware would be limited to image restoration or something similar since you don't and won't have an ISO/DVD?

Is that presumed to be the nearest thing you can get to a clean install on new hardware without paying?

In that scenario, can the retail Win 7 ever be activated on another unrelated pile of hardware, for instance as a "backup" PC?

Offhand, it looks like I may well prefer to pay to get a DVD/ISO that can be clean installed and readily re-installed, rather than use the "free upgrade".

Or does all of this remain a gray area, with no known answers as yet?