Solved Upgrade To Windows 7

[Del 80]

Just a quick question......Macrium is telling me that Microsoft won't allow reinstalling an o/s from a USB drive.......the guy in my local computer shop says that you can do this, they do it all the time.......which is right ?............Del.

 

[Barman58]

I have found that it is dependent on the hardware, if this allows booting from a USB stick then the stick will work for install. There is of course some security in place these days to prevent the automatic boot of USB sticks to prevent malware attacks - It may be best to create a CD/DVD for the actual Macrium recovery system "disc" - which may be what macrium is warning about, (I do not personally use Macrium, so best wait for an actual user to confirm this )

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Just a quick question......Macrium is telling me that Microsoft won't allow reinstalling an o/s from a USB drive.......the guy in my local computer shop says that you can do this, they do it all the time.......which is right ?............Del.

How exactly is Macrium "telling" you this? Do you mean an on-screen message within Macrium itself? A help file? Something somebody said on the Macrium forum?

Do you mean storing a Macrium image file of the OS on a USB drive and then restoring that image?

Or do you mean outright "reinstalling an o/s from a USB drive"?

Two different things. The latter must be bootable. The former is just a storage location. A restoration of an image file is not the same as installing from scratch.


Booting from USB may not work as Barman says. Using a USB drive as a storage location works as far as I know although I do NOT personally store Macrium image files on a USB drive. I store them on a standard hard drive.

I use a burned CD as the bootable Macrium recovery disk, but I'm pretty sure some other Macrium users use a USB flash drive.

 

[Del 80]

 

[Barman58]

Del, that's not an issue - it's stating that you cannot install Windows onto a USB drive and run it from there - you can install from a USB Drive but you cannot install onto a USB Drive and run windows from the USB Drive

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Additionally, that message refers to CLONING.

Macrium can clone or it can make and restore an image. Two different functions entirely.

As far as I know, you aren't interested in cloning.

Cloning has nothing to do with making an image file and later restoring it.

Cloning is not a proper "backup" of an existing operating system installation. It's usually intended to simply transfer an installation from one working hard drive to another one--usually a new and larger one when the older one has run out of space.

 

[Del 80]

Del, that's not an issue - it's stating that you cannot install Windows onto a USB drive and run it from there - you can install from a USB Drive but you cannot install onto a USB Drive and run windows from the USB Drive

Ahhh.....I see it now....thanks for that.....another lesson learned....Del.

 

[Del 80]

Don't know how it's worked, but after backing up o/s decided to try disc borrowed from friend, while waiting for delivery from Amazon.......put disc in.....just under an hour later, I am on Windows 7 .....WITH a product key AND activated.....AND offering free upgrade to Windows 10.......how is that possible ?........just run Malwarebytes and it's all clean and green...perhaps forking out £25 on Amazon is poetic justice.......Del.

 

[torchwood]

There's 2 parts to WAT, run the Mgadiag, and check if its REGISTERED, lower part.

Roy

 

[Del 80]

Just run the Windows validation tool......it reports that Windows is genuine.....I have also seen somewhere that the update ending in 1033 will tell whether or not Windows is genuine......is that correct.....I have that update....... .Del.

 

[Del 80]

O.k some advice please......the o/s from the borrowed disc ''appears'' to be genuine, it is getting all the updates, including service pack 1.......the one I ordered from Amazon has now arrived with activation key intact.......the thing is, do I uninstall the borrowed one in case of problems down the line, and install the new one......or leave things as they are.......before the deadline in July, I am hoping to upgrade to Windows 10.........not sure what to do now !!........Del.

 

[Barman58]

I would personally not fully trust the "borrowed" copy, although it is showing genuine, Microsoft's checking system can take 90 days to actually check completely, so you could see issues down the line.

As there is no need to actually upgrade to Windows Ten, when you are ready you could perform a fresh install using the New shiny Windows 7 Key you just received from Amazon

Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First - Windows 10 Forums

 

[ThrashZone]

I'd probably just use the disk with sp1 on it
After activate with the key that came with it.
Manually install the latest windows update client
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3138612

Set the update settings to automatic schedule it to download and install on the top of the hour,
If you don't want win-10 just yet Uncheck the box to Give me recommended updates the same way as Important updates/ Save and restart the machine.

Windows should start updating on the time you chose.
Don't install any security or browse the internet until windows updates are all installed.

 

[Del 80]

O.k.......Have now installed the o/s from Amazon......two reasons really......wasn't happy about having a possible pirate copy, and don't want any problems further down the line.......had to ring Microsoft to get it activated, but was no problem......in my view you don't get owt for nowt these days.........Del.

 

[Del 80]

Since installing the ''legit'' version of the o/s, the laptop has become unresponsive, pages slow to load, intermittent internet connection......and not getting any updates......what is going on ??

 

[DavidE]

Run a System File Check (up to 3 times) to see if you have errors that can't be fixed.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

 

[Del 80]

O.k.......I now appear to have TWO versions of Windows 7.......how do I remove one of them please......Del.

 

[Del 80]

O.k .....Here's the problem.......Windows can't download updates because the recovery drive (D) is almost full.......anyone got a solution ?...........Del.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

You need to post a screen shot of Windows Disk Management again, showing these 2 versions of Windows 7.

I'm guessing you directed the second installation to the wrong partition.

May be time to start over and delete all partitions, but the screen shot would help.

 

[Del 80]

Is this what you mean ?.......