Clean install of win 10 after free upgrade?

By BorgDroneX
in The Fast Ring (Insider Previews)

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Grand Master

MikeChipshop Member

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If Microsoft is allowing us to do a clean install after we have done the free upgrade how will this work?

Will we get a download which we can save to a bootable cd?

 

Problem is nobody outside of MS knows for certain.

Grand Master

Skiver Veteran

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No they are not, if you want to do a clean install you have to buy the edition. 

 

 

Can I do a clean install using the Free upgrade?

No, it will require that you are running a previous qualifying version and start the upgrade from within the qualifying version.

 

Source

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Tomo

Posted
Posted

If Microsoft is allowing us to do a clean install after we have done the free upgrade how will this work?

Will we get a download which we can save to a bootable cd?

I'm guessing it will be using the refresh, reset and restore options http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows-8/restore-refresh-reset-pc

Grand Master

Skiver Veteran

Posted
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So if I want to replace my HD at the same time, I have to install Windows 8.1 on that first?

Hopefully they'll make an ISO available.

 

It certainly seems that way unless you buy it. Obviously the other issue is, if you buy a new HD in a few years, the upgrade won't be available so you'll be stuck back on Win 8.1.

Explorer

LeWonder

Posted
Posted

No they are not, if you want to do a clean install you have to buy the edition. 

 

 

Source

 

At the same time there:

I have multiple computers, do have to download Windows 10 on each computer?

You can download a .ISO file and upgrade each computer offline. The ISO should be available by the time Windows 10 launches.

 

So at least you will be able to boot from a CD and clear all your partitions with previous versions during setup. Hence, clean install.

So if I want to replace my HD at the same time, I have to install Windows 8.1 on that first?

Hopefully they'll make an ISO available.

 

They will. Once W10 is installed it could be reinstalled on the same machine from a scratch without any additional installations in before (https://www.neowin.net/news/windows-10-after-the-free-upgrade-you-can-perform-a-clean-install-if-needed). Changing HD is not qualified as a new machine (until you reached the limit of modification paths https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457054.aspx).

Grand Master

Skiver Veteran

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At the same time there:

 

So at least you will be able to boot from a CD and clear all your partitions with previous versions during setup. Hence, clean install.

I  guess it depends on the definition of clean install but notice the wording "and upgrade each computer offline."

 

Maybe my understanding is wrong but this suggests upgrading the active partition. A clean install to me includes deleting/formatting existing boot drives, this to me would not allow this.

Explorer

LeWonder

Posted
Posted

I  guess it depends on the definition of clean install but notice the wording "and upgrade each computer offline."

 

Maybe my understanding is wrong but this suggests upgrading the active partition. A clean install to me includes deleting/formatting existing boot drives, this to me would not allow this.

 

As it was seen from W8 installation process, setup program (whether from CD or in-place) validates activation and then you can totally clean up any storage in your system (inc. boot active HD) and install bits on to whatever disk you like. And then it applies saved activation to the installation after that. So it is basically not an upgrade per se but the transferring an activation to another install base.

 

Well, at least this was a case for W8/8.1

Grand Master

Skiver Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
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As it was seen from W8 installation process, setup program (whether from CD or in-place) validates activation and then you can totally clean up any storage in your system (inc. boot active HD) and install bits on to whatever disk you like. And then it applies saved activation to the installation after that. So it is basically not an upgrade per se but the transferring an activation to another install base.

 

Well, at least this was a case for W8/8.1

 

I see, I've always done just pure fresh installs booting from an ISO etc with my Win 8/8.1 installs so I've not really seen any of that.

 

I guess time will tell how well this will work, its all irrelevant to me as my only laptop is a work laptop and running Enterprise so an upgrade's not available and I'll still be doing a fresh install :p

Enthusiast

JakeB

Posted
Posted

It certainly seems that way unless you buy it. Obviously the other issue is, if you buy a new HD in a few years, the upgrade won't be available so you'll be stuck back on Win 8.1.

NO 

 

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2931492/windows-10-upgrade-will-allow-clean-installs-on-the-same-device-for-free.html

Grand Master

Skiver Veteran

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If you want to take PCworld as your source over MS that's fine. I'm simply quoting what MS are stating on their FAQ.

Grand Master

TAZMINATOR

Posted
Posted

If you want to take PCworld as your source over MS that's fine. I'm simply quoting what MS are stating on their FAQ.

 

PCWorld is right.... clean installs on same device after upgrade...  if you get a new device, you buy a copy unless you buy a device with pre-install Windows 10.  That's simple.

 

MS said same thing.

Grand Master

+LogicalApex MVC

Posted
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After the upgrade it will likely require "proof" that you're still eligible on a clean install. That proof may be either requiring and activated install or the product key for the previous Windows version which will be verified by MS. I'm guessing of course, but I think they'll go this route for clean installs post the initial upgrade. As it would make the experience a lot easier for everyone involved... Windows 8+ devices have the product key embedded in the BIOS so this can be read without any user prompting and only Windows 7 users would need to type anything at all.

 

Of course, this is all up in the air at the moment until we hit RTM and see what it really looks like.

Grand Master

Skiver Veteran

Posted
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PCWorld is right.... clean installs on same device after upgrade...  if you get a new device, you buy a copy unless you buy a device with pre-install Windows 10.  That's simple.

 

MS said same thing.

As I keep saying, this isn't opinion this is quoted directly from MS. As discussed above maybe the definition of clean install is too ambiguous but if you take it as its read the answer is no

 

 

Can I do a clean install using the Free upgrade?

No, it will require that you are running a previous qualifying version and start the upgrade from within the qualifying version.

 

Grand Master

George P Global Moderator

Posted
  • Global Moderator
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You can clean install when you start the upgrade, it asks you if you want to keep nothing as a choice, that's when it does a clean install.

 

Windows upgrades since Windows 7 have been clean installs really, with a final migration option post install, which sets your settings and apps back.  It's why it's done quicker compared to before where it would take hours to install and even longer to upgrade.

Explorer

marcox92

Posted
Posted

I red previous posts but difficult to predict what's coming.

Have 2 laptops, I update one to W10 using fast ring and Windows update as soon as W10 preview was available

On the second after long waiting quality reports on 1010 release led me to update it; don(t ask me why but I download the 10130 iso and update that second laptop.

 

Everything goes well as soon until I see I had ti activate the system, what <i did with the key provided by Microsoft site.

 

But now am anxious about final release; on first I guess activation will process automatically, but with the second, how will it find the original key ?

  • 1 month later...
Enthusiast

JakeB

Posted
Posted

If you want to take PCworld as your source over MS that's fine. I'm simply quoting what MS are stating on their FAQ.

PC world is taking a quote from Microsoft Product Engineer Gabriel Aul.

 

@dinchy87 @PiotrGoreckiJr You will not need your 8.1 key, the same device will reactivate once it has been successfully upgraded to 10.

Grand Master

seeprime

Posted
Posted

If Microsoft is allowing us to do a clean install after we have done the free upgrade how will this work?

Will we get a download which we can save to a bootable cd?

 

After the upgrade install Microsoft saves your motherboard information in what they call "hardware based digital entitlement". A clean install can be done only with the same motherboard. The .iso is supposed to be available for download around 2015-08-01 from the Microsoft Partner Portal. Since this system is new, make an image of each step to restore in case something goes wrong.

Grand Master

chrisj1968

Posted
Posted

No they are not, if you want to do a clean install you have to buy the edition. 

 

 

Source

 

so essentially MS lied per se? way back when they announced the release of windows 10 and that it would be "free" as un upgrade from windows 7 and 8/8.1, then they screwed us over by lying. what is actually happening is, there will be an upgrade through the reservation system or store but, no physical copy and license to reinstall should we have to. then we have to plunk down $119 for the basic release on a usb stick. 

 

My apologies to those who are loyal to MS but, once again MS is BS'ing the consumers. eventually most people will have to do reinstalls for one reason or other, it happens. But now MS has ###### on windows phone users AND Windows 10 PC users unless there is a definitive .iso file to be had that one can install on a usb key with rufus. I'm beginning to think MS hates its customers on some level. They might NOT have out right lied but they sure are misleading us because this close to release day and here we are looking at each other and wondering..

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