Acer running 8.1 - options to upgrade to 10 ?

[NanLaew]

The oldest unmarried niece has asked if I can make her Acer Aspire E14 laptop go faster. I had a quick look and saw the usual clutter of browser add-ons and shonky Chinese AV stuff and thinking it was W10, gave her the quickest option of a clean reinstall which she says is fine.

 

However, I find that it's running a non-activated 8.1 instead.

 

What's the quickest/easiest and most economical get around here? Do I need to activate the 8.1 and take it from there? How quick and easy (and economical) is the subsequent leap to 10? Is 8.1 really rubbish? I only ever used it once on a laptop provided by a client back in 2015 and after a couple of days, reverted to using a alternative W7 machine.

 

I checked the Acer website and all the 8.1/64 and 10/64 drivers are there since the laptop isn't that old. It has a 500Gb HDD and there's oodles of space on both the o/s and D partitions so just need to get the garbage out first.

 

While you are pondering how I should proceed, I will go ahead and purge it of these browser add-ons she seems to have acquired and the general forensics and housecleaning.

 

Thanks!

NL

[shady86]

Just buy a cheap win 10 key from eebay and do a fresh 1809 install.

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

8.1 is not so bad. I still use it on one PC because I am too lazy to update it. And it works just fine.

 

If you want to make it faster check if it is 32bit or 64bit Windows. If it's 64bit then check if you have more than 4GB RAM. In most scenarios 8GB should be enough but 4 is often not enough.

32bit Windows does not support more than 4GB so an update is useless if you don't change Windows to 64bit.

 

You also might think about replacing the HDD with a SSD. That will make the PC a lot faster without doing anything else.

You have to clone the old HDD to a new SSD. If you don't know how to do that ask in a shop. They will likely do it for you if you buy a new SSD.

[NanLaew]

Cheap W10 keys online noted. Read all the other threads on that over the past few months so there should be no surprises there. As mentioned, the Acer support site has the full suite of drivers for all the 8 ands 10 varieties.

 

It is 64-bit with 4Gb RAM so all good there. Not sure if it will warrant an extra 4Gb even if supported.

 

I have a couple of SSD's kicking about from other laptop clones + the software and cables so that may be another DIY option and guaranteed to make an impression.

 

She's obviously used to W8.1 by now so after the cleanup and declutter, we'll see if it's fast enough.

 

Thanks for the tips.

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

It is 64-bit with 4Gb RAM so all good there. Not sure if it will warrant an extra 4Gb even if supported.

It's easy to check if you have enough RAM for whatever you are doing.

Open the Task Manager and go to the performance tab. You will see the used RAM.

Then open a few programs which you or she would normally open. The more programs you open at the same time the more RAM will be used. It you are already at the 4GB limit after opening i.e. 5 windows but you want to open 10 windows then better get extra RAM. It will make a big difference.

If you never use more than 4GB then more RAM won't make it faster.

 

The SSD will make it faster in any case.

[KneeDeep]

If it was sold with 8.1 pre-installed, the upgrade is free. 

But whatever you do, you should swap the HDD for an SSD. Since they cost as little as 700 baht, there is no reason not to do so.

I certainly would not clone the contents of the old HDD to an SSD. Clean install all the way.

 

[marcusarelus]

On 3/23/2019 at 5:42 AM, KneeDeep said:

If it was sold with 8.1 pre-installed, the upgrade is free. 

But whatever you do, you should swap the HDD for an SSD. Since they cost as little as 700 baht, there is no reason not to do so.

I certainly would not clone the contents of the old HDD to an SSD. Clean install all the way.

 

 

[Fat Prophet]

On ‎3‎/‎22‎/‎2019 at 10:55 AM, shady86 said:

Just buy a cheap win 10 key from eebay and do a fresh 1809 install.

 

 

I recently bought a 2 or 3 year old 2nd hand Asus computer for my daughter which came with Windows 8.1. Messages came that Windows would expire in April 2019, so I decided to replace/upgrade the 8.1. A company called Enterprise on Lazada sells the Windows 10 Pro key for about B100 + shipping. I ordered 2 keys and shipping was free -- B170 total for 2 keys. Can't get much cheaper than that!. I installed the 1st key on the computer with Windows 8.1. It took more than 1 hour to download Windows 10 Pro from the Store, but inputting the key was flawless, accepted by Microsoft without issue. I installed the second key on my other daughter's computer, also Asus, that had an unregistered clone copy of Windows 10 Pro. When I tried to register the key I got a message that this key had already been installed on another computer. I sent a screenshot of the message from Microsoft to Enterprise on Line, and they sent me a new key in 10 minutes. The second key was accepted without issues. That was 3 weeks ago. I got a message on Line over the weekend from Enterprise asking if my key and the Windows 10 Pro was working properly -- nice follow up by them. I highly recommend Enterprise for Windows keys. It just cannot get much easier and cheaper to get real/original installation keys for Microsoft products that this. FP 

[ThaiBunny]

On 3/23/2019 at 9:42 AM, KneeDeep said:

If it was sold with 8.1 pre-installed, the upgrade is free. 

But whatever you do, you should swap the HDD for an SSD. Since they cost as little as 700 baht, there is no reason not to do so.

I certainly would not clone the contents of the old HDD to an SSD. Clean install all the way.

In that scenario, will Microsoft regard it as an "upgrade" and therefore free? As I understand it their upgrade routine checks that Windows is already installed - if you replace the disk it won't be, and I'm not sure that model can fit two hard drives at once.  The upgrade routines often check that the hardware is essentially the same, and a hard disk replacement may not cut it.  As Fat Prophet says, a call to Microsoft is probably the least you can expect

[marcusarelus]

2 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

In that scenario, will Microsoft regard it as an "upgrade" and therefore free? As I understand it their upgrade routine checks that Windows is already installed - if you replace the disk it won't be, and I'm not sure that model can fit two hard drives at once.  The upgrade routines often check that the hardware is essentially the same, and a hard disk replacement may not cut it.  As Fat Prophet says, a call to Microsoft is probably the least you can expect

New license is like $4 dollars.  

[gamb00ler]

3 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

In that scenario, will Microsoft regard it as an "upgrade" and therefore free? As I understand it their upgrade routine checks that Windows is already installed - if you replace the disk it won't be, and I'm not sure that model can fit two hard drives at once.  The upgrade routines often check that the hardware is essentially the same, and a hard disk replacement may not cut it.  As Fat Prophet says, a call to Microsoft is probably the least you can expect

I always recommend that everyone have an external drive to use for backups.  The most flexible arrangement is to have a hard drive dock that can be used to convert almost any internal hard drive to a USB/eSATA/Thunderbolt connected external drive.

 

With an external drive the OP could replace the internal drive with an SSD, insert the old internal drive in the dock and then boot from it.  Then he could install the upgrade onto the clean internal SSD.  After completing the install copy over any applications and data files.  Test the new installation before you reformat the old hard drive and use it as a backup.

 

MSoft has a web page that may help --> LINK

 

[chrisinth]

40 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

With an external drive the OP could replace the internal drive with an SSD, insert the old internal drive in the dock and then boot from it.  Then he could install the upgrade onto the clean internal SSD.  After completing the install copy over any applications and data files.  Test the new installation before you reformat the old hard drive and use it as a backup.

In the above scenario, you would need to name the 3rd party software you would recommend for the transfer of applications. You can't just copy applications from a backup onto a new install and expect them to work. The application, unless self contained, is registered in too many places on the backup.

 

Yes it can be done, but not by copy & paste.

Edited March 24, 2019 by chrisinth

[ThaiBunny]

4 minutes ago, chrisinth said:

In the above scenario, you would need to name the 3rd party software you would recommend for the transfer of applications. You can't just copy applications from a backup onto a new install and expect them to work. The application, unless self contained, is registered in too many places on the backup.

I use PC Mover but there are others I believe.  Not sure what's available however for those who want to do it for free

Edited March 24, 2019 by ThaiBunny

[chrisinth]

25 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

I use PC Mover but there are others I believe.  Not sure what's available however for those who want to do it for free

Yep, there are a few out there. I use EaseUS Todo PCTrans. I have a Pro version, but there is also a free version. The free version is restricted to moving 2 applications according to below, but I am not sure if this is per task. I can't see the program being voided after one transfer though. Even if it was, uninstall with a dedicated uninstall program (remove all registry entries and records of initial install) and reinstall it once more should work if you don't want to pay for the pro or tech versions.

 

 

Note that you will still need the original keys for some software, some will retain registry activation information. So basically if you still have the software install packages and keys, it is probably easier to just do a new install anyway unless it is specialized software you are transferring.

Edited March 24, 2019 by chrisinth

[KneeDeep]

5 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

In that scenario, will Microsoft regard it as an "upgrade" and therefore free? As I understand it their upgrade routine checks that Windows is already installed - if you replace the disk it won't be, and I'm not sure that model can fit two hard drives at once.  The upgrade routines often check that the hardware is essentially the same, and a hard disk replacement may not cut it.  As Fat Prophet says, a call to Microsoft is probably the least you can expect

 

??

You are quite wrong about the process. It's not as unsophisticated as you seem to image.

Call from Microsoft?? What are you thinking?

 

[KneeDeep]

2 hours ago, gamb00ler said:

I always recommend that everyone have an external drive to use for backups.  The most flexible arrangement is to have a hard drive dock that can be used to convert almost any internal hard drive to a USB/eSATA/Thunderbolt connected external drive.

 

With an external drive the OP could replace the internal drive with an SSD, insert the old internal drive in the dock and then boot from it.  Then he could install the upgrade onto the clean internal SSD.  After completing the install copy over any applications and data files.  Test the new installation before you reformat the old hard drive and use it as a backup.

 

MSoft has a web page that may help --> LINK

 

 

Unnecessarily overcomplicated.

[NanLaew]

On 3/24/2019 at 8:45 AM, Fat Prophet said:

I recently bought a 2 or 3 year old 2nd hand Asus computer for my daughter which came with Windows 8.1. Messages came that Windows would expire in April 2019, so I decided to replace/upgrade the 8.1. A company called Enterprise on Lazada sells the Windows 10 Pro key for about B100 + shipping. I ordered 2 keys and shipping was free -- B170 total for 2 keys. Can't get much cheaper than that!. I installed the 1st key on the computer with Windows 8.1. It took more than 1 hour to download Windows 10 Pro from the Store, but inputting the key was flawless, accepted by Microsoft without issue. I installed the second key on my other daughter's computer, also Asus, that had an unregistered clone copy of Windows 10 Pro. When I tried to register the key I got a message that this key had already been installed on another computer. I sent a screenshot of the message from Microsoft to Enterprise on Line, and they sent me a new key in 10 minutes. The second key was accepted without issues. That was 3 weeks ago. I got a message on Line over the weekend from Enterprise asking if my key and the Windows 10 Pro was working properly -- nice follow up by them. I highly recommend Enterprise for Windows keys. It just cannot get much easier and cheaper to get real/original installation keys for Microsoft products that this. FP 

Good tip for a key source, thanks.

 

On 3/24/2019 at 8:59 AM, ThaiBunny said:

In that scenario, will Microsoft regard it as an "upgrade" and therefore free? As I understand it their upgrade routine checks that Windows is already installed - if you replace the disk it won't be, and I'm not sure that model can fit two hard drives at once.  The upgrade routines often check that the hardware is essentially the same, and a hard disk replacement may not cut it.  As Fat Prophet says, a call to Microsoft is probably the least you can expect

I have come across software that invalidates licenses when significant hardware changes are detected. Adobe is one of them. But I don't think that HHd's or SSD's are mapped hardware in that regard. Mobo swaps might kill you though.

 

On 3/24/2019 at 1:24 PM, chrisinth said:

Yep, there are a few out there. I use EaseUS Todo PCTrans. I have a Pro version, but there is also a free version. The free version is restricted to moving 2 applications according to below, but I am not sure if this is per task. I can't see the program being voided after one transfer though. Even if it was, uninstall with a dedicated uninstall program (remove all registry entries and records of initial install) and reinstall it once more should work if you don't want to pay for the pro or tech versions.

 

 

Note that you will still need the original keys for some software, some will retain registry activation information. So basically if you still have the software install packages and keys, it is probably easier to just do a new install anyway unless it is specialized software you are transferring.

I used to swear by EaseUs free disk cloning and partition management until about 3 months ago when I found their latest free version doesn't allow bootable or o/s partitions/drives to be cloned. When you try, the advice for you to buy the 'premium' version pops up. I went and dug out an older version and used that without issue to clone the o/s on and HDD to a separate SSD.

[chrisinth]

34 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Good tip for a key source, thanks.

 

I have come across software that invalidates licenses when significant hardware changes are detected. Adobe is one of them. But I don't think that HHd's or SSD's are mapped hardware in that regard. Mobo swaps might kill you though.

 

I used to swear by EaseUs free disk cloning and partition management until about 3 months ago when I found their latest free version doesn't allow bootable or o/s partitions/drives to be cloned. When you try, the advice for you to buy the 'premium' version pops up. I went and dug out an older version and used that without issue to clone the o/s on and HDD to a separate SSD.

Yeah, I have seen that with a few other programs, reducing the options and 'forcing' the user to upgrade.

 

Always a good idea to keep the installs for the older versions..........

[NanLaew]

The niece says she tried W10 about 3 months but had 'issues' and rolled it back. Since she's an impoverished student, maybe she had a shonky upgrade? Since she's comfy with 8.1 and just wants things to 'go faster', I will clone the existing o/s to an SSD and see if that tickles her fancy.

 

Thanks for all the advise and comments so far.

[JamJar]

18 hours ago, NanLaew said:

The niece says she tried W10 about 3 months but had 'issues' and rolled it back. Since she's an impoverished student, maybe she had a shonky upgrade? Since she's comfy with 8.1 and just wants things to 'go faster', I will clone the existing o/s to an SSD and see if that tickles her fancy.

 

Thanks for all the advise and comments so far.

 

 

Issues are often related to upgrades and not clean installs. 

Your plan is to clone an non-activated install of Windows 8.1?? You don't see anything wrong with that plan?

 

I think shady86 told you what to do on the 22nd. Anything else you have been doing has been a total waste of time.

Fit SSD, clean install 10 Pro. Put old HDD into external caddy. Copy over wanted data from newly created external USB HDD.

You would have been done on the same day had you an SSD to hand.

700 baht for 120 GB SSD and a couple of hundred for the Windows key. Impoverished student's problem solved for under 1000 baht.

If you are the generous uncle, perhaps splash out on a 250 GB SSD.

 

 

[tweedledee2]

   The OP should before he tries to install Win 10 verify and check for his laptops compatibility of the installation.

   I also suggest that when upgrading an HDD that you externally format and clone the new drive first, then test it by booting externally before you install it in your lap. This will save you from extra work if a transfer problem occurs. 

   I used the free version of Macrium Reflect to clone my laptop drive to a Seagate SSHD Hybrid drive last month. As the 2 drives had different GB capacity the program allowed me to allocate the amount of space I wanted in each partition, then it transferred all the data from each partition to the new drive partitions. Easy to follow instructions.

   

[NanLaew]

On 3/24/2019 at 1:26 AM, marcusarelus said:

 

That's not the same model.

 

I found a video for the right one though and it's less easy.

[NanLaew]

On 3/29/2019 at 10:26 AM, JamJar said:

 

 

Issues are often related to upgrades and not clean installs. 

Your plan is to clone an non-activated install of Windows 8.1?? You don't see anything wrong with that plan?

 

I think shady86 told you what to do on the 22nd. Anything else you have been doing has been a total waste of time.

Fit SSD, clean install 10 Pro. Put old HDD into external caddy. Copy over wanted data from newly created external USB HDD.

You would have been done on the same day had you an SSD to hand.

700 baht for 120 GB SSD and a couple of hundred for the Windows key. Impoverished student's problem solved for under 1000 baht.

If you are the generous uncle, perhaps splash out on a 250 GB SSD.

 

 

Here's a refresher, just for you.

 

It's her laptop.

 

She prefers 8.1

 

I have spare SSD's already but not as big as the 500 Gb HDD that it would be replacing. If she's anything like her mum, believe me, she'd notice that.

 

And I aint her generous uncle.

 

I managed to activate 8.1 so maybe some time down the road she will get the 89 missing Windows security updates. My time is far too precious to watch the 8.1 version of the swirling paint-drying counter.

 

Installed AVG free and Malwarebytes free and did a backflush with CCleaner free. It may be a bit faster now that I have purged some Baidu and other dodgy extensions from her browsers. But in the end, it is that fustercluck called 8.1 that she's dealing with and wants to stay with.

 

Per the earlier post, the clamshell design makes for a more a time-consuming HDD/SSD swap (remove the keyboard for access from topsides!) and as for adding another 4Gb of RAM, that means removing the mobo as the memory slots are on the underside (!)... and there's no 'hatch' on the bottom case of this little beauty. That's why I backed out of the hardware changes since HDD and RAM would best need doing at the same time.

 

Getting back to my generosity, the original HDD is 500 Gb so an equivalent SSD is around 2000 baht and maybe 1000 baht for another 4Gb or RAM. I totally agree the W10 will make her happier but I am not about selling her something that comes with the unspoken lifetime warranty of the ill-conceived generous uncle.

 

Maybe easier if I try and get her a husband. She's just turned 22 (21 in real years), just graduated, a bit of a looker and can cook decent too. Lazy bugger though. And messy, like her mum.

 

..and her laptop's rubbish.

[NanLaew]

On 3/29/2019 at 2:12 PM, tweedledee2 said:

   The OP should before he tries to install Win 10 verify and check for his laptops compatibility of the installation.

   I also suggest that when upgrading an HDD that you externally format and clone the new drive first, then test it by booting externally before you install it in your lap. This will save you from extra work if a transfer problem occurs. 

   I used the free version of Macrium Reflect to clone my laptop drive to a Seagate SSHD Hybrid drive last month. As the 2 drives had different GB capacity the program allowed me to allocate the amount of space I wanted in each partition, then it transferred all the data from each partition to the new drive partitions. Easy to follow instructions.

   

All good points. I have cloned maybe 2 dozen HD's over the years. My own laptop is on it's 4th clone/up since I got it. As mentioned earlier, this cheap clamshell style that Acer uses mandates that you should have a fail-safe clone/up. I still use an earlier version of EaseUs Partition Master which does the same as Macrium Reflect. As mentioned earlier, most of these good cloning utils have gotten smart to the huge amount of DIY upgraders and the cloning of boot or o/s partitions is only available in the paid versions.

[JaiMaai]

All good points. I have cloned maybe 2 dozen HD's over the years. My own laptop is on it's 4th clone/up since I got it. As mentioned earlier, this cheap clamshell style that Acer uses mandates that you should have a fail-safe clone/up. I still use an earlier version of EaseUs Partition Master which does the same as Macrium Reflect. As mentioned earlier, most of these good cloning utils have gotten smart to the huge amount of DIY upgraders and the cloning of boot or o/s partitions is only available in the paid versions.

Which version of Easeus, please? I might be able to find it on filehippo, oldversiob or similar

Sent from my SM-P555 using Tapatalk

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, JaiMaai said:

Which version of Easeus, please? I might be able to find it on filehippo, oldversiob or similar

Sent from my SM-P555 using Tapatalk
 

The latest version is v13. I think v10 will give you the works for free. I know v12 asks you to pay for cloning o/s partitions.

 

It's all on filehippo as you suggest.