Upgrading Windows 7 > 10

[BenStark]

I finally decided to upgrade my Windows 7 to 10, I read it is still possible for free. My W7 is activated and I have the product key.

 

So I looked up instructions and downloaded the MediaCreation tool, but I get the error code 0x80072F8F - 0x20000.

 

Google tells me this is not uncommon, and I had not expected otherwise of course.

 

Applied all the possible fixes I could find on the internet, but to no avail.

 

I finally downloaded the Windows 10 ISO, but I now worry if I can keep all my programs and files using this method.

 

Will it work the same as the MediaCreation tool, and ask if I want to save everything and then enter my product key, or will this be a fresh install and I lose everything?

[ZaSu]

I normally do clean installs using that first year's  version of 10 burned onto a disk (it updates to the newest version) but I  have used it to upgrade 7 which would keep the already intalled software which needs to then upgrade themselves.

Why don't  you just save your files, do a clean install, buy a cheap MS 2019 Office key (Z2U.com is a great place for that) reinstall your legit software that you should have the keys for or retrieve them prior to doing anything.

If your are running 7 still your hard drive has to be ancient so you ought to upgrade to Solid state hard drive of which a small one is harely the cost of 3 or 4 overpriced Starbucks coffee, if that much.

Whatever you do back up your files even if you just attach and email them to yourself (poor man's cloud storage;-)

Good luck

[BenStark]

7 minutes ago, ZaSu said:

I normally do clean installs using that first year's  version of 10 burned onto a disk (it updates to the newest version) but I  have used it to upgrade 7 which would keep the already intalled software which needs to then upgrade themselves.

Why don't  you just save your files, do a clean install, buy a cheap MS 2019 Office key (Z2U.com is a great place for that) reinstall your legit software that you should have the keys for or retrieve them prior to doing anything.

If your are running 7 still your hard drive has to be ancient so you ought to upgrade to Solid state hard drive of which a small one is harely the cost of 3 or 4 overpriced Starbucks coffee, if that much.

Whatever you do back up your files even if you just attach and email them to yourself (poor man's cloud storage;-)

Good luck

My disk is a 500 GB SSD, with a OEM Gigabyte Windows 7 ultimate, but I have the product key.

 

I have no use for office, and neither interest in a fresh install, as I have too many files - programs etc installed.

 

The ISO file I have is the 2023 version

[BE88]

No chance, stay on window 7 or buy a new computer

[BenStark]

14 minutes ago, BE88 said:

No chance, stay on window 7 or buy a new computer

Maybe you can elaborate on your no chance comment.

 

The spec of my PC are much higher than needed for W10

[rabas]

Before upgrading to W10, first clone your precious W7 installation to a new disk, put the old disk in a drawer, then upgrade the cloned disk. This way you can easily revert back when things go bad, and, you have a full data and OS backup. 

 

Good luck. After decades of Win pain, I switched to Linux but maintain my old Win 7 installation on a dual boot system in case I must use Windows.  But its not for everyone.

[NextG]

Upgrade is perfectly plausible. Ignore the naysayers. 
You just have to run the upgrade by double clicking on the Setup file within the Windows 10 installation media. 
 

Take the ‘belt & braces’ approach to ensure activation(with any kind of install) by using the ‘gatherosstate’ method to back up your activation details. 
 

 

[NextG]

Short replies, so I don’t get signed out during…

 

You won’t be asked for a product key during upgrade. Your Windows 7 install isn’t activated by a product key in the first place. 
 

[BenStark]

3 minutes ago, NextG said:

Upgrade is perfectly plausible. Ignore the naysayers. 
You just have to run the upgrade by double clicking on the Setup file within the Windows 10 installation media. 
 

Take the ‘belt & braces’ approach to ensure activation(with any kind of install) by using the ‘gatherosstate’ method to back up your activation details. 
 

 

What is the Windows 10 installation media?

 

If you mean the MediaCreation Tool, that isn't working, and the reason for the OP

[BenStark]

3 minutes ago, NextG said:

Short replies, so I don’t get signed out during…

 

You won’t be asked for a product key during upgrade. Your Windows 7 install isn’t activated by a product key in the first place. 
 

Then how Windows 10 will be activated?

 

I know that the MediaCreation tool asks for the product key

Edited July 16, 2023 by BenStark

[NextG]

Follow ONLY steps 4, 5 & 6 here: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/23354-clean-install-windows-10-directly-without-having-upgrade-first.html

 

This is just what you might need if you ever decide to run a clean install at some point. Store the Genuine Ticket someone safely in the cloud or on an external drive. It’s not need for the upgrade. 

[NextG]

2 minutes ago, BenStark said:

What is the Windows 10 installation media?

 

If you mean the MediaCreation Tool, that isn't working, and the reason for the OP

What you have downloaded…

[KannikaP]

Why not go the whole way and install W11.

The installation criteria can easily be bypassed.

Edited July 16, 2023 by KannikaP

[h90]

First of all make a complete backup.....

Even better buy a complete new SSD and take out the old one before the upgrade...

If everything is broken and gone, you can go back to what you have.

 

If it is me, I would buy a new SSD, take out the old one.

Make a fresh install of Win10 on the new SSD install what I need.

Put in the old SSD so I can dual boot in case I forgot something.

 

Upgrade and keeping everything without a backup is digital russian roulette

[NextG]

1 minute ago, BenStark said:

Then how Windows 10 will be activated?

 

I know that the MediaCreation tool asks for the product key

Do you want to try to discuss the ins and outs of Microsoft activation methods or do you want to just get on with it? It’s an upgrade from a genuine product, that’s what happens. 

[NextG]

Just now, KannikaP said:

Why not go the whole way and install W11.

For what reason?

[BenStark]

3 minutes ago, NextG said:

Follow ONLY steps 4, 5 & 6 here: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/23354-clean-install-windows-10-directly-without-having-upgrade-first.html

 

This is just what you might need if you ever decide to run a clean install at some point. Store the Genuine Ticket someone safely in the cloud or on an external drive. It’s not need for the upgrade. 

I just clicked on that link and it tells me it's a clean install, which I understand as not an upgrade, so I lose all files or have to reinstall everything.

 

Right?

[h90]

21 minutes ago, rabas said:

Before upgrading to W10, first clone your precious W7 installation to a new disk, put the old disk in a drawer, then upgrade the cloned disk. This way you can easily revert back when things go bad, and, you have a full data and OS backup. 

 

Good luck. After decades of Win pain, I switched to Linux but maintain my old Win 7 installation on a dual boot system in case I must use Windows.  But its not for everyone.

I keep a more conservative Win10 for office where I don't install anything that is not absolute necessary and Win10 for installing other software...that I can reinstall after it is messed up....using a debloated superlite win 10 version.

Linux in the office is not easy to use......but use it for other purposes (3D printer)

[BenStark]

2 minutes ago, NextG said:

For what reason?

Because in every topic he wants to push his own, often silly and wrong, opinions, instead of answering the OP.

 

I have this troll on ignore already

[NextG]

2 minutes ago, h90 said:

First of all make a complete backup.....

Even better buy a complete new SSD and take out the old one before the upgrade...

If everything is broken and gone, you can go back to what you have.

 

If it is me, I would buy a new SSD, take out the old one.

Make a fresh install of Win10 on the new SSD install what I need.

Put in the old SSD so I can dual boot in case I forgot something.

 

Upgrade and keeping everything without a backup is digital russian roulette

I’m a fan of a clean install. I would do the same. New SSD are relatively inexpensive these days. But if he’s on Windows 7, he clearly suffers from inertia ☺️
 

[KannikaP]

4 minutes ago, NextG said:

For what reason?

Up to you. I like w11 on both my PCs with no problems whatsoever.

Why use a 10 year old OS when you can have the latest.

[bubblegum]

 

Your  Windows key is "planted"in the pc your running i on so no key should be asked.

[onthedarkside]

A reported troll post has been removed along with replies and some bickering

[WorriedNoodle]

46 minutes ago, BenStark said:

The spec of my PC are much higher than needed for W10

So why not install Win11, Win10 is obsolete?

[NextG]

8 minutes ago, WorriedNoodle said:

So why not install Win11, Win10 is obsolete?

Why not post the upgrade path from Windows 7 to Windows 11 for the OP?

[Hamus Yaigh]

9 hours ago, BenStark said:

will this be a fresh install and I lose everything?

I am curious as to what people can do on a Win7 PC these days? A cheap Android phone can be more productive?

 

Win7 is nearly 14 years old o/s? I am guessing people on Win7 are just surfing the net, using office docs and maybe running some ancient 32-bit architecture software? Most of this won't work on latest Windows and you need Win11 not Win10. Make a back up of all your data (which you should do anyway) and then install Win11 fresh.

[NextG]

1 minute ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

I am curious as to what people can do on a Win7 PC these days? A cheap Android phone can be more productive?

 

Win7 is nearly 14 years old o/s? I am guessing people on Win7 are just surfing the net, using office docs and maybe running some ancient 32-bit architecture software? Most of this won't work on latest Windows and you need Win11 not Win10. Make a back up of all your data (which you should do anyway) and then install Win11 fresh.

Not helpful nor accurate..

[OJAS]

50 minutes ago, NextG said:

For what reason?

IMHO one good reason for the OP to go the whole way now and install Windows 11 is that Microsoft will be pulling the plug on supporting Windows 10 on 14 October 2015:-

 

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-10-home-and-pro

 

[novacova]

I would suggest removing the hdd and install the os on a separate drive. This way you won’t lose anything. You can access the files on the old hdd using an external drive adapter. And if for some reason you need to run software on w7os that won’t operate on a later os/w10 or w11, then you can slip the drive in the pc and run it.

[NextG]

2 minutes ago, OJAS said:

IMHO one good reason for the OP to go the whole way now and install Windows 11 is that Microsoft will be pulling the plug on supporting Windows 10 on 14 October 2015:-

 

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-10-home-and-pro

 

So post the upgrade path from Windows 7 to Windows 11…

I generally think BEFORE I post. 
 

Hint: There isn’t a free upgrade path direct to 11. You have to upgrade to 10 firstly. 
I’ve learned to not over-complicate matters for people here. Even if you make it childlike simple, they still question everything and over-complicate it for themselves.