Windows 10 upload

[elgordo38]

I have a legal Windows 7 Asia program on my computer. Last year while loading torrents my computer was hijacked and they wanted me to deposit 150 Euro's to some account. I called my computer guy and he deleted the C drive where the virus was and reloaded it off of my computer disc and I was back in business. Now I think when he reloaded the C drive he somehow deregistered my Windows 7 registration because the upgrade notice to Windows 10 has not shown up on this computer but has on the other two but I still get notices of updates being performed. Is there somewhere where I can register my computer for the upload? While on the subject what do you TV'ers think about Windows 10 go for it or not? Thanks guys for all the advice on my camera I think 1 answer will solve the problem floating dirt inside blocking the lens opening. It was what I was suspecting. Off to the camera store for a cleanout.

[Stan42]

I have an original copy of windows 8, quite a few weeks ago I got a notice from microsoft asking me if I wanted to reserve a copy of windows 10 free of charge. I took the time to fill out what they required and it will be available as a free download once it's out. Here's hoping windows 10 won't be full of nice but useless eye candy as windows 8, and will go back to the bare roots like windows XP.

[RichCor]

If you are currently running Windows 7 (SP1), then check to see if Windows Update is running and current. Windows Update will let you know if your PC is running with a valid registered license or not. Also, Windows Update is the source of the offer for reserving your free copy of Windows 10 Upgrade, will be the delivery mechanism.

1. START -> Control Panel -> Windows Update

It should report:

Most recent check for updates: date

Updates were installed: date

You receive updates: For Windows and other products from Microsoft Update

Press the "Check for updates" button if the dates aren't relatively current

2. Alternatively, go to the START Menu and type: Activate Windows

3. Alternatively, you can validate online with a visit to: www.microsoft.com/genuine/validate

the website will run a script and possibly direct you to download and run validation/registration check software.

4. Yet another way to check for genuine Windows 7 is to go to the Control Panel. Click on Start, then Control Panel, then click on System and Security, and finally click on System.

Then scroll all the way down to the bottom and you should see a section called Windows activation, which says “Windows is activated” and gives you the Product ID. It also includes the genuine Microsoft software logo.

IN REALITY...

Users should really wait a month or so after Windows 10 becomes generally available beginning July 29th.

See what other users are reporting, what issues are being encountered, wait for patches to be rolled out and the OS to become stable before initiating the upgrade yourself.

Also, make a FULL DRIVE IMAGE of your current install including OS, Settings, Applications and Data to a separate backup drive before you upgrade, in case you need to do a rollback or the update process clobbers something important.

[thierryviteau]

Any copy of windows 7 will be upgraded to windows 10, so just wait/

[chrisinth]

If you are currently running Windows 7 (SP1), then check to see if Windows Update is running and current. Windows Update will let you know if your PC is running with a valid registered license or not. Also, Windows Update is the source of the offer for reserving your free copy of Windows 10 Upgrade, will be the delivery mechanism.

1. START -> Control Panel -> Windows Update

It should report:

Most recent check for updates: date

Updates were installed: date

You receive updates: For Windows and other products from Microsoft Update

Press the "Check for updates" button if the dates aren't relatively current

2. Alternatively, go to the START Menu and type: Activate Windows

3. Alternatively, you can validate online with a visit to: www.microsoft.com/genuine/validate

the website will run a script and possibly direct you to download and run validation/registration check software.

4. Yet another way to check for genuine Windows 7 is to go to the Control Panel. Click on Start, then Control Panel, then click on System and Security, and finally click on System.

Then scroll all the way down to the bottom and you should see a section called Windows activation, which says “Windows is activated” and gives you the Product ID. It also includes the genuine Microsoft software logo.

IN REALITY...

Users should really wait a month or so after Windows 10 becomes generally available beginning July 29th.

See what other users are reporting, what issues are being encountered, wait for patches to be rolled out and the OS to become stable before initiating the upgrade yourself.

Also, make a FULL DRIVE IMAGE of your current install including OS, Settings, Applications and Data to a separate backup drive before you upgrade, in case you need to do a rollback or the update process clobbers something important.

Good post RichCor...........

In addition, if the OP is receiving updates the Windows update you should look for is KB3035583, this is the one that installs the update registration icon in the notification area of your taskbar. If you are not receiving updates but would still like to install it, see note at the bottom.

If like me, this annoys you, (when you eventually get it......... ) to get rid of it, right click on an empty space on the taskbar and click Properties.

On the Taskbar tab click on Customize beside Notification area.

Look in the list for the icon GWX and select Hide icon and notifications from the dropbox to the right. Click OK. Make sure the 'Always show all icons and notifications on the taskbar' isn't checked before clicking OK.

NOTE: If you want to manually install the update (ie, not use Windows Update) the link is:

http://download.windowsupdate.com/c/msdownload/update/software/updt/2015/03/windows6.1-kb3035583-x86_457fc816e5855c206303bfe9ed14240eb701e5d2.msu

[thedemon]

You’re not alone in this dilemma and I think in the next few weeks a lot more people with OEM Windows 7 installations will be asking the same question. While Microsoft have said that genuine installations of both Win 7 and 8 qualify for the free upgrade to Win 10, activation on 7 and 8 is handled very differently.

With OEM Win 8/8.1 there is unlikely to be an issue because those machines utilize unique 25 digit SLP keys that are read from the UEFI BIOS so it doesn’t matter whether the original installation remains or not. Even if the HDD/SSD is swapped out completely, it is still possible to reinstall 8/8.1 from scratch without knowing the Windows product key and have the machine activate automatically. Therefore it seems logical that Windows 10 will be able to install and activate in the same way though it may require that Win 8/8.1 is present and activated during the initial upgrade to 10.

However Win 7 is different. Though there may be generic OEM SLP keys stored in the BIOS they only identify the machine as genuine OEM and are not unique and so a reinstall of the OS requires entering a product key which on laptops usually can only be found on the COA sticker affixed underneath the machine. In many (maybe most) cases that sticker is no longer legible. Once that number is lost and you try to recover it, Microsoft will just refer you back to the OEM who can’t or won’t give it to you.

If your original Win 7 installation is still intact (and updated) then the in place upgrade should go smoothly and in any case it is possible to extract the original product key from Windows. But I would think that many users would have reinstalled since then and most wouldn’t have recorded the product key in a safe place. Anyone that has had Win 7 reinstalled by a repair shop in Thailand is very likely to no longer have a genuine installation.

There are discussions on various forums about whether OEM machines that have the OEM SLP markers (showing that they did originally come with genuine Win 7) but which are now using activation bypass hacks will be allowed to pass as genuine. Some people don’t want to wait until July 29 to find out because before then they have the option of joining the Insider’s program and remaining activated on final release that way, but after July 29 likely not.

If you’re in this situation with Win 7 where even after installing all updates the Win 10 upgrade icon still hasn’t yet appeared, there are various methods of attempting to force it which includes a genuine validation check.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-win_upgrade/i-want-to-reserve-my-free-copy-of-windows-10-but-i/848b5cce-958b-49ae-a132-a999a883265b?auth=1

The above thread has this link to a great little utility to check for you: https://www.dropbox.com/s/0u0au9xgy6ss18p/win10fix_full.zip?dl=0

Whether having the icon appear means that Win 10 will definitely be upgraded and genuinely activated come July 29, I don’t know. Hopefully yes.

[Chicog]

Any copy of windows 7 will be upgraded to windows 10, so just wait/

Any legal copy

[thailandforumaddict]

Clearly wrong.

I have 5 computers with different illegal copies of windows 7 and they all are ready to upgrade to windows 10 with the icon in the system tray.

It's clear that ANY COMPUTER with ANY COPY of windows 7 or 8 will be upgraded for FREE.

Any copy of windows 7 will be upgraded to windows 10, so just wait/

Any legal copy

[RichCor]

< snip >

4. Yet another way to check for genuine Windows 7 is to go to the Control Panel. Click on Start, then Control Panel, then click on System and Security, and finally click on System.

Then scroll all the way down to the bottom and you should see a section called Windows activation, which says “Windows is activated” and gives you the Product ID. It also includes the genuine Microsoft software logo.

re Product ID: 00426-OEM-8992662-00497

I should probably add that some Windows 7 installs will inaccurately display a Product ID along with a "genuine Microsoft software" logo if the PC was activated using a blacklisted Lenovo product key or if authentication method has been hacked.

The REAL TEST of a Windows 7 genuine install is a fully functioning Windows Update showing current updates. This is a good indication that your system is genuine and therefore eligible for the Windows 10 upgrade.

Don't know or have your Windows 7 install product key (ie: CD-Key)?

There are several applications available on the 'net that will locate and display it for you. A good idea to have your install keys if you ever need to do a fresh install of Windows 7 -or- want to do a fresh install of Windows 10 when it becomes available.

...I like to use MagicJellyBean KeyFinder ...or the SourceForge fork: Enchanted Keyfinder

**Some AntiVirus will detect 'keyfinders' as Win32/PSWTool.RAS.A application (A potentially dangerous application) and block its download or launch *because* it can recover your product key.

[chrisinth]

Clearly wrong.

I have 5 computers with different illegal copies of windows 7 and they all are ready to upgrade to windows 10 with the icon in the system tray.

It's clear that ANY COMPUTER with ANY COPY of windows 7 or 8 will be upgraded for FREE.

Any copy of windows 7 will be upgraded to windows 10, so just wait/

Any legal copy

It will actually be interesting to see how Windows 10 deals with the installations that have been 'fixed' with software such as Toolkit, Loader, etc, etc. As mentioned earlier by thedemon reference SLP markers.

Anyway, each to his/her own. I personally will not be upgrading, as this method of updating the operating system has a tendency to seat the rubbish that is already in your computer on a new OS.

Much better to do a backup followed by a clean install. Yes, takes more time but also gets rid of the garbage...............

What you think is a clean computer, if connected to the internet and accessible by external media, generally isn't regardless of your anti virus/spam/malware programs.

[thedemon]

Clearly wrong.

I have 5 computers with different illegal copies of windows 7 and they all are ready to upgrade to windows 10 with the icon in the system tray.

It's clear that ANY COMPUTER with ANY COPY of windows 7 or 8 will be upgraded for FREE.

In a way yes because MS have already stated that pirated versions of Win 7/8/8.1 will be able to upgrade to Win 10.

But they have also said that those installations that were non-genuine due to activation tampering will still be considered non-genuine after upgrading to Win 10. They won't say though, what the implications of that may be.

You could argue that all versions of Windows are already free because there are widely known exploits that allow them to be used without hindrance and without paying. Probably 95% of PC's in Thailand fit that in that group and no doubt there will continue with Win 10.

[properperson]

Clearly wrong.

I have 5 computers with different illegal copies of windows 7 and they all are ready to upgrade to windows 10 with the icon in the system tray.

It's clear that ANY COMPUTER with ANY COPY of windows 7 or 8 will be upgraded for FREE.

Any copy of windows 7 will be upgraded to windows 10, so just wait/

Any legal copy

what about XP ??? (copy or legal)...

[Chicog]

I doubt it. XP is no longer supported.

[mesquite]

"While on the subject what do you TV'ers think about Windows 10 go for it or not?"

Don't go for it. Get a Mac and be done with it. You'll probably get your computer hijacked with 10 just like you did with 7.

[keeniau96]

MS has stated that WinXP will not be eligible for the Win10 update.

Linux Mint just announced the release of v.17.2 (Rebecca) in both Cinnamon and MATE versions. Great alternative to the Windows hassles.

[lostinisaan]

Clearly wrong.

I have 5 computers with different illegal copies of windows 7 and they all are ready to upgrade to windows 10 with the icon in the system tray.

It's clear that ANY COMPUTER with ANY COPY of windows 7 or 8 will be upgraded for FREE.

Any copy of windows 7 will be upgraded to windows 10, so just wait/

Any legal copy

Instead, those running a pirated copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 will be upgraded to a non-genuine copy of the latest operating system, Windows 10.

The Redmond technology firm defines non-genuine as any copy of Windows which has not been "properly installed, licensed" or may have been "tampered with".

The unlicensed install of Windows 10 will have a "desktop watermark to notify the user".

http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/578050/Windows-10-pirates-pirated-operating-systems-free-upgrade-genuine-non-genuine-explained

[Chicog]

"While on the subject what do you TV'ers think about Windows 10 go for it or not?"

Don't go for it. Get a Mac and be done with it. You'll probably get your computer hijacked with 10 just like you did with 7.

Yes, I strongly recommend that inexperienced users go for a Mac.

If nothing else, it stops us having to answer dumb questions from people who haven't got a clue about computing.

[Chicog]

MS has stated that WinXP will not be eligible for the Win10 update.

Linux Mint just announced the release of v.17.2 (Rebecca) in both Cinnamon and MATE versions. Great alternative to the Windows hassles.

Great advice if you're running XP, especially if you don't want to spend any money.

And Linux runs well on poorly spec'd legacy hardware, too.

[elgordo38]

"While on the subject what do you TV'ers think about Windows 10 go for it or not?"

Don't go for it. Get a Mac and be done with it. You'll probably get your computer hijacked with 10 just like you did with 7.

Yes, I strongly recommend that inexperienced users go for a Mac.

If nothing else, it stops us having to answer dumb questions from people who haven't got a clue about computing.

Hey play nice now help your ignorant fellow man with your superior knowledge. Someone could be watching you and assessing you and your ticket through the Pearly Gates may just hinge on how nice you play on TV. They may appear to be dumb questions to you but to us aging Hippies they are real pleas of help. Please do not apologize I know now that your sorry for saying this. P.S. I have 3 computers now none of which are Mac's. Sorry they are to expensive for my beer tastes. Oh shucks I quit drinking.

Edited July 4, 2015 by elgordo38

[relocate]

just follow this link, scroll down and select your download to get your copy of W10 insider preview. With this installed you will be prompted to updated to the completed edition once released at the end of this month.

I have tested it and it is a little too slow for me. If tested on a tablet PC and virtual machine on my main PC. For me windows 7 is best as it is fast and compatible with all the software I use.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preview-iso

And to anyone that is thinking "tested on Virtual machine! that is why it was slow". No I allocated it over 8gig of ram and I am running 32 gig of ram on my main PC so Ram, HD space was not the issue.

As usual with any product you are best to wait until a few service packs have come out. There is always going to be issues and security flaws in new releases.

[Chicog]

just follow this link, scroll down and select your download to get your copy of W10 insider preview. With this installed you will be prompted to updated to the completed edition once released at the end of this month.

I have tested it and it is a little too slow for me. If tested on a tablet PC and virtual machine on my main PC. For me windows 7 is best as it is fast and compatible with all the software I use.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preview-iso

And to anyone that is thinking "tested on Virtual machine! that is why it was slow". No I allocated it over 8gig of ram and I am running 32 gig of ram on my main PC so Ram, HD space was not the issue.

As usual with any product you are best to wait until a few service packs have come out. There is always going to be issues and security flaws in new releases.

I find it much faster than Win7 except for the time it takes to open explorer windows, especially on network shares.

So I added that to feedback.

[thedemon]

So it's looking like the doubters (including myself) were wrong and all those that said the non-genuine installations would get the same upgrade as the genuine ones are right. I have now done several upgrades on win 7, 8 & 8.1 with the (apparently) leaked RTM that has been out there for a few days.

At least in the case of OEM upgrades, the original product keys don't appear to matter. Whether installed with a genuine win 7 or 8/8.1 UEFI key, after the upgrade they all have either of the same 2 generic win 10 product keys which seem to act only as a placeholder determining the version - Home or Professional.

As long as the upgrade process determines that the original installation is "activated" then a unique Hardware ID is generated and recorded on MS servers as corresponding to either win 10 Home or Professional. From then on you are free to do a clean install of win 10 and without inputting any keys or other information, it will automatically activate.

Even on a machine with Win 8.1 UEFI key I have tried doing a clean install of win 10 from scratch but it won't activate. But do a quick install of win 8.1 first, then 10 over the top of that and then try the clean install again and it activates immediately.

Another interesting thing I noticed is that it doesn't matter whether the original win 7/8/8.1 has been updated or not. For example, I took an old Surface Pro that had been factory reset to win 8 and never updated. The win 10 upgrade installed over that without complaint. This is good because it means that for anyone intending to do a clean install there is no need to waste hours getting all the updates in place before the initial required but unwanted upgrade.

Perhaps it's possible that after the 29th July those currently activated win 10 installations will lose their genuine status. Will have to wait a couple of days and see. It all seems a bit too easy.

[BB1950]

Please be aware that you cannot use the free upgrade offer to perform a clean install on first attempt. You must first upgrade from the qualifying version of Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 (whether you do it through Windows Update or using the .ISO file). Ensure the upgrade is completed successfully and then ensure that it is activated.

ref: http://answers.micro...aa-7d936a9a0b88

My guess is after it's activated, It uses the same Product Key that was used when you installed your Windows 7/8.1 as the unique Hardware ID is assigned to that Product Key on the Micorsoft servers. If in doubt you can always contact Microsoft Thailand as they are very helpful.

Edited July 28, 2015 by BB1950

[speedtripler]

As far as I have seen, even a non genuine copy of win 7 or 8 could still be upgraded to the insider preview and now the full version 10

If they wanted to make it difficult they could have done so via distribution by dvd or ask for credit card to charge for the download link but it's deliberately easy to click +upgrade

Piracy will always exist to some degree (esp in Asia) and they could easily send a virus to every machine with non genuine software but it would cause worldwide chaos and disruption sinxe many of the ninja genuinely purchased keys may be genuinely purchaaed to some companies or hacked from legitimate organisations like schools and hospitals etc

They have probably

analysed the issue and decided the shitstorm/backlash is not worth the hassle to disable some non genuine copies and the people who are using a pirate copy will probably go get another pirate copy anyway rather then sending a few hundred bucks to m$ anyway so it's a lose/lose situation to even try

[NeverSure]

Delete.

Edited July 30, 2015 by NeverSure

[NeverSure]

_{OK, I'm doing it. I said I wouldn't for a few months and let others be the testers but... Here's my drill:}

_{I cloned my HDD to a USB external so I can pop that HDD into my box and be back where I started if needed. My internal HDD is actually the Samsung 850 EVO 500GB SSD so I would have to clone again to get it working if needed. No biggie.}

_{I went to Windows Update, checked for updates and it offered me Windows 10. It is downloading and I'll let you know how it does.}

_Cheers