Windows 10 - how to make the update as painless as possible

[fohat.digs]

I have put this off for a long time, but I suppose that it is about time over the winter break.

Between me and my kids, counting laptops and desktops, we have 4 Windows 7 boxes and one 8.1, most eligible for the free Windows 10. Several things are perplexing me.

First, whenever I do an OS upgrade or re-install, I usually take the opportunity to "nuke and pave" (as my friend at Creative used to call it) and re-format the hard drive, if not replace it with a newer one. On the other computers, the OS is on the primary hard drive, but on my desktop I have a smallish SSD for the OS and program files, and a large hard drive for the rest. Every time I install Windows it creates a new directory system for things like "My Documents" and all the others, so then there are doubles with the ones on D: where I redirect them after the fact, and I have not always been able to fully consolidate them.

Will this be a forced upgrade-in-place since there is all the serial number verification and all that? I'm not sure that I can go back to my laptop's original Windows 7 install since I don't have a disk and I shrunk the partition to create a dual-boot Ubuntu partition.

Is the usual process for a "faux-clean" install to re-install 7 and upgrade from there?

[jdcarpe]

I've done two upgrades where I've made a clean install of Win7 or Win8.1, then done the upgrade. I think that, as long as you have the 7/8 license key in hand, you can do a clean install of 10 by downloading the Win10 iso.

[dgneo]

You could always upgrade to Windows 10, then just run a Reset so it wipes everything out.

Alternatively you can download the ISO, burn it, and then you'll be good to go. It checks the system based on hardware; If you've already opted into the Windows 10 upgrade on the PC you're upgrading, it'll activate fine once you do the installation and activation.

Tons of good information on this here: http://www.howtogeek.com/224342/how-to-clean-install-windows-10/

[fohat.digs]

Tons of good information on this here: http://www.howtogeek.com/224342/how-to-clean-install-windows-10/

Can't delve too deep right now, but it says that MS "checks" the hardware and keeps a record of it.

I suppose that means that if I change out the motherboard, then there will be no record associated with it in the future.

[jdcarpe]

Tons of good information on this here: http://www.howtogeek.com/224342/how-to-clean-install-windows-10/

Can't delve too deep right now, but it says that MS "checks" the hardware and keeps a record of it.

I suppose that means that if I change out the motherboard, then there will be no record associated with it in the future.

If you change the motherboard, you are always screwed, unless you have a retail license.

On a side note, when I called MS support to try and activate a "builder" key from a different PC, they told me it wasn't possible, BUT...they sold me a new Win8.1 license for only $40! You can only get that price from their support, though.

[dgneo]

Tons of good information on this here: http://www.howtogeek.com/224342/how-to-clean-install-windows-10/

Can't delve too deep right now, but it says that MS "checks" the hardware and keeps a record of it.

I suppose that means that if I change out the motherboard, then there will be no record associated with it in the future.

http://www.howtogeek.com/226510/how-to-use-your-free-windows-10-license-after-changing-your-pc%E2%80%99s-hardware/

TL;DR: Contact MS support, and they can activate the copy of Windows 10 for you.