Thinking about switching to Windows 10? Now’s the time to do it.

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Any time between now and April 11 is a good time to make the jump. Assuming you want to, of course. Article coming in InfoWorld.
[See the full post at: Thinking about switching to Windows 10? Now’s the time to do it.]

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If you’re on Home, it doesn’t really matter :).

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I jumped on Windows 10 (1511) last July, just before Anniversary (1607) was released, and stayed on that for 7 months.  Upgraded to Anniversary in February, several months after it was designated a Current Branch for Business (CBB) release.

Will probably follow the same pattern going forward.

Windows 10 Pro x64 (1607) is the most stable Windows I have ever had.

Windows 10 Pro 22H2

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1607 is no longer offered as an upgrade for win 10 home 1511 users  by the way, its gone from my hidden updates

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You can still download the ISO here https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

You can use this page to download a disc image (ISO file) that can be used to install or reinstall Windows 10. The image can also be used to create installation media using a USB flash drive or DVD.

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Honestly am still worried from the amount of bugs it had from augast till now, 1511 so far been flawless on my laptop, would it be easy to jump from 1511 to creators update in the future? ” win 10 home user here not pro, and tyvm for the link

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If you are thinking about that jump, you should give it 4-5 months till some of the rough edges wear off Creators Update. It will probably be bumpy for a while if history serves.

There will, of course be advantages and disadvantages. But eventually you will have to upgrade to a later version. MS will retire 1511 somewhere down the road.

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yea am sure 100% they will kill by mid 2017, losing all my data due to a previous upgrade to 1607 made it like the boogie man to me

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All I can tell you is BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP. Everything under your User ID. That is SO important before you make major changes.

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AElMassry

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yea i learned that the hard way

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AElMassry, I think you should look at this site:
https://blog.juriba.com/windows-10-branching-timeline

According to that site, EOL for Win10 v1511 could be either August 2017 or December 2017 but those are just estimates until Microsoft actually makes an official announcement for the “end of servicing” for the Windows 10 November 2015 release sometime later this year.

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AElMassry

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tyvm them am sticking to 1511

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Ok the feature update 1607 is back & unhidden itself,  just found it while running windows udate hide tool right now, still honestly gonna stick to 1511

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Suggestion:
Download the 1607 ISO now and save it somewhere (DVD, flash drive). When they do retire 1511, you may not want to go to Creators Update right away, and you will have an Anniversary Update alternative .

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AElMassry

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so i go to the link u gave me & Download tool now to my usb & just keep it till this happen ? what should i do to udate with the tool instead of installing windows 10 from scratch?

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AElMassry wrote:

so i go to the link u gave me & Download tool now to my usb & just keep it till this happen ? what should i do to udate with the tool instead of installing windows 10 from scratch?

If you want to use upgrade tool, it will always install the current newest version. But I’m almost certain you can upgrade from ISO, although I’ve never done it.

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AElMassry

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See https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/thinking-about-switching-to-windows-10-nows-the-time-to-do-it/#post-105563

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I checked it doesn talk about upgrading from a version of windows to another, is it possible through USB flash drive with  iso on it?

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To upgrade under Windows 10 Pro from 1511 to 1607, I just clicked on the Win10_1607_English_x64.iso in file explorer and then clicked on setup.exe. Note that I have file explorer set to show file extensions and AutoPlay DVDs is not setup in Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\AutoPlay. So the Win10_1607_English_x64 file may just AutoPlay and run setup by default when you click on it in file explorer depending how you have things setup.

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AElMassry, PKCano

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how long does it take to upgrade from win 10 1511 home to feature update 1607, my HP is pavilion dv6-6120 ee bought it in the end of 2011, am considering upgrading today and doing system image as i type and worried about it being an old model specialy with the hardware etc, is there any thing i need to do b4 i upgrade? 1511 upgrade went real smooth back in days

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Before yo upgrade:
1. Make an image of your hard drive. If the upgrade fails, this will let you restore your present state.
2. Make a data backup of the information under your User ID, including the hidden folders like AppData. There are open files that cannot be copied in the User folder. They can cause an error if you just copy/paste and the copying process may not be complete. You can use a program to handle this. I use Karen’s Replicator with Global Exclusions enabled (so I don’t get temp files, browser cache, recycle bin, etc.).
If your upgrade is successful, you may need the User backup to be sure you don’t lose any data.
3. Count on the upgrade taking a good while (hours). You not only have the upgrade itself, you may have to reinstall some of the programs, look for drivers, go through the settings in 1607, etc. There is the possibility, if it fails, you have to restore the image. So finish everything else you have to do for the day and know you have empty time in front of you. You never know…. Good luck.

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successfully created my  installation media USB Flash drive

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Question: when i download the ISO  file to a bootable USB flash drive does get created directly in the USB or it create a file named ESD in c\windows then move it auto to the USB when the download finish? i got the USB Empty at 94 % and i c its downloaded to c\windows

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Refer to Microsoft’s Download Windows 10 webpage. Expand the Using the tool to create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) to install Windows 10 on a different PC section for help on why you would want to do things involving a USB drive. If have used the tool to create installation media on a USB flash drive successfully then just click on the drive and you should see a setup icon. Click on the icon to begin the upgrade process. You could also boot from the drive to begin the upgrade process. The same choices are possible using DVD or ISO media which the tool can write for you as well.

The tool downloads an ESD file for its own use in writing the USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO media. You cannot use that ESD file directly. If you want to obtain an ISO file instead, see my other reply below.

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AElMassry

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I followed the advice in post 105513 on 4/9/17. It does not work. One gets stuck with version 1703. Period. No choice.

Question is.. How can I move a Win 10 Home x86 machine from 1511 to 1607? Everywhere I turn 1703 rears it ugly bug infested head.

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You’re too late. Microsoft switched things around April 5.

Best way I know to get a 1607 version is to download and install a 1607 ISO. Unfortunately, you can’t get one through official channels – and you have to do a completely clean install.

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Woody,

Are you sure it is legal to upgrade from 7 or 8.1 to 10 like you mention in your article?

I know that many times in the past, Microsoft made possible technically to do things that were in fact not legal according to their license agreement. There was also a lot of people selling Microsoft licenses without having the competence to sell the right thing and ended up putting their unsuspecting clients on a path that wasn’t considered valid if you happened to have someone understand their very complex licensing scheme that a lot of people complained about but that was too lucrative to simplify.

For small business users, it can backfire if you get a call from them later and they start to get picky about these things. In the past, they also sold software assurance for Windows without verifying if the license insured was OEM or retail, so it was tied to the initial machine, thus negating the point of having software assurance and they even made some fancy documents explaining to everyone how they all got that detail so wrong, inviting them to buy a new version of Windows after having paid software assurance for years for nothing.

I would probably upgrade a few machines left on 8.1 if it is legal, but I want to be sure first.

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The download page does mention a limit. The installer works fine. I haven’t found any pronouncement from Microsoft that the free upgrade offer is over – in fact, the FAQ on the subject is very obtuse:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12435/windows-10-upgrade-faq

Is the Windows 10 free upgrade offer still available?

The Windows 10 free upgrade through the Get Windows 10 (GWX) app ended on July 29, 2016.

On the contrary, if you use any Windows assistive technologies you qualify for a free upgrade.

If you use assistive technologies, you can upgrade to Windows 10 at no cost as Microsoft continues our efforts to improve the Windows 10 experience for people who use these technologies.

The definition of “assistive technologies” varies, with some claiming that it only applies to those with disabilities that require extra help. Microsoft itself doesn’t seem to agree by explicitly mentioning keyboard shortcuts as an assistive technology.

It’s in Microsoft’s best interests to give you a free upgrade. They know that. You know that. Once you have a valid Win10 license for your machine – which happens in every upgrade scenario from a “genuine” copy of Win7 or 8.1 that I’ve seen – you have a real license.

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AlexEiffel, JohnW

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I use a larger mouse pointer.  I wonder if that qualifies? 

Windows 10 Pro 22H2

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About five weeks ago, I bought a spare HP Compaq 8000 Elite computer. I installed 64-bit Windows 7 Pro SP1 OEM (no patches or other drivers whatsoever), activated it and then
followed up with an installation of 64-bit Windows 10 Pro 1607, all completely offline. After the Windows 10 installation finished, I connected the computer to the internet
where it activated with a digital license, no fuss, no bother.

Running under Windows 7, I had mounted (using Pismo File Mount) and run setup.exe from the same Win10_1607_English_x64.iso which I downloaded from Download Windows 10 Disc Image (ISO File) and used to update my primary system from Windows 10 Pro 1511 to 1607 last year.

You can get a link, good for 24 hours, to download the ISO files from Download Windows 10 Disc Image (ISO File) if you open the url with a browser presenting a non-windows user agent. For example, in Firefox you can create a new string in a new tab opened to about:config named general.useragent.override and set it to AmigaVoyager/3.2 (AmigaOS/MC680x0). These are the particulars of the ISO file I used in both cases:

Filename: Win10_1607_English_x64.iso
File size: 4,380,387,328 bytes
Volume name: CCSA_X64FRE_EN-US_DV5
MD5: 88b98698600511dcd69596df92b242e5
SHA-1: 99fd8082a609997ae97a514dca22becf20420891

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Intel®Core™2 “Wolfdale” E8400 3.0 GHz / 8.00 GB
HP ProDesk 400 G5 SFF PC / Windows 11 Pro / 23H2
Intel®Core™ “Coffee Lake” i3-8100 3.6 GHz / 16.00 GB

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AlexEiffel wrote:

Woody, Are you sure it is legal to upgrade from 7 or 8.1 to 10 like you mention in your article? I know that many times in the past, Microsoft made possible technically to do things that were in fact not legal according to their license agreement.

I’m not a lawyer, but this is what I believe to be a fair assessment of the matter:

The license agreement only means what a judge says it means.  MS can claim whatever they want in the EULA, but  that does not automatically make it valid.  Judges throw out bits of contracts all the time, and shrink-wrap contracts specifically are largely untested and subject to question.

The fact that MS has allowed upgrades to be performed after the stated end of the promotional period certainly suggests an implied addendum to the agreement.  They very easily could cut the updates off with the press of a button, but they haven’t, even eight months later, and that indicates consent on their part.  Implied contracts can amend written ones, though in most cases it would be risky to rely upon it.  In this case, the evidence of Microsoft’s approval of the upgrade is quite strong and easily proven (the fact that they still approve upgrades now).

For all of the talk about “legal” and “illegal,” in most cases, copyright infringement by the end user is a civil offense, not a criminal one.  US law specifically criminalizes copyright infringement for the purpose of profit (this covers most redistribution), but it’s not illegal, per se, to the end user who ends up using the copyrighted material.

I have no idea what other countries’ laws say about the matter, and there may also be state laws that come into play within the US.

I’d be a lot more worried about this kind of thing if I were in charge of a business, as they make easy targets for the BSA, which makes money by predating (as in what a predator is doing) the very customers of its members.  It would certainly give me pause before I put myself in an extortionist’s crosshairs…

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AlexEiffel

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Legal? IMHO a gray area. The free offer ended, sort of. Microsoft is aware of he assistive tech workaround/loophole and how it is being used.  They are doing nothing to stop or discourage it. Frankly I wish they would stop the shenanigans and just make it free. They are begging for people to be on Win10.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12435/windows-10-upgrade-faq

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/windows10upgrade

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woody, BobbyB

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The only thing I would add to what Woody wrote is, make sure you do a good image backup of your computer before proceeding with the update. In this way, you can easily get back to your previous version of Windows if you change your mind.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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HiFlyer, AlanH, JohnW, woody, AElMassry

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woody

about this quote in your article:

If it turns out you don’t like Win10, and want to revert to Win7 or 8.1, there are some details and potential pitfalls to rolling back your upgrade, but by and large you can go back within 30 days.

this was only true with the v1507 & v1511 releases of Windows 10.
With v1607 AND the upcoming v1703 releases, the “rollback” period to revert from Win10 to Win7 or 8.1 was reduced to 10 days instead of 30.

I know because I upgraded my aunt’s Dell Inspiron 580 computer from Win7 SP1 home edition to Win10 Home edition v1607 last week (3/25/2017 to be exact) AND in the Recovery section, I had up to TEN days to decide whether to keep Win10 v1607 or revert back to Win7.

Oh and her computer is using only an ethernet/LAN connection to the internet; the provider is Spectrum (formerly Time Warner cable) and the modem is a telephony modem with only a LAN connection for one computer only – NO WiFi/wireless option on the modem whatsoever; she has a bundled cable TV/internet/phone service from Spectrum. Therefore installing/connecting a USB WiFi adapter to her computer is out of the question (unless I purchase a gateway/router device that has WiFi capabilities).

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satrow

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And here are the old articles from Winsupersite and Redmond Channel Partner sites to prove the rollback period in Win10 anniversary update was reduced from 30 days to 10 days:

http://winsupersite.com/windows-10/microsoft-shortens-recovery-rollback-period-10-days-windows-10-anniversary-update

https://rcpmag.com/articles/2016/08/05/windows-10-update-rollback.aspx

Recap: Upgrading from Win7/8.1 to Win10 RTM 1507 or TH2 1511 has a 30 day rollback period. And upgrading from Win7/8.1 to Win10 RS1 1607 (and maybe Win10 RS2 1703) has a 10 day rollback period.

For those using webcam devices, it’s best to wait for updated webcam drivers to be available that will properly work with the Win10 Creators update and not rush out to install the 1703 release (and have that release break webcam devices like what happened when the 1607 anniversary update release first came out).

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Well I can certainly understand Microsoft might be lenient because it is in their interest to do so, but at the same time they allowed the BSA to harass small to medium businesses for very minor issues like them not understanding the subtleties of the complex licensing schemes. My cousin had to deal with that in his business and he was a loyal Microsoft customer and reseller but a disgruntled employee made a complaint just to give him trouble although he is a very nice employer and he had to do so much to defend himself.

That is why I still think it is important to make sure of the legal aspects of things if you are in business and I don’t trust Microsoft at all to protect its customers from ridiculous claims of non compliance.

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