Upgrade fails

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I tried to follow the Win10 upgrade process, first using the windows update method (which got stuck on “beginning download”), then using an .ISO (downloaded with the media creation tool) copied to an Easy2boot USB stick. A clean install was performed as soon as I selected the install partition with NO upgrade options being offered and no warning/prompt that my apps & data would be deleted (although it did say windows.old would be created). I then tried by runing setup from an expanded copy of the .ISO with identical results. All my files & apps were removed. A windows.old was created but the recovery option under settings did not list the option to roll back to Windows 7. Fortunately I was able to restrore from an image backup.
I wonder are there different versions of the .ISO available, some of which only perform clean installs, or could there be some other reason?

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Did you start the upgrade from within Windows 7? Mount the ISO and run setup from within Windows.

Oops. I forgot that you can’t mount an ISO directly in Win7. See Mount an ISO image in Windows 7, Windows 8, 10, or Vista[/url] for instructions for Win7

--Joe

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There are 3 ways to upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7.

1. By Windows Update.
2. By In-Place Upgrade Install.
3. By Clean Install.

Just to clarify, methods 1 and 2 will automatically re-use the device’s current Windows activation status and, after upgrade and connection to the internet, will create/save the info – together with a unique hardware ID for the device – as a ‘Digital Entitlement’ on MS’ activation servers.

Method 3 – as ‘clean install’ implies – will not activate the device automatically unless you have a qualifying Windows Product Key (usually found on a Certificate Of Authenticity sticker attached to the device) so make sure you have this available before you start a ‘clean install’, especially if you have a laptop.

Can anyone make out the Product Key from this burned and faded COA sticker (from a laptop I was asked to upgrade to Win 10). 🙂
44981-laptop-coa
Click to enlarge

Alternatively, save the device’s current activation status before the ‘clean install’ and restore it after the upgrade. See =Installation%20and%20Setup”]steps 4 to 6 inclusive and steps 8 to 11 inclusive in this article for more info.

Hope this helps…

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Can anyone make out the Product Key from this burned and faded COA sticker (from a laptop I was asked to upgrade to Win 10)

Wow, that COA has been through the mill!!!! Since you took a pic, have you tried the magnifier?

Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does 🙂
All W10 Pro at 22H2,(2 Desktops, 1 Laptop).

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Since you took a pic, have you tried the magnifier?

The pic itself was actually quite good quality seeing that it was taken using an 8 megapixel smartphone. I couldn’t make out the product key even after enlarging the pic but – by comparing it to other COA’s – worked out that, based on the green border at the bottom, it was most likely a version of Windows Vista, not Windows 7.

PS – “Can anyone make out the Product Key from this burned and faded COA sticker?” was rhetorical. The laptop did turn out to be pre-Windows 7, had a damaged screen and, given its age and cost of a replacement, was scrapped 2 days ago. I just took a photo of the COA to show the state of it.

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Can anyone make out the Product Key from this burned and faded COA sticker (from a laptop I was asked to upgrade to Win 10)

Why not try running Magical Jellybean key finder on the laptop:
https://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/

Jerry

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Why not try running Magical Jellybean key finder on the laptop:
https://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/

Jerry

If it’s an OEM machine then Magic Jellybean will only give the vendor’s generic key which will not be accepted.

If the Win 10 upgrade doesn’t come via Windows Updates which is unusual (I’m sick of hiding it), then use the Upgrade for free or Get started links in https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/windows-10-upgrade

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What does it give for its version when you right click on Computer and select Properties ?

If has been upgraded from Vista to Win 7 then Magic Jellybean may well give you a key that you can use.

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It certainly was in a bad state. Sounds like good detective work though.

Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does 🙂
All W10 Pro at 22H2,(2 Desktops, 1 Laptop).

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Sounds like good detective work though.

Not really. I have a couple of Windows 7 laptops and could see that their COAs looked different. I just did a search for images in Google for “Windows Vista COA” and within a few seconds found several pics of Vista Home Premium and Vista Pro that had the same green border on the bottom. 🙂

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