Will I lose my programs and their respective licenses by upgrading to Windows 10? I haven't upgraded and don't really want to for these reasons. We all know about how the camera can be remotely accessed. Now the microphone will always be listening (unless the personal assistant program can be shut off or removed). One IT professional said that there is also a key logging program that tracks what you type. You need to know some programming to disable that. This version of Windows seems to be a giant spyware operating system. Lastly, I just don't like things shoved in my face! Although I suspect Microsoft will simply quit supporting the latest OS's just to get people to comply. They are that underhanded. Seriously thinking about going Apple.
I have a spare PC running Windows 8.1 and have a great deal of GOTD software on it. I thought I might allow Microsoft to install Win 10 for research purposes. It doesn't have a camera or a microphone.
Anybody know about keeping GOTD software when upgrading?
Upgrading to Win 10 question
(5 posts) (3 voices)-
tottin
MemberPosted 8 years ago # -
ChrisS
AdministratorYou should read Mikiem's posts on Windows 10. From what he says it's possible that with an upgrade you might be able to keep your existing installation as a dual-boot system. If so, you wouldn't lose anything.
If you just do an in-place upgrade you will likely need to re-register a good bit, if not all, of your software. If so, you'd lose most of the GOTD programs (some will allow you to re-install the license).
However, the recommended practice is a fresh installation of the OS which would require re-installation of the GOTD programs, meaning you'd lost them until you either bought them or they were offered again.
The games are not generally installed so you could just copy them over as needed.
Posted 8 years ago # -
tottin
MemberThanks Chris! I hadn't considered a dual-boot system. My other options are to create a system image with my Macrium Reflect program in case I need it. I've never used this program to restore before and can only hope it would work (it's the free version). If that doesn't work then I have my original Window 8.1 disc that I could use to reinstall. Hmmm....will Microsoft reactivate it?
Now do I really want to put the time and effort in? Decisions, decisions.Posted 8 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorMy other options are to create a system image with my Macrium Reflect program in case I need it. I've never used this program to restore before and can only hope it would work (it's the free version). If that doesn't work then I have my original Window 8.1 disc that I could use to reinstall. Hmmm....will Microsoft reactivate it?
The safest way I can think of at the moment is to backup win8.1 [as part of that backup, or as 2nd & 3rd backups, backup any hidden partitions -- MR seems OK with backing up everything, then restoring only 1 partition], then assuming you have the disk space, create another partition on your hard drive. You'd run a defrag to get everything moved to the front of the disk, then create the new partition out of the free space. Then you can boot to the USB stick or CD/DVD you create with Macrium Reflect, & try restoring your backup of just win8.1 to the new partition. You wouldn't want to start that copy of win8.1 -- you're just making sure MR will work for you, & you'll probably never have a better, near totally risk free opportunity to find out.
If you try that & MR didn't work, figure out why & fix it, or try another backup app. Booting to a USB stick is iffier than booting to DVD -- sometimes all it takes is the wrong brand/model of USB stick & it won't work. If the backup image you want to restore is on a USB drive you can also have problems, so you want to test that on your hardware as well. Do bear in mind that if a USB stick & USB drive work great to restore a backup to your spare PC, that does not mean that they'll work as well with any other PC/laptop/tablet.
If you don't have the disk space for another partition, think about whether or not you want to replace the drive with a bigger one, if that's possible. I'm not sure anyone knows how strict Microsoft will be in the future when it comes to the free win10 upgrade license, but from my experience & what others have posted, changing the hard drive as of the beginning of this month de-activated win10, with no recourse but buying a new license. IOW replacing the hard drive later could be more costly.
Next, either download the last Insider build ISO, or preferably wait until the big November update & download a regular ISO then. The Insider build will bug you to join the Insider Program & enable it in win10 -- if you wait a few weeks you won't have to deal with that, and you can still join the Insider program if you choose to.
When you download the ISO you can either just download an ISO & deal with it, e.g. burn to a DVD, or you can download, install, & use Microsoft's tool in win8.1, which will give you the choice of creating a bootable USB stick, saving an ISO to burn, or installing win10 then & there. You want to go with the ISO or USB stick, or maybe both in case you have trouble booting to the USB stick, since you'll have the DVD handy.
If you restored a backup to a new partition, do a quick format to clear it, then boot to the win10 setup USB stick or DVD, installing 10 fresh, preferably to the new, empty partition, but to the disk/partition with win8.1 installed if you must. That said, no one's seen the ISO that will be available after the November update -- there's a chance it will not let you install over 8.1, but make you run setup while running 8.1. If that's the case then you can choose to not keep anything from your win8.1 install, & *hopefully* it'll be almost like a fresh install. [Again, Microsoft has been changing the win10 setup, hasn't said how the November update will be delivered, only that it'll be via Windows Update, and no one knows what the new ISO setup will be like.]
When you run the win10 installation it will give you a chance to enter a key, & later a chance to use your Microsoft account with that win10 install -- skip both until you're sure 10 works on the PC. Windows 10 setup will check compatibility -- which can bring up its own issues BTW -- but there's a chance it may not run well enough that you want to keep it.
If you don't want to keep it on that PC, if you use up that win8.1 license, well you've used up that win8.1 license & can't use it later. If you associate it with a Microsoft acct., that account's records might limit you when/if you want to install win10 somewhere else, since that acct. will keep track of what's installed where, for both Windows & any store apps you get. You can add both [just enter the win8.1 key] when you're happy that win10 will work for you, with the only downside [AFAIK] that you'll then have two user accounts set up with that copy of Windows, one associated with your Microsoft acct., & one without. Note that you'll need a way to access email from that Microsoft acct. -- win10 will want to verify your identity, & one way to do that is having them send you a code to that email address.
Now booting... Adding win10 will change the boot files for your PC, that are probably stored on a hidden partition that sits before your Windows partition for 8.1. It might or might not effect other hidden partitions, & it might or might not add another hidden partition. After adding win10 you'll see a new boot menu, with the option to boot to win8.1, win10 etc. Win10 will be the new default, but if you change that [the boot menu gives you that option], it will start using win8.1 boot menu instead. None of that **should** be a problem getting into 8.1 or 10, but stuff happens, & worse case you can restore your backup of the 1st, hidden partition.
Any 8.1 options for resetting/restoring 8.1 however may no longer work, depending on if win10 setup deleted all or part of the files on 8.1's hidden recovery partition, &/or because that recovery partition has one or more new partitions in front of it, & now a menu option for resetting 8.1 for example might look in the wrong place. Use a partitioning app to see what you've got after adding 10, & decide how you want to handle it -- many people just delete their old recovery partition, adding it's space to win10's, but if win10 added a recovery partition after win10's system partition but before 8.1's recovery partition, moving 10's recovery partition & growing 10's partition gets sticky... and AFAIK no one's posted whether 10's recovery will then work. *If* any of that matters to you.
Finally, once you get set update win10 through Windows Update, separately update the store, then run Windows Disk Cleanup to take out the trash.
Posted 8 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorSeparately, why dual boot?...
You own your license to 8.1. Reports I've read posted by folks who have had 10 de-activated because of new hardware, like a new hard drive, say Microsoft told them when they called to go back to their old version of Windows or buy a new license.
Win10 may break... You have limited options to delay an update, less info on what it does, & since 10 is less widespread, it takes a bit longer for warnings to avoid an update start appearing all over the web. SO far there have been 2 major Oops that I'm aware of. In that situation you can boot to 8.1 & deal with 10 when it's least inconvenient.
Backing up & restoring that backup are faster, easier, & more efficient. Backup 10 running 8.1 & vice versa.
It takes time to set up software in 10, & not everything works. Having 8.1 as an option gives you time to find an alternative to software you need now, or wait until they update that software to work in 10.
If it turns out you loath 10, you've exercised your option for a free license, no matter how limited it is. Just because you have 10 doesn't mean you have to use it, but someday you might find that you must.
Posted 8 years ago #
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