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Post by alexham36 on Oct 2, 2015 14:15:40 GMT
Hi Guys,
I downloaded Win10 from Majorgeeks last night and saved it to an USB. I have installed this morning onto a empty SSD. Despite my ageing graphics card, which Win10 declared incompatible, it works, but first impressions are disappointing. I would prefer to stay with Win7 and WinSP. I have a problem in that Win10 refuses my genuine product key, so I cannot activate it. The product key is off a Win7 DVD, which was accepted before and I checked it twice. Don't know what to do next, so your guidance will be much appreciated as always. Many thanks, Alex
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Post by alexham36 on Oct 2, 2015 16:49:54 GMT
Further to earlier email, I am getting error message Code:0xc004F050 when I try to enter the product key. I have downloaded and run one "repair tool", which identified several hundred "issues" and only when I clicked on "Fix All" it asked me for $29!! So, I uninstalled it. Is there something that can do it free? Thanks, Alex
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Post by vikingken on Oct 3, 2015 1:04:46 GMT
I think to get Windows 10 free, you have to upgrade a genuine and activated copy of Windows 7 or 8. The activation number of the first OS, is then passed on to the second. If you just install it without doing an upgrade, you would need to buy an activation number. Even if you have Windows 7 or 8 installed on a computer; installing Windows 10 to a separate disk or partition, is not an upgrade and therefore requires a new activation number.
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Post by alexham36 on Oct 3, 2015 11:16:56 GMT
I think to get Windows 10 free, you have to upgrade a genuine and activated copy of Windows 7 or 8. The activation number of the first OS, is then passed on to the second. If you just install it without doing an upgrade, you would need to buy an activation number. Even if you have Windows 7 or 8 installed on a computer; installing Windows 10 to a separate disk or partition, is not an upgrade and therefore requires a new activation number. Sounds sensible, vikingken, but in that case I would not want to risk losing some of my applications that work perfectly in Win7. Also, I installed Win7 onto a 50GB partition and PCLinuxOS on another partition on the same HD. Before updating, I would want to reformat that HD and install Win7 on, say, 100GB partition before updating to Win 10. That would take many hours, because not only would I have to reinstall/download all my applications, but also to re-install Linux. A daunting prospect which I don't want to undertake at this time. Another question, if I may. Could I run Win10 "unactivated" and for how long? Many thanks, Alex
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Post by merchant42 on Oct 4, 2015 9:27:07 GMT
It'll work like a trial version of Windows 10. You'll get a limited period of time e.g. 30 days to use Windows 10 and to activate it. If you don't activate Windows 10 within that grace period, you'll be unable to use it further and you'll not be able to log into Windows 10. from this site www.askvg.com/faq-upgrading-to-windows-10-from-non-genuine-windows/
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Post by vikingken on Oct 4, 2015 9:42:56 GMT
Download and install Paragon Free from here: www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/paragon_partition_manager_express_free_edition.html
Make an image of your Windows 7 installation to an external drive, USB pen drive or something. Then you can install Paragon to Windows 10 and if you dont want it anymore, change it for your Windows 7 image. Your Windows 7 will be exactly as you had it, with all your programs, files and activated.
You can only install Paragon on a Windows partition, but you can make images of Linux partitions. Your best bet would be to make an image of the entire hard drive, then you could restore the whole thing, Windows and Linux all in one go. You can format the entire drive and install Windows 7 and Paragon, then change that for your image of the hard drive. It would only take an hour or so to do that. Once started, you dont have to do anything anyway except wait for it to finish.
Up to XP, they gave you 28 days or something to activate. When they changed the type of activation for Windows 7, it went to 3 days. I presume it will be the same for Windows 10, so not worth installing unless you intend activating it.
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Post by alexham36 on Oct 4, 2015 14:22:50 GMT
Thanks again vikingken. Interesting proposition that I am very tempted to adopt, but I don't know how to make an "image". Can you explain, please? Alex
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Post by merchant42 on Oct 4, 2015 19:18:53 GMT
If you read the help file with Paragon, it will tell you how to do it, don't worry it is not a hard thing to do
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Post by alexham36 on Oct 4, 2015 19:41:22 GMT
Thank you Merchant42. I have done that and it looks perfectly straightforward. I have also found that System Restore in Win7 has the same facility, so I am tempted to use that first. I think I should also buy a graphics card compatible with Win10 and that will enable me to update to Win10 for free. As I mentioned earlier, the partition where Win 7 is is very small - 50GB. How is this of a plan. Update Win 7 to Win10. Then make a mirror image of Win10 and plonk it on a 100GB partition on an SSD. Do you think that will work without needing fresh activation? Many thanks, Alex
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Post by vikingken on Oct 5, 2015 1:44:18 GMT
Paragon is very easy to use, even I can do it. Windows image works very well now, but I still dont trust it. Make a Paragon image before you use Windows and then you will get a second chance. As I said an image of the whole disk will put back all your partitions including the Linux ones, you cant do that with Windows.
The Paragon menu is very easy to follow, just click on a subject and a sub menu opens. Click on copy partition, or whole disk and where to save it, its as easy as that. You can set up several functions, nothing happens until you confirm and so you can change your mind if your not sure. Following the menu, will be easier than trying to follow any instructions I can give.
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Post by merchant42 on Oct 5, 2015 2:29:30 GMT
Yes that should work
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Post by alexham36 on Oct 5, 2015 14:33:18 GMT
Let's suppose that I created an image of Win 7 and saved it to an USB stick. How would I restore if the HD crashed and I had to buy a new HD. The new HD would have no O/S at all, so what would "run" the restore function. I assume that I would boot up from USB where the image file is, but that is using logic, which is not always how things work. Can you tell me what the procedure is, please? Thanks again, Alex
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Post by vikingken on Oct 6, 2015 2:48:29 GMT
Yes you can use the restore from image with the Windows 7 installation disk. This is where you might get a problem, if your going to get one.
Going the Paragon route. You would have to install Windows 7, which is only a 15 minute job and install Paragon. Then you can change that OS for the saved Paragon image. That is easier than Windows if your resizing to a bigger disk. As I said before you can reinstall a whole disk including Linux partitions and Paragon will resize each partition to fit the new disk.
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Post by alexham36 on Oct 6, 2015 11:53:57 GMT
Thanks vikingken. I will have to try that to be sure that it will work if needed. I noticed there is an option in Win10 to restore image file Win 7.
By the way, I had a look for Paragon downloads and I tried 2 part of the way, but they demanded payment. Not at the start bun at the end, so I got tired of trying pot luck.
Alex
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Post by alexham36 on Oct 7, 2015 13:56:02 GMT
Well, I bought a new graphics card - NVidia GeForce GT 730 - from Power Computing in Bedford for £50. I bought the computer from them and if anything went wrong or the graphics card proved incompatible, I could have got support. It is in the computer and working. No problems at all with Win7, but I lost the Sleep/Hibernate facility in WinXP, which will be of considerable inconvenience, because I don't want to have to go though the boot up procedure every time I want to check if I got any emails. Win 10 is working well and the monitor resolution is now 1920X1080 and the round objects are no longer oval, but I have no sound. Not sure if that is because I am running an "Unactivated" copy of Win10 or for some other reason. Strangely, Win7 "get Win10" icon still shows that my system is not compatible to update to Win 10 and it still show the old graphics card.
Finally, I have made a mirror image of Win7 and saved it on an empty partition of my SSD. I also made a new Win7 Recovery CD.
I am not ecstatic about this, but I suppose it is small progress.
Alex
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