When Windows 10 was first officially released just under a year ago, I didn't want to be bothered dealing with it, as I had only recently moved to Windows 8.1 on a new laptop, and was (and still am) content with that.
As I've been able to reconstruct it from the emails I received from Microsoft, I had somehow "reserved" my copy of W10, and was told that, "After July 29, when Windows 10 is ready for your device, it will download in the background. You’ll then get a notification to schedule your upgrade right away or at another time that’s convenient for you."
That would have been fine with me. But I've never actually gotten that download. That might be due to my having installed a utility called "GWX control panel" as a means of (as I recall) preventing being nagged to upgrade, and to insure that nothing was updated without my knowledge. (And because the bright white MS icon was distracting.)
It's also possible that I deleted, uninstalled, or hid the Windows Updates related to W10, notably KB3035583 and KB2952664.
I'm still not interested in upgrading to W10, but (as I understand it) the window for the "free" upgrade closing as the 1-year mark for W10 approaches, I would like to at least take possession of the upgrade so that I have it when I finally capitulate to the inevitable.
(If you've read this far, thanks! If you're shaking your head at my paranoia, I understand. )
Can anyone tell me how I can go about downloading -- but not actually installing -- the W10 upgrade? I seem to have thoroughly prevented it from happening.
Thank you!
Undoing my Windows 10 upgrade-prevention?
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- Lounger
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- gamma jay
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Re: Undoing my Windows 10 upgrade-prevention?
See this post by (Viking) Bob, and the related details in other posts in the thread. It should assist you in downloading the ISO files so that you can install Windows 10 at a later date.
Regards,
Rudi
If your absence does not affect them, your presence didn't matter.
Rudi
If your absence does not affect them, your presence didn't matter.
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Re: Undoing my Windows 10 upgrade-prevention?
In addition to Rudi's suggestion: if you want to make use of the offer, you'd have to install Windows 10 before the 29th of July, 2016. This is absolutely necessary. You can then roll back to Windows 8.1, and you'll be able to re-upgrade your PC to Windows 10 at any time in the future. (But just that physical PC - it's bound to the hardware)
See Get Windows 10 for Free After July 29th, with a Little Prep Now for detailed instructions.
But first, you have to get the offer again. Have you disabled/removed GWX Control Panel? Once you have done that, visit Windows Update and let it install all updates. Hopefully, that should get you the Get Windows 10 offer again.
See Get Windows 10 for Free After July 29th, with a Little Prep Now for detailed instructions.
But first, you have to get the offer again. Have you disabled/removed GWX Control Panel? Once you have done that, visit Windows Update and let it install all updates. Hopefully, that should get you the Get Windows 10 offer again.
Best wishes,
Hans
Hans
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- Lounger
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Re: Undoing my Windows 10 upgrade-prevention?
Thank you Rudi and Hans for the quick reply.
I'm running basic Windows 8.1. But would like to eventually run Windows 10 Pro. I understand there is no direct path from plain W8.1 to W10.
Does this mean that in order to get the "free" upgrade to W10 Pro, I would need to first buy a retail copy of either W7 Pro (or Ultimate) or Windows 8.1 Pro, AND install that on my current device, and THEN go through the W10 upgrade, which would finally get me to W10 Pro (at which point I'd then be able to roll back to the W8.1 (plain) version that I'm currently using?
It seems like that should work, but I'd like to confirm that before going out and buying a retail Windows 7 or 8.1 that I'll never directly use.
Also, am I correct in understanding that using this method will get me NEW (clean) installation of W10, and not an "upgrade" from my existing W8.1, with settings, programs, etc upgraded.
Thanks again (and apologies for questions that are probably just residual paranoia, and an excess of caution.)
I'm running basic Windows 8.1. But would like to eventually run Windows 10 Pro. I understand there is no direct path from plain W8.1 to W10.
Does this mean that in order to get the "free" upgrade to W10 Pro, I would need to first buy a retail copy of either W7 Pro (or Ultimate) or Windows 8.1 Pro, AND install that on my current device, and THEN go through the W10 upgrade, which would finally get me to W10 Pro (at which point I'd then be able to roll back to the W8.1 (plain) version that I'm currently using?
It seems like that should work, but I'd like to confirm that before going out and buying a retail Windows 7 or 8.1 that I'll never directly use.
Also, am I correct in understanding that using this method will get me NEW (clean) installation of W10, and not an "upgrade" from my existing W8.1, with settings, programs, etc upgraded.
Thanks again (and apologies for questions that are probably just residual paranoia, and an excess of caution.)
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Re: Undoing my Windows 10 upgrade-prevention?
It's correct that you can't upgrade from "plain" Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 Pro.
But in that case, why do anything at all now? Instead of buying a retail copy of Windows 7 Pro or Windows 8.1, installing that, upgrading to Windows 10, then rolling back to your current version, you might as well stay with Windows 8.1 for the moment, and buy a retail copy of Windows 10 Pro when you're ready for it...
The default upgrade is an "in-place" upgrade that keeps all your documents, settings etc. Various articles describe how to circumvent that to get a clean install. But you'd get that too if you buy Windows 10 Pro later on...
But in that case, why do anything at all now? Instead of buying a retail copy of Windows 7 Pro or Windows 8.1, installing that, upgrading to Windows 10, then rolling back to your current version, you might as well stay with Windows 8.1 for the moment, and buy a retail copy of Windows 10 Pro when you're ready for it...
The default upgrade is an "in-place" upgrade that keeps all your documents, settings etc. Various articles describe how to circumvent that to get a clean install. But you'd get that too if you buy Windows 10 Pro later on...
Best wishes,
Hans
Hans
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- SilverLounger
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Re: Undoing my Windows 10 upgrade-prevention?
If you do the free upgrade you'll get Windows 10 Home. To upgrade to Win10 Pro from Win10 Home is $99 USD. Win10 Pro retail is $199 USD. You may well be able to find a Win 8.1 Pro upgrade for less than $99 USD somewhere. But as Hans said to get the free Win10 upgrade you must perform the upgrade before July 29.
Joe
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Re: Undoing my Windows 10 upgrade-prevention?
Thanks again, all.
A question about upgrading to Windows 8.1 Pro from plain 8.1: Would that require an actual reinstall, or can the Pro features be unlocked simply by "reactivating" an existing plain 8.1 using a Pro key code?
That's a good question, and I hadn't thought of it that way -- partly because I'd rather not have to think about it at all, if I'm being honest. It's also the easiest thing to do.HansV wrote:But in that case, why do anything at all now?
A question about upgrading to Windows 8.1 Pro from plain 8.1: Would that require an actual reinstall, or can the Pro features be unlocked simply by "reactivating" an existing plain 8.1 using a Pro key code?
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Re: Undoing my Windows 10 upgrade-prevention?
As far as I know, it would involve installing Windows 8.1 Pro.
Best wishes,
Hans
Hans
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Re: Undoing my Windows 10 upgrade-prevention?
Thank you again!
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- SilverLounger
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Re: Undoing my Windows 10 upgrade-prevention?
Used to be you could :
Press Windows key + X
Click System
Under Windows Edition, click the link:
Get more features with a new edition of Windows
I'm not sure this is still available. Nor do I know the cost.
Press Windows key + X
Click System
Under Windows Edition, click the link:
Get more features with a new edition of Windows
I'm not sure this is still available. Nor do I know the cost.
Joe
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- Lounger
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Re: Undoing my Windows 10 upgrade-prevention?
Thanks for this. That worked perfectly!JoeP wrote:Used to be you could :
Press Windows key + X
Click System
Under Windows Edition, click the link:
Get more features with a new edition of Windows
I'm not sure this is still available. Nor do I know the cost.
I purchased a W8.1 Pro product key(on eBay), put it into the "Get more features..." box, and am now running W8.1 Pro.
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- SilverLounger
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Re: Undoing my Windows 10 upgrade-prevention?
Great!! Glad you got it going. Good luck with the rest if you decide to upgrade to Win10.
Joe