Windows 10 FAQ

nashathedog · 21 Sep 2016 at 13:26

I'm unsure if this has been posted elsewhere but the Windows 10 Version 1607 (Anniversary edition) installed for me today and it contains some interesting changes:

http://www.howtogeek.com/248177/whats-new-in-windows-10s-anniversary-update/

The main one for me is

The Windows Store is caught in a tough place right now. We want it to get more desktop apps and games, but we don’t want them limited by the Universal Windows Platform (UWP). Microsoft is trying to fix that disconnect in the Anniversary Update.

arc@css · 21 Sep 2016 at 22:48

If you need to reinstall windows, how do you get win 10 now that the free period has expired?

Deleted member 77746 · 22 Sep 2016 at 07:19

arc@css said:
If you need to reinstall windows, how do you get win 10 now that the free period has expired?

Just make a new windows 10 installer. Stick your key in and hey pesto.

arc@css · 22 Sep 2016 at 11:17

mrbell1984 said:
Just make a new windows 10 installer. Stick your key in and hey pesto.

How do I do that?

demonix · 22 Sep 2016 at 16:26

You don't need to input a key if it was an upgrade as the hardware would have been logged with microsofts servers, so all you need is to download the media creation tool to get the latest version of windows 10 and when you get to the key entry part you just have to skip it and it will activate regardless when it gets online.

arc@css · 22 Sep 2016 at 17:25

So, if I plug in my OS SSD to a new motherboard (upgrading system), and then download the win 10 media creation tool - that will provide a fresh win 10 installation over the old one? Obviously, I will back up anything important first.

demonix · 23 Sep 2016 at 17:04

arc@css said:
So, if I plug in my OS SSD to a new motherboard (upgrading system), and then download the win 10 media creation tool - that will provide a fresh win 10 installation over the old one? Obviously, I will back up anything important first.

If it is just the motherboard that is being replaced (meaning the rest of the components remain unchanged), then you can just reactivate of version 1607 is installed, but if this is a whole new computer then you will have to purchase a new license (and I would suggest getting a retail license if you are planning to move the OS install from one computer to another).

arc@css · 23 Sep 2016 at 17:36

demonix said:
If it is just the motherboard that is being replaced (meaning the rest of the components remain unchanged), then you can just reactivate of version 1607 is installed, but if this is a whole new computer then you will have to purchase a new license (and I would suggest getting a retail license if you are planning to move the OS install from one computer to another).

Motherboard died but due to Z77 boards being EOL, I'm getting new memory and CPU as well. So, once built, I will have to plug my old SSD OS into the USB 3.0 port on the new mobo just to get into windows so I can back up a few things & go from there. At the worst, I'll just have to install my physical copy of win 7 64 instead. You lot talk a language I don't.

Daytrader · 23 Sep 2016 at 18:37

Motherboard is what is tied to windows 10 now, had 2 new motherboards, and both times lost my oem windows keys

rang up microsoft explaining that motherboards were exchanged because of faults, and they still did not reactivate my keys

FlipFlop · 23 Sep 2016 at 19:18

Is Windows 10 the way to go now if I'm building a new system?

I see there's USBs for sale on Amazon for around £80.

Has anyone bought an old copy of Windows 7 and then done an upgrade? They're only £25 on Amazon.

I know the official upgrade tool doesn't work anymore but you can seemingly still download the install and do the upgrade via other means.

demonix · 24 Sep 2016 at 15:56

Daytrader said:
Motherboard is what is tied to windows 10 now, had 2 new motherboards, and both times lost my oem windows keys rang up microsoft explaining that motherboards were exchanged because of faults, and they still did not reactivate my keys

Microsoft changed it in 1607 where you can change the motherboard and only the motherboard and still use the same license, but you have to run the existing OS install on the new motherboard and not reinstall (operating systems from 8 onwards are a lot more able to compensate for changes in hardware without screaming blue screens all over the place) and if it does complain about the install no longer being active you only have to go through a few settings to get activation back (there are no phone calls that need to be made).

Daytrader · 24 Sep 2016 at 16:07

Interesting, can you give me source of that info, as i had to buy two new licences when i exchanged 2 motherboards before xmas gone.

demonix · 24 Sep 2016 at 16:24

Daytrader said:
Interesting, can you give me source of that info, as i had to buy two new licences when i exchanged 2 motherboards before xmas gone.

At that time the activation rules would have been as they were with the license tied to the motherboard, this change only happened with the launch of version 1607 otherwise known as the anniversary update.

Daytrader · 24 Sep 2016 at 16:41

demonix said:
At that time the activation rules would have been as they were with the license tied to the motherboard, this change only happened with the launch of version 1607 otherwise known as the anniversary update.

Thankyou.

Kainz · 26 Sep 2016 at 08:17

Just got it this morning. Barely got any space left on my SSD now. I think some 30GB has been taken up by the update. Not happy by the fact that its shoved 3x icons onto the taskbar and now Defender is nagging me constantly about real time protection being off - I prefer it this way fs.

arc@css · 27 Sep 2016 at 12:16

My system was installing the anniversary update but near the end of completion it said 'recovering previous version of windows', or something like that. Due to new motherboard / windows not activated?

Rezident · 13 Dec 2016 at 19:39

I didn't move to Windows 10 as it would automatically reboot your PC even if you were in the middle of something important! But I will probably have to move to it eventually for DX12 - have they stopped the automatic reboots yet?

Glaucus · 13 Dec 2016 at 20:59

Rezident said:
I didn't move to Windows 10 as it would automatically reboot your PC even if you were in the middle of something important! But I will probably have to move to it eventually for DX12 - have they stopped the automatic reboots yet?

no it doesn't, if you are using it you get a popup saying restart now or delay. and hasn't been like that for ages.

demonix · 14 Dec 2016 at 16:45

Rezident said:
I didn't move to Windows 10 as it would automatically reboot your PC even if you were in the middle of something important! But I will probably have to move to it eventually for DX12 - have they stopped the automatic reboots yet?

DX12 doesn't make any improvements over DX11 and in fact you'll get worse framerates on games that have both DX11 and DX12 support in DX12.

I could post a youtube video about it, but it was from what could be considered a competitor even though they only have presence in the USA and Canada.

Rroff · 14 Dec 2016 at 16:49

Glaucus said:
no it doesn't, if you are using it you get a popup saying restart now or delay. and hasn't been like that for ages.

If it detects what you are doing as activity - I've had quite a few instances of Windows 10 just deciding to reboot itself to apply updates, etc. because I've left it unattended but in the middle of something (sometimes losing data - sometimes just my place in what I was doing) for 15 minutes, etc. the whole way updates are done is really ****** and not done in that way by any other OS (except maybe some obscure ones) for good reason. The whole active hours, etc. stuff is laughably pitiful they really need to fire whoever is in charge of that aspect.