Windows 10 Upgrade Begins Rolling Out in Waves

[btarunr]

Microsoft began rolling out of the Windows 10 upgrade to existing users of Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. The upgrade process is handled by a "reservation system," which lets you tell Microsoft in advance that you intend to upgrade, using the Get Windows 10 (GWX) app that's been sticking out in your system-tray over the past month, which looks like the Windows logo. Once "reserved," Windows slowly fetches installation files of Windows 10, and stores them into a temporary directory. When all the installation files and drivers specific to your hardware have been downloaded, the app notifies you that the upgrade can begin at your command.

The upgrade process itself is zero-intervention, and happens much like an iOS or Android OTA upgrade. Once it's installed, you get to customize a handful things, and then you're done. GWX may notify you that your upgrade is ready to begin any time today. If you've not reserved your upgrade, you can still do so, but you may not get to upgrade just yet, maybe over the next "few weeks or months," according to Microsoft. With an estimated 350 million installations queued up for the upgrade, GWX will not be able to fetch the installation files and drivers by maxing out your Internet bandwidth. It will take its own time, as Microsoft servers shed their bandwidth load.

There doesn't appear to be a strict correlation between reservation and upgrade availability. For example, we reserved upgrades for two of our PCs around the same time. The PC with the simpler hardware, programs, and settings, finished with the upgrade, while another one is still queued up. Microsoft will formally launch Windows 10 in media events spread around the world.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[praze]

No need to wait for roll-out. Microsoft lets you download right now at the link below. This is also the tool you use if you want to create a USB or DVD for the install.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Just make sure you have your Windows 7/8/8.1 Product Key handy as it becomes your Windows 10 key (if you don't know it or can't find it, use a tool like this to recover it.

Edit: sorry for the misinformation earlier, it appears the consensus is you'll have to upgrade first before performing a clean install, post edited. Thanks RCoon

 

[RCoon]

No need to wait for roll-out. Microsoft lets you download right now at the link below. This is also the tool you use if you want to perform a clean install right off the bat.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Just make sure you have your Windows 7/8/8.1 Product Key handy as it becomes your Windows 10 key (if you don't know it or can't find it, use a tool like this to recover it.

You have to run the Windows 10 messy upgrade first, and allow it to activate. Only once you've run the upgrade can you then do a clean install over the top.

 

[erixx]

Everything updated fine here (3 desktops, 1 laptop), only my production workstation must be used today and I will update it some night of these...
Cortana really really rox!!! Edge is fast, Start menu is best of 2 worlds. My "old" windows desktop screen now has exclusively My Files stuff, not a single Program related icon. What i do not like is the 2 designs (old win xp-7 style and modern style) both present.
Next step will be to bench some DX12 games, but that will not be tomorrow!

 

[P4-630]

Will there be an Windows.old folder created that I cannot remove after the upgrade?
My laptop came pre-installed with windows 8, it's on a hidden partition,
if I want to to do a factory restore from within Windows 10, does it use the hidden partition and restore to Windows 8 on my laptop?

 

[R0H1T]

Will there be an Windows.old folder created that I cannot remove after the upgrade?
My laptop came pre-installed with windows 8, it's on a hidden partition,
if I want to to do a factory restore from within Windows 10, does it use the hidden partition and restore to Windows 8 on my laptop?

This, I have nearly half a dozen of these folders, after my failed attempts to upgrade to win10 RTM. MS really need to get their act together, otherwise this is gonna end up worse than win8 for them.

 

[praze]

Will there be an Windows.old folder created that I cannot remove after the upgrade?
My laptop came pre-installed with windows 8, it's on a hidden partition,
if I want to to do a factory restore from within Windows 10, does it use the hidden partition and restore to Windows 8 on my laptop?

This, I have nearly half a dozen of these folders, after my failed attempts to upgrade to win10 RTM. MS really need to get their act together, otherwise this is gonna end up worse than win8 for them.

Yep, the Windows.old folder will be there with anything but a clean install. The good news is, it can be deleted. Simply run Disk Cleanup and check the Previous Windows installation(s) box. See this guide for more info.

 

[Jetster]

What's the final clean install size with default settings

 

[praze]

What's the final clean install size with default settings

It varies from computer to computer based on the hardware, but users are reporting anywhere from 5-7GB, smaller than Windows 7 or 8 ever was.

 

[P4-630]

As I said in my previous post, I have windows 8 pre-installed on a hidden partition, what will happen when I'm running windows 10 and do a factory restore from within windows 10? Does it install windows 8 from the hidden partition?

 

[Jetster]

As I said in my previous post, I have windows 8 pre-installed on a hidden partition, what will happen when I'm running windows 10 and do a factory restore from within windows 10? Does it install windows 8 from the hidden partition?

The recovery partition will revert back to the Windows 8 that came with the PC with no updates

You can create a back up of your new install

 

[R0H1T]

Yep, the Windows.old folder will be there with anything but a clean install. The good news is, it can be deleted. Simply run Disk Cleanup and check the Previous Windows installation(s) box. See this guide for more info.

Have tried the first two methods, unfortunately didn't work but will try the third one later today. This isn't the first time I'm upgrading windows, win7 to win8 (pre)beta for instance, however the first time windows.old is refusing to let go of me

 

[praze]

As I said in my previous post, I have windows 8 pre-installed on a hidden partition, what will happen when I'm running windows 10 and do a factory restore from within windows 10? Does it install windows 8 from the hidden partition?

Sorry, P4-630, didn't mean to ignore your other question. Your hidden partition should remain intact as it is right now unless you go out of your way to delete it. Once you've upgraded to Windows 10, you will be able to go to [Settings > Update & security > Reset this PC > Get started] and it will give you 3 options. Two of them give you Windows 10 (Keep my files, Remove everything) and one of them gives you whatever version of Windows came with your PC (Restore factory settings).

 

[st2000]

if you got problem with upgrade getting error 80240020 there is solution(found on reddit)
it works, now downloading win10

 

[Aceman.au]

Downloading now. Hopefully this isn't like Win8 or Vista. I am getting tired of the same old OS I've been using.

 

[P4-630]

I will only install windows 10 if games like GTA 6 no longer have an option to run in DX11.
But I think developers will still make an option to run their games in DX11.

 

[Jetster]

Fights the temptation to switch

 

[OolongGoat]

Just installed and it was very seamless indeed.

The only piece of hardware I don't have working is my Sound Blaster Zx.... but it is Creative and generally their support for new OS is typically non existent.....

My onboard Recon3Di works great though!!!

 

[Legacy-ZA]

Microsoft began rolling out of the Windows 10 upgrade to existing users of Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. The upgrade process is handled by a "reservation system," which lets you tell Microsoft in advance that you intend to upgrade, using the Get Windows 10 (GWX) app that's been sticking out in your system-tray over the past month, which looks like the Windows logo. Once "reserved," Windows slowly fetches installation files of Windows 10, and stores them into a temporary directory. When all the installation files and drivers specific to your hardware have been downloaded, the app notifies you that the upgrade can begin at your command.

The upgrade process itself is zero-intervention, and happens much like an iOS or Android OTA upgrade. Once it's installed, you get to customize a handful things, and then you're done. GWX may notify you that your upgrade is ready to begin any time today. If you've not reserved your upgrade, you can still do so, but you may not get to upgrade just yet, maybe over the next "few weeks or months," according to Microsoft. With an estimated 350 million installations queued up for the upgrade, GWX will not be able to fetch the installation files and drivers by maxing out your Internet bandwidth. It will take its own time, as Microsoft servers shed their bandwidth load.

There doesn't appear to be a strict correlation between reservation and upgrade availability. For example, we reserved upgrades for two of our PCs around the same time. The PC with the simpler hardware, programs, and settings, finished with the upgrade, while another one is still queued up. Microsoft will formally launch Windows 10 in media events spread around the world.

Thank you for this. I am downloading WIndows 10 now. ^_^

I have another question however. I use Windows 8.1 Enterprise edition and I can't upgrade to Windows 10 according to Microsoft. However, I do have a spare Windows 7 Ultimate key, is there a tool I can authenticate this key, then install Windows 10 and after that, use that key without me having to install Windows 7 Ultimate first?

If anyone knows, please let me know? Thank you

 

[Prima.Vera]

Any comparison reviews yet? Win7/8/10 ?

 

[RCoon]

The only piece of hardware I don't have working is my Sound Blaster Zx.... but it is Creative and generally their support for new OS is typically non existent.....

No official Windows 10 drivers for Creative sound cards until August 2015. (But if you know what Creative are really like, we won't see any Windows 10 drivers for about 6 months, because sound card companies are worthless at providing up to date drivers when they're needed)

This thread: http://forums.creative.com/showthread.php?t=719317 has a couple of workarounds in the meantime though.

 

[Breit]

if you got problem with upgrade getting error 80240020 there is solution(found on reddit)
it works, now downloading win10

It's so nice of you that you shared the link with us...

https://www.reddit.com/r/windows/comments/3eyrre/fix_for_the_80240020_error_when_trying_to_install/

 

[MxPhenom 216]

Its here! I don't usually get excited about software/OS releases, but Windws 10 has me excited!

 

[Caring1]

It's so nice of you that you shared the link with us...

https://www.reddit.com/r/windows/comments/3eyrre/fix_for_the_80240020_error_when_trying_to_install/

Did you not see the link he shared?

 

[Mussels]

can anyone *CONFIRM* 100% how to reinstall with a 7/8 key at a later date?

Its not so bad if you have to reinstall 7/8 then upgrade again, but it'd be nice to know if our keys get upgraded and can be used for either OS at a later date for clean install.