On Saturday, July 6, 2019 at 7:21:35 PM UTC-7, Robert in CA wrote:
On Saturday, July 6, 2019 at 6:26:08 PM UTC-7, Paul wrote:
Robert in CA wrote:
On Saturday, July 6, 2019 at 12:16:19 PM UTC-7, Paul wrote:
Robert in CA wrote:
On Saturday, July 6, 2019 at 11:24:14 AM UTC-7, Paul wrote:
Robert in CA wrote:
On Saturday, July 6, 2019 at 10:46:29 AM UTC-7, Paul wrote:
Robert in CA wrote:
On Thursday, July 4, 2019 at 7:24:08 AM UTC-7, Paul wrote:
Robert in CA wrote:

Just re-reading some of your earlier posts,..
and there's allot to this,.we better start from
the beginning on this and take it step by step.

Robert
Go here and get the "MediaCreationTool1903.exe".

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...load/windows10

There's a download button, to get the stub downloader
that fetches the DVD for you.

https://i.postimg.cc/B62cj5Sp/Media-Creation-Tool.gif

It will likely want to run as Administrator.

Since you have two machines to do, it's better to
"create media for another computer" when asked.

It will create an ISO file (worth keeping).

It will also offer to burn the disc using
the Windows IMAPI2 interface.

It will offer that option only after the download is
complete. It isn't as up-front about that as it could be.

The burning would work if you have DVD+R or DVD-R
without a problem.

The Windows burner doesn't seem to know how to
format the rewriteable media types, which is
the only problem I've had with it.

Once you have the media, then you have materials
to work with.

It might take an hour or two for the download,
maybe 15 minutes for a burn and verify. Then
on the XPS 8500, you can try entering the key
when the installer prompts for it.

*******

Both of your machines are Windows 7 SP1 Pro x64 as
far as I know.

Control Panels : System can help verify that.

The download page will ask what you want, and you
want an x64 disc. I don't think any 32 bit OSes are
involved here. And when installing, if any selection
is offered, you match the Pro part, if you have
Pro or Professional.

Win7 Home Premium = Win10 Home
Win7 Professional = Win10 Pro
Win7 Ultimate = Win10 Pro

When running the DVD on the XPS 8500 with blank Spare
drive inside, the installer will take care of the
partitions. I usually use "Custom" when doing installs
and select whatever I had in mind, but the automation
in this case would be good enough. It should present
the only disk in the computer (the blank one) as a target.

It will summarize what it is about to do, before the
actual install starts. Early on, it may prompt for a
license key. That's your opportunity to enter one.

The copy-files stage of the install could take an hour,
while the multiple-reboots phase might take 15-20 minutes
or so. The version of Windows 10 now, puts more time into
the copy-files, and less time doing the install once all
the files are on the hard drive.

Note: You can prepare the DVD on either the 8500 or 780,
doesn't matter, because it doesn't know what your plan
is when "making media for another computer". As long
as the 780 and 8500 have a working DVD burner, either
machine would do for that step.

HTH,
Paul
I tried it on the 780:

http://i65.tinypic.com/29zttud.jpg "Create install media"

http://i67.tinypic.com/27yr2uo.jpg "Language"

http://i64.tinypic.com/2pqlx0i.jpg damaged

http://i66.tinypic.com/35jxc90.jpg damaged

http://i64.tinypic.com/2a8g46t.jpg damaged

http://i65.tinypic.com/9fqq3c.jpg damaged

http://i65.tinypic.com/2d1wtj4.jpg damaged

http://i65.tinypic.com/9au1ih.jpg damaged

http://i68.tinypic.com/2prv1ab.jpg damaged


At the end the tray opened and gave
me the option to close or burn. So I
closed the application and removed the
DVD-R.

So am I good to go?

Robert
I can only see the first two of your links.

The other images claim the image has been removed ?

If you got an ISO file, please give an indication
of the file size in bytes. (Do "Properties" on the
file in File Explorer.) This size is only a rough
indicator, since the ISO file contains an install.esd,
and the contents vary from one person to the next.
I made up a filename for it, so the file name won't
match the filename you used. I name them so I
can keep track of them.

Win10-64bit-mediacreation-1903-7OSes.iso

3,967,483,904 bytes

You can use Imgburn, and the top left of the
six buttons ("Write Image File to Disc"),
to burn an ISO and make bootable media
using a DVD.

HTH,
Paul
Here you go:

http://i67.tinypic.com/hv6sdj.jpg

http://i63.tinypic.com/10h3yuv.jpg

I noticed that on the 780 Tinypics
didn't give me the allow pop-up it
normally does and several times when
I pressed upload nothing happened and
had to click the Tinypic link to restart
it. I wonder if I messed up the 780
by getting the latest version of FF?

Maybe we can look at the 780 after this
and is if its OK?

Robert
No, those didn't work either.

Just tell me the file size, so we know
roughly whether the 1903 x64 "windows.iso" file is OK.

Paul
I don't understand why Tinypic isn't working?
Here's from PostImage. They also had issues
and I had to re-try several times. Whats going
on ?

https://i.postimg.cc/rKbrqs3L/9-chec...ation-tool.jpg "Don't do that!"
You could stop it.
https://i.postimg.cc/CRz9fPcq/9a-che...ation-tool.jpg


Used space: 4,193,091,584 bytes 3.90GB
free space: 512,983,040 bytes 489MB

Robert
I can at least see the pictures.

If you run the Setup.exe like that, it will do Win10-over-Win7.

It's OK to do that, if you clone Win7 from the original hard
drive, to the Spare hard drive, then boot the Spare hard drive,
then run the Setup.exe from the DVD.

Otherwise, running that Setup.exe could upset a "Good" hard
drive in the computer you're testing that on.

For at least one of the install attempts, I wanted to try
a Clean Install, by booting the DVD while the empty Spare HDD
is in the computer receiving the OS.

*******

The size of the downloaded Windows.iso file (or similar name)
is what I was looking for.

When you do the size the way you did, it might take into account
the details of the overlay filesystem inside the DVD contents.
(A different value.)

There's no point comparing SHA1 or SHA256 checksums of your
and my disc, because the MediaCreationTool ISO files are all different.
But at least the size should be the same, within a few bytes.
(The ISO should at least be rounded to a multiple of 2048 bytes.)

Paul

So should I proceed to disconnect and/or remove
the main HD and install the spare HD and boot with
the DVD-R?

Then what happens after I boot?

After I'm finished do I format the HD or leave Win10
on it? Then put my main HD back in and remove the
blank(Win10) HD, correct?


Robert


You're going to boot the DVD and install Windows 10
on the Spare drive. Then check to see that it is activated.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/...dows-10-a.html

If you:

right-click Start Orb : Run : "control"

will start the Control Panels window in Windows 10, if the tutorial doesn't work.

When you install Windows 10, it should match the "SKU" of
the Windows 7 key on that machine. If the XPS 8500 is running
Windows 7 SP1 Pro x64, you install Windows 10 Pro
(32 bit or 64 bit, doesn't matter on a Clean Install).

I'm trying to keep this first one simple, by starting
with the empty Spare drive, and having you enter the
key off the COA sticker.

If the install does not work out, you clone over (or even
restore from backup), an image you normally use on Windows 7,
boot that Windows 7 image on the spare drive, and just
run Setup.exe off the DVD. That's a Win10-over-Win7
install which you would not be keeping, and you'd check
for Activation when finished.

Paul


I've installed the blank drive in the 8500
and started the DVD-R but took awhile before
it started and the computer recognized it.

It wouldn't let me upgrade so I am doing a
custom install. It says its getting the files
ready for installation but have not seen ant
Win 10 Pro selections as yet.

Also am unsure of your instructions to check
it works. When I right click the Start button
I get properties and open Windows Explorer.

It just restarted the 8500 and is just hanging
Now it says getting devices ready.

Robert



It's now setting up and asking me all sorts of
questions,, asked if I wanted Cortana? I declined
because I had no idea what it was.

Now I'm at a screen Welcome to Windows where its
giving me options to get apps verified by Microsoft
and below that is make things on your screen larger.
Are you kidding me I have to download everything I
want from this point?

Behind on the desktop is the recycle bin and Microsoft
Edge icon whatever that is? I don't like this at all.

I typed runControl and I got the control panel
if I simply click on the start icon (looks like
a blank Microsoft flag logo I get things listed
alphbetically and a bunch of picture frame window
apps. I don't like this at all.

Well it looks like its installed with zero applications.
I cannot believe I have to find all the applications myself!
So every single website, webpage everything I have to add!

Anyways I did it and it seemed to load but there's
no way of checking it from your instructions.


Robert