Reinstalling Windows 10

Windows 10 has been around now for something like 2 1/2 years, and there
have been several major version updates. If someone were to need to
reinstall Win 10 on their computer, are there restrictions on what
update version must be used, or can you go all the way back to the
original version? The reason I ask is I installed Win 10 on a computer
my grandson has some time ago, and I fear he might encounter a problem
that would necessitate a reinstall. Since I have not been able to
convince him to image the HD, I wondered about how recent the version
would need to be if a reinstall were needed?

On 03/01/2018 12:34 PM, Ken wrote:
Windows 10 has been around now for something like 2 1/2 years, and there
have been several major version updates.Â* If someone were to need to
reinstall Win 10 on their computer, are there restrictions on what
update version must be used, or can you go all the way back to the
original version?Â* The reason I ask is I installed Win 10 on a computer
my grandson has some time ago, and I fear he might encounter a problem
that would necessitate a reinstall.Â* Since I have not been able to
convince him to image the HD, I wondered about how recent the version
would need to be if a reinstall were needed?

Unless he's found a way to stop updates, he then has the latest or
relatively the latest version. IMHO. In this case it doesn't matter
much what version you loaded back years ago.

On 01/03/2018 17:34, Ken wrote:
Windows 10 has been around now for something like 2 1/2 years, and
there have been several major version updates. If someone were to
need to reinstall Win 10 on their computer, are there restrictions on
what update version must be used, or can you go all the way back to
the original version? The reason I ask is I installed Win 10 on a
computer my grandson has some time ago, and I fear he might encounter
a problem that would necessitate a reinstall. Since I have not been
able to convince him to image the HD, I wondered about how recent the
version would need to be if a reinstall were needed?

You can reinstall the latest version and provided it is on the same
machine as the previous one then it should activate. You don't even
need a serial number to reinstall. It's all magic; The servers will
know that it's Ken who is reinstalling and so it will just activate; No
questions asked!!!!!!.

The idea is Microsoft wants everybody to be on the latest version at any
one time.

Good luck.

/--- This email has been checked for viruses by Windows Defender
software.
//https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/comprehensive-security/



--
With over 600 million devices now running Windows 10, customer
satisfaction is higher than any previous version of windows.

Ken wrote:
Windows 10 has been around now for something like 2 1/2 years, and there
have been several major version updates. If someone were to need to
reinstall Win 10 on their computer, are there restrictions on what
update version must be used, or can you go all the way back to the
original version? The reason I ask is I installed Win 10 on a computer
my grandson has some time ago, and I fear he might encounter a problem
that would necessitate a reinstall. Since I have not been able to
convince him to image the HD, I wondered about how recent the version
would need to be if a reinstall were needed?

Using VMs, I test installed all five DVDs just recently, and all
still worked to do an installation. I did this to have file reference
sets, for "looking around".

I did have some ISO files, possibly for the Insider, where
"winload.exe", the signing on the file expired, and the media
refused to finish booting.

But the five release DVDs I *freshly* downloaded, all worked to
do installs.

If you want to collect the five DVDs, as say frisbees, you
can get them from Heidoc. The Heidoc URL generator will
generate URLs for them, URLs you can *copy* into a browser
or Notepad for your usage. The URLs are valid for 24 hours
once they've been generated.

https://www.heidoc.net/joomla/techno...-download-tool

Download: Windows ISO Downloader.exe
Version: 5.29
Release Date: 27 December 2017
Requirements: Windows 7 or newer, .NET Framework 4.x, Internet Explorer 8 or newer.

The developer discontinued the Legacy version a while back.
There used to be a version which would run on WinXP, but now
you need a pretty well maintained OS to use for the URL
generation step.

What that tool does, is fake out any license key requirement
for loading OS discs. For example, back when you could
still get a Win7 Retail DVD from the tool, it would allow
a Dell owner to get a download of Win7. If a Dell owner
went to the "official" Win7 download page on the Microsoft
site, they'd be turned away. But with the Heidoc tool,
it uses IE browser, and some kind of technique behind
the scenes, to coax the Microsoft server to create a
download folder for the user. You can create your own
complete set of ten DVDs (five versions times x32/x64)
if you want. The files still come from Microsoft, and
you're just bypassing the need to enter any license keys
to get the file. Win7 needs a license key entered on the
Microsoft site, whereas Win10 downloads aren't (currently)
gated that way.

So the Heidoc tool didn't have to work as hard for these.

02/05/2018 07:39 PM 3,052,865,536 Win10_English_x32.iso
02/05/2018 04:54 PM 4,083,853,312 Win10_English_x64.iso
02/05/2018 07:40 PM 3,033,683,968 Win10_1511_English_x32.iso
02/05/2018 04:55 PM 4,017,000,448 Win10_1511_English_x64.iso
02/05/2018 07:49 PM 3,382,538,240 Win10_1607_English_x32.iso
02/05/2018 05:05 PM 4,380,387,328 Win10_1607_English_x64.iso
02/05/2018 07:46 PM 3,232,196,608 Win10_1703_English_x32.iso
02/05/2018 05:04 PM 4,334,315,520 Win10_1703_English_x64.iso
02/05/2018 07:50 PM 3,473,729,536 Win10_1709_English_x32.iso
02/05/2018 05:08 PM 4,697,362,432 Win10_1709_English_x64.iso

I did the downloads in two batches of five downloads at
a time. That's why their completion times are so close together.

Paul

On 03/01/2018 09:34 AM, Ken wrote:
Windows 10 has been around now for something like 2 1/2 years, and there
have been several major version updates.Â* If someone were to need to
reinstall Win 10 on their computer, are there restrictions on what
update version must be used, or can you go all the way back to the
original version?Â* The reason I ask is I installed Win 10 on a computer
my grandson has some time ago, and I fear he might encounter a problem
that would necessitate a reinstall.Â* Since I have not been able to
convince him to image the HD, I wondered about how recent the version
would need to be if a reinstall were needed?

Hi Ken,

I would be very surprised if the original worked and the
current did not.

I have been getting away with just installing (recent) build
1709 that I got off of M$'s web site.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...d/windows10ISO

You can burn it to a USB stick with Rufus. It installs way, way
faster!

Here are the instructions:
http://www.intowindows.com/create-ue...of-windows-10/

And if you want to shut off all (we think) M$ telemetry and updates,
use Shut Up 10 and select "everything".
https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

I have had customers almost in tears over M$'s updates.
Shutting them off is a very, very common request.

When you finally get everything up and running, be sure to install
this wallpaper on his desktop!
https://i.imgur.com/qFcVLYY.jpg

HTH,
-T

On 03/01/2018 12:05 PM, Paul wrote:
Using VMs, I test installed all five DVDs just recently, and all
still worked to do an installation. I did this to have file reference
sets, for "looking around".

Oh Dude !!!!

T wrote:
On 03/01/2018 09:34 AM, Ken wrote:
Windows 10 has been around now for something like 2 1/2 years, and
there have been several major version updates. If someone were to
need to reinstall Win 10 on their computer, are there restrictions on
what update version must be used, or can you go all the way back to
the original version? The reason I ask is I installed Win 10 on a
computer my grandson has some time ago, and I fear he might encounter
a problem that would necessitate a reinstall. Since I have not been
able to convince him to image the HD, I wondered about how recent the
version would need to be if a reinstall were needed?

Hi Ken,

I would be very surprised if the original worked and the
current did not.

I have been getting away with just installing (recent) build
1709 that I got off of M$'s web site.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...d/windows10ISO

You can burn it to a USB stick with Rufus. It installs way, way
faster!

Here are the instructions:
http://www.intowindows.com/create-ue...of-windows-10/

And if you want to shut off all (we think) M$ telemetry and updates,
use Shut Up 10 and select "everything".
https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

I have had customers almost in tears over M$'s updates.
Shutting them off is a very, very common request.

When you finally get everything up and running, be sure to install
this wallpaper on his desktop!
https://i.imgur.com/qFcVLYY.jpg

HTH,
-T

You don't need Rufus, as the

Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool

works with Windows 10 media. I can even load Win10 onto
a USB stick, from WinXP.

Paul

On 03/01/2018 12:10 PM, Paul wrote:
You don't need Rufus, as the

Â*Â* Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool

True. And you'd better have a Fat32 file system installed,
or ... Rufus allows you to specify the file system.

Rufus is the only one I got to work with my qemu-kvm virtual
machines though.

Rufus also works with Bit Defenders Rescue CD from qemu-kvm
and their stickifier does not.

Dude! Five installs of W10 ??? Wow!

On 01/03/2018 20:05, T wrote:

You can burn it to a USB stick with Rufus.

You are a rogue trader. What the **** has Rufus got to do with Windows
10? Windows 10 has its own DVD/USB Media Creator.


/--- This email has been checked for viruses by Windows Defender
software.
//https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/comprehensive-security/



--
With over 600 million devices now running Windows 10, customer
satisfaction is higher than any previous version of windows.

T wrote:
On 03/01/2018 12:10 PM, Paul wrote:
You don't need Rufus, as the

Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool

True. And you'd better have a Fat32 file system installed,
or ... Rufus allows you to specify the file system.

Rufus is the only one I got to work with my qemu-kvm virtual
machines though.

Rufus also works with Bit Defenders Rescue CD from qemu-kvm
and their stickifier does not.

Dude! Five installs of W10 ??? Wow!

It takes no time at all, when everything is virtualized
and sitting on RAM. No hard drives used during the install.
It was all RAM.

Paul

Good Guy wrote:
On 01/03/2018 17:34, Ken wrote:
Windows 10 has been around now for something like 2 1/2 years, and
there have been several major version updates.Â* If someone were to
need to reinstall Win 10 on their computer, are there restrictions on
what update version must be used, or can you go all the way back to
the original version?Â* The reason I ask is I installed Win 10 on a
computer my grandson has some time ago, and I fear he might encounter
a problem that would necessitate a reinstall.Â* Since I have not been
able to convince him to image the HD, I wondered about how recent the
version would need to be if a reinstall were needed?

You can reinstall the latest version and provided it is on the same
machine as the previous one then it should activate.Â* You don't even
need a serial number to reinstall.Â* It's all magic;Â* The servers will
know that it's Ken who is reinstalling and so it will just activate; No
questions asked!!!!!!.

The idea is Microsoft wants everybody to be on the latest version at any
one time.

Good luck.

Just to make sure I understand: If I were to send him a DVD I made when
I originally installed Windows 10 on his computer, he would be able to
first reinstall Windows 10 from it, and eventually it would (of course)
be updated to the current version. I have DVD's I made of more recent
versions, but I just wanted to know if the old DVD's were still useful?

On Thu, 01 Mar 2018 15:05:21 -0500, Paul
wrote:

If you want to collect the five DVDs, as say frisbees, you
can get them from Heidoc. The Heidoc URL generator will
generate URLs for them, URLs you can *copy* into a browser
or Notepad for your usage. The URLs are valid for 24 hours
once they've been generated.

https://www.heidoc.net/joomla/techno...-download-tool


That site currently says "The downloader can't currently generate
links for Windows 7, as well as Office 2007 and 2010. We're trying to
bring back some limited options for these systems with the next
release. "


--
Someone who thinks logically provides
a nice contrast to the real world.
(Anonymous)

On 02/03/2018 12:33, Ken wrote:
Good Guy wrote:
On 01/03/2018 17:34, Ken wrote:
Windows 10 has been around now for something like 2 1/2 years, and
there have been several major version updates. If someone were to
need to reinstall Win 10 on their computer, are there restrictions
on what update version must be used, or can you go all the way back
to the original version? The reason I ask is I installed Win 10 on
a computer my grandson has some time ago, and I fear he might
encounter a problem that would necessitate a reinstall. Since I
have not been able to convince him to image the HD, I wondered about
how recent the version would need to be if a reinstall were needed?

You can reinstall the latest version and provided it is on the same
machine as the previous one then it should activate. You don't even
need a serial number to reinstall. It's all magic; The servers will
know that it's Ken who is reinstalling and so it will just activate;
No questions asked!!!!!!.

The idea is Microsoft wants everybody to be on the latest version at
any one time.

Good luck.

Just to make sure I understand: If I were to send him a DVD I made
when I originally installed Windows 10 on his computer, he would be
able to first reinstall Windows 10 from it, and eventually it would
(of course) be updated to the current version. I have DVD's I made of
more recent versions, but I just wanted to know if the old DVD's were
still useful?




Yes. Old DVDs would be completely useless if your friend wants the
latest secure version of Windows 10. However, any Windows 10 can be
upgraded to the latest version free of charge and the upgrade is
automatic. I normally recommend to use the latest DVD or USB flash
drive to start with so that updates won't take long to download. Upgrade
from one version to the next is always very time consuming so always use
a DVD and do a clean install. Switch off the internet while doing an
upgrade so that the system doesn't start looking for useless drivers and
waste time.

Internet can be switched on AFTER the installation is complete. this
will then download some more updates which may not be in the DVD when
installed.

/--- This email has been checked for viruses by Windows Defender
software.
//https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/comprehensive-security/






--
With over 600 million devices now running Windows 10, customer
satisfaction is higher than any previous version of windows.

slate_leeper wrote:
On Thu, 01 Mar 2018 15:05:21 -0500, Paul
wrote:

If you want to collect the five DVDs, as say frisbees, you
can get them from Heidoc. The Heidoc URL generator will
generate URLs for them, URLs you can *copy* into a browser
or Notepad for your usage. The URLs are valid for 24 hours
once they've been generated.

https://www.heidoc.net/joomla/techno...-download-tool


That site currently says "The downloader can't currently generate
links for Windows 7, as well as Office 2007 and 2010. We're trying to
bring back some limited options for these systems with the next
release. "

Yes, the era of useful downloads is just about done.

Microsoft controls what is exposed on TechBench, and can make
the content disappear any time they want.

Heidoc doesn't host the files. Heidoc is only a URL generator,
one that gives fake keys to the Microsoft web site, to get the
web site to make a URL for you.

When Microsoft decides to stop allowing Office 2007 to download,
there's not much that Heidoc can do about it.

If Microsoft merely changes the design of the TechBench web
page a bit (to thwart automation), the author of Heidoc can fix
that in the next release.

Some of the items currently available via Heidoc aren't gated
by license keys, and the files themselves are only of
historical interest. That's the Win10 collection. The Win10
collection is likely to be the last to disappear from the menu.

Paul