Should I buy windows 7 and upgrade it to 10? Or just buy 10?

[Jonathanese]

My main desktop is currently running a windows 10 trial. The original idea was to run the trial until I could save for a copy of windows 10.

But now I wonder if it would be cheaper to just buy Windows 7, then upgrade the license to windows 10.

What are some of your thoughts?

 

[Slashgeek]

Hello,

You may buy Windows 7 first as Windows 10 is free to upgrade but it will require you first to perform a windows update on your Windows 7 and get all the available update until you receive a notification from Microsoft saying your PC is ready for Windows 10.

Here is a guide provided by Microsoft via http://www.microsoft.com/en-ph/windows/windows-10-upgrade

 

[gangrel]

I won't claim to have looked exhaustively, but the prices I've seen have been the same for 7 or 10, as long as you're comparing equivalencies...Home vs. Pro, OEM vs. retail.

The disadvantage to installing 7 first is time. You install 7...then get the fun of downloading and installing all the service packs. That took a few hours...it's a lot worse on 7 than even installing the updates for 8.1, because 7's older. And I had issues getting all the updates to install on 7. It wasn't fun. I value my time...so if you're just talking $20 differences, I'd go with Win 10.

 

[Slashgeek]

I won't claim to have looked exhaustively, but the prices I've seen have been the same for 7 or 10, as long as you're comparing equivalencies...Home vs. Pro, OEM vs. retail.

The disadvantage to installing 7 first is time. You install 7...then get the fun of downloading and installing all the service packs. That took a few hours...it's a lot worse on 7 than even installing the updates for 8.1, because 7's older. And I had issues getting all the updates to install on 7. It wasn't fun. I value my time...so if you're just talking $20 differences, I'd go with Win 10.

In this case, it would be best to buy Windows 10 right away as you will save a lot of time from installing all the updates and service packs if you buy Windows 7 or Windows 8 or 8.1.

 

[sna]

Hello,

You may buy Windows 7 first as Windows 10 is free to upgrade but it will require you first to perform a windows update on your Windows 7 and get all the available update until you receive a notifications from Microsoft saying your PC is ready for Windows 10.

Here is a guide provided by Microsoft via http://www.microsoft.com/en-ph/windows/windows-10-upgrade

you dont need to update .. just clean install ...

it will activate and work fine.

 

[MarkW]

Going with Windows 7 first will give you 30 days at a minimum to try out Windows 10. A lot of people are trying it, and deciding to go back to Windows 7 or 8.1. Mainly because there are still so many bugs and missing drivers.

The nice thing is that you have until July 29th, 2016 to complete the upgrade to Windows 10. So even if you decide not to upgrade for a long while, you can still do it next summer.

 

[Random_tech]

if your hard drive or ssd breaks down or corrupts, after july 29th 2016 deadline(when the free upgrade runs out), you will only be able to put windows 7 on.

 

[Hard_ware]

1. Buy a Windows 8 key for around 30 Euros (e.g. Ebay etc.).
2. Perform Installation of Windows 8.1 with USB Stick while connected to Internet
(look: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media)
3. After Installation the system offers to download Windows 10 upgrade or if not manually trigger Update process
4. Start Upgrade process within running Windows 8.1 system.

Result:
You get a cheap activated Windows 10 System for your computer.

 

[MarkW]

if your hard drive or ssd breaks down or corrupts, after july 29th 2016 deadline(when the free upgrade runs out), you will only be able to put windows 7 on.

If you buy Windows 10, if decide that you do not like it, you have zero options. You would then have to buy Windows 7 or 8.1 to go backwards.

Right now, buying Windows 7 or 8.1 and installing that first gives people the option to go backwards for free. Buying Windows 10 is a dead end if you do not like it.

 

[Jonathanese]

For a little more information:

-Yes, I have an SSD. An 840EVO.

-I upgraded every computer in my home to Windows 10 when it was released.

-I have been part of the Insider Program for 7 months.

-I am currently running unactivated windows 10 on my main desktop. Before that was illegitimate windows 7. (I bought a license back in college, but had since lost the information.) So if I do the windows 7 option, I will have to reinstall windows twice. Which I am willing to do if it is the difference between paying $30 and $300.

-I don't plan on going back to windows 7 any time soon. All my drivers work, I love the interface, it performs well, and since it is the last version of windows, everyone is going to be using it sooner or later.

 

[gangrel]

I would always be suspicious of $30 license offers...they MAY be legit, but it's not certain.

The updates time isn't just due to a mechanical hard drive; I had a very long install onto an SSD. There's a TON of stuff going on; when you update 7, it's every update since SP1 was released. It took 3-4 cycles to get them all installed. It was also something over 1 GB worth of updates to download, IIRC.

 

[Hard_ware]

Jonathanese, I would do as suggested already taking your last info into account.
Buy the license from a serious seller. At the moment they are cheap.

And i would buy windows 8.1 not 7 because i got immediately an upgrade notification to windows 10 after installation of win 8.1
The whole process was fast and easy and saved a lot of money.

 

[gangrel]

Doesn't that just say to skip 8.1 and install 10 directly? You still have to install updates for 8.1. I will grant that it was cleaner, and faster, than updates for 7, but still, it was a couple of hours. OK, go 8.1 *if* you can get it notably cheaper than 10, but that seems unlikely right now, because buying 8.1 means you get 10. Come June 2016 or so, this might change; by August 2016, you may well be able to find both 7 and 8.1 pretty cheap...but by that point, I'm not sure there would be ANY situations where I'd suggest 7, even at, say, the $30 price mentioned (AND with confidence it's a legit license). And 8.1 isn't going to be enough better, internally, given that support for it will be limited.

 

[MarkW]

By buying Windows 8.1, you have the option of not going to Windows 10 for almost a full year, and still getting the free upgrade. You also get the option to roll back to Windows 8.1 if you do upgrade to Windows 10, and decide for whatever reason that you want to go back. And even if you do go to Windows 10, rollback to Windows 8,1, you still have the option to go to Windows 10 again anytime before July 29, 2016.

So it makes no sense to limit yourself to Windows 10, and only Windows 10, when buying Windows 8.1, installing it, updating it, and then you have all of those other options which are all free.

 

[gangrel]

Sure it does. He's used to 10, he's got it on other boxes. Why give yourself the extra hassle of remembering "where do I go to make this adjustment again?" for 2 different systems.

He's posted twice. He's used to 7, and to 10. NOT 8 or 8.1...or if he is, he's already rejected that as an option. If 8.1 can be had for less than 10, then that's a reason to go the upgrade route...but not the non-chance of reverting.

 

[MarkW]

.

nevermind.. this clearly went so far over your head you would never understand

 

[Jonathanese]

By the way, I ended up buying Windows 10 Home. I read up on the features, and it has everything I could possibly need, with the exception of remote desktop, which 3rd party programs are better at, anyway.

There was a very important hiccup that made me buy 10 outright. According to MS, if you install windows 8.1 or 7 on a computer, then upgrade it to 10, windows 10 is only a valid license on that particular computer. You can't transfer or deactivate.

With the windows 10 retail purchase, if I get a new computer in the future, I can deactivate my current install and reactivate it on the new computer.

 

[Hard_ware]

A pity you wasted money.
With my solution you could have saved it because I did it myself,so I know it works.
I even moved to a new rig and Win 10 was automatically activated again on new one.

 

[BharatAlex]

7 is better than wheather for gaming or for office use