Windows 10 – SSD Boot Drive and HDD Data Drive

Microsoft have implemented one of the features we were requesting in Windows 10:

https://windows.uservoice.com/forums/265757-windows-feature-suggestions/suggestions/6968276-windows-10-installation-feedback-ssd-hhd-combina

An easy way to save documents, music, pictures and videos to a secondary Data HDD by default.

They also let you move Apps whether they mean only Metro Apps or other Applications I'm not sure yet. I'll need to test it. Unfortunately theres no option to move the downloads folder, hopefully this will come soon.

Select Start and then select the button at the top to expand the start menu. Select settings.

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Select system:

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Select storage:

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Change the locations as desired:

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01/06/2015 Microsoft Prepare Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users for Windows 10

If you have Windows Updates enabled for your Windows 7 or 8.1 installation you will get the following notification in your notification area.

Notes for testing: Test an Enterprise or Volume License to see if this notification is given (these are not eligible for free upgrades). At current Windows 10 Insiders at build 10130 are not given such a notification.

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It will give you the following information on the free upgrade to Windows 10.

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You can enter the details of your email address (Microsoft Account) to reserve your free upgrade.

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More details are in the FAQs:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/windows-10-faq?ocid=win10_auxapp_context#ui-id-31

Your system will also scan for compatibility:

Your Ready

Ask on the forums if you have compatibility issues.

A Question for Microsoft – How Could Windows 10 be Deployed?

Add your Votes so Microsoft Address this Critical Feedback

If you have the concerns this page has on Windows 10 Installation Media then please support my ideas so Microsoft Addresses them:

1. Windows UserVoice

go to this link and vote this idea up and share so everyone else votes it up.

https://windows.uservoice.com/forums/265757-windows-feature-suggestions/suggestions/7236772-windows-7-oem-to-windows-10-retail

win10

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2. Microsoft Answers

Also if you log in with your Microsoft Account on Microsoft Answers and hit "Me Too"

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/insider_wintp-insider_install/how-will-the-final-release-will-be-rolled-out/73c37498-5124-4f9b-85cc-c75468d7c37a

MeToo

3. Windows 10 Feedback App

If you are a Windows Insider Feedback please also use the Feedback App.

Launch the App.

win10a

Select Windows Installation and Set-Up

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Search for Windows 7 OEM

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Comment including any issues you've ever had attempting to download Windows 7 or procure installation media:

win10d

// //

On the Dell Community Forums we are getting concerned at how Windows 10 will be released in particular the Windows 7 OEM UserBase.

YouTube Video – Windows 7 to Windows 10 via Windows Update

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvY_VjFZATk

How Could Microsoft Release the Update?

Scenario 1 and 2 will cause issues.

Scenario 1: "Windows Update (Only)"

Looking around there are rumours that Windows 10 will be released/forced through Windows Update. This concept is beginning to form some concern on the Dell community especially with the Windows 7 OEM userbase. Forcing the update this way will likely cause a small to large fraction of systems to become non-bootable. It will also break the functionality of most Windows 7 OEM Recovery Partitions. A larger fraction of systems will have reduced performance as its an upgrade.

Since Microsoft have broke the Digital River .isos and replaced them with a miserable non-functional Microsoft Software Recovery Tool which deliberately rejects the OEM license. OEM users will not be able to Reinstall Windows 7 to perform a Double Reinstall to get to Windows 10. Moreover it will be increasing difficult to procure installation from OEMs such as Dell (as Microsoft will stop OEMs from being able to provide installation media) and the bulk of these systems will be outwith the warranty period. It is also a huge waste of time enforcing a double installation both for Dell and the end customer. Users should not have to contact Dell to get Windows 7 installation media just to be able to download >200 updates and then download Windows 10.

I am sceptical Microsoft will enforce something highly flawed like this as they forced the "free" update to Windows 8.1 via the Microsoft Store. It took them a two years to make a working downloader for Windows 8 which could be used with the OEM license; the Microsoft Windows Media Creation Tool. This tool still has flaws but a tool of at least its capability should have been made available on Windows 8.0 Release Date.  This tool still does not support Windows 8.1 with Bing. These users will be stuck in the same scenario should Microsoft enforce a double installation.

Scenario 2: "A Key for a Key"

If users have to input their 25 digit Windows 7 product key from their COA. In theory this would work.

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Link in case image doesn't display:  https://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/coa.png?w=550&h=204

In practice however if this is the only method of installation for the free upgrade then there is a problem for a large fraction of the Windows 7 OEM userbase. Microsoft provided OEMs such as Dell with COAs of terrible print quality. This didn't matter for Windows 7 OEM as OEM installation media input a generic Dell OEM SLP key.

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Link in case image doesn't display: https://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/faded-coas.jpg

A case like this is not uncommon and is more common for other OEMs as Dell shielded COAs by placing them under the battery.

Scenario 3: Windows 10 .iso and Product Key Linked to Microsoft Account

This is the only logically working scenario that I can see is a utility which performs the following functions:

  • Checks the Base Windows License is Genuine
  • Tells user to Sign in with a Microsoft Account
  • Assigns a Product Key to the Microsoft Account (similar to Office Online)
  • Gives the user an option to install Windows 10 via Windows Update or to Create Installation Media for Clean Installation
  • End User can later sign in with their Microsoft Account to Download a Windows 10 .iso and obtain their product key

Windows 10 9926 Test – Inspiron 7437

Windows 10 Installation with UEFI and SecureBoot Video Demonstration// //

Contents

  • Part 1 Downloading Windows 10 and Rufus.
  • Part 2 Creating the Bootable USB (GPT for UEFI and SecureBoot)
  • Part 3 Preparing Preinstallation SATA Drivers
  • Part 4 BIOS Settings – UEFI and SecureBoot
  • Part 5: Windows 10 9926 Installation
  • Part 6: Downloading System Drivers
  • Part 7 Installing System Drivers

Playlist

Additional Notes Before Installing – Dell Backup and Recovery Playlist

Important Feedback

Minor Feedback

  • Windows Explorer icons look terrible, like they have been made from Microsoft Paint. Bring Back the Windows 8.1 icons or have an option for users to change them.
  • Update the Windows and X Menu (Right Clicking the Start Button) to make it look like part of the Start Button.
  • Add Windows Defender (Right Click Context Menus) and Add Windows Defender to the Windows and X Menu.
  • Add Windows Defender Offline to the Windows and X Menu.
  • Add a Utility to turn a Windows 10 .iso into a Bootable USB to the Windows and X Menu (and possibly download the .iso).

UEFI BIOS Install Guides

It took me some time to get new hardware to do the full tests for UEFI and SecureBoot. Dell Windows Reinstallation Guide is now heavily updated for these scenarios.

UEFI BIOS Settings:

Windows 8.1:

Windows 7:

Dell Backup and Recovery:

Dell Backup and Recovery has also been tested with A clean install of Windows 7 64 Bit installed in UEFI.

UEFI BIOS Screen Recording Setup

I got a new Dell Inspiron 7347 and I upgraded my XPS 8300 to have 4 USB 3.0 ports. I also purchased a StarTech USB 3.0 HD Video Capture Device. This has allowed me to record the Dell UEFI BIOS:

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Download Windows 8.1 .iso

Testing with a UEFI BIOS with SecureBoot enabled and with the Dell UEFI BIOS SLP key.

Creation of Recovery Media with Dell Backup and Recovery:

Both these videos are very similar. They instruct in upgrading to the latest version of Dell Backup and Recovery, making the recovery media and checking that it boots in a UEFI BIOS with Secure Boot enabled. They also play around a bit in Disk Management to help users understand whats going on.

This is a test from a 500 GB SHDD to a 250 GB SSD and worked incredibly well. A similar test with a Factory USB Flash Drive worked just as well. The process was identical so I won't make a second video on that. I may however make one restoring from the factory internal partition which I tested with the SSD.

Say Goodbye to Windows Vista and 7 Digital River .isos

Microsoft have broke the Digital River .isos, there are not working download links to Windows Vista and Windows 7 now. 🙁

They have been replaced the Windows 7 Digital River Download Links by a non-functional Microsoft Software Recovery Tool: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-recovery

This tool is designed to work with only Retail licenses and in my testing it doesn't even work with these. They have deliberately forced the input of a product key deliberately blocking out the Windows 7 OEM userbase. This has done a huge disservice to the Windows 7 userbase. In particular as many people will need to Reinstall their Windows 7 OEM licenses in order to qualify for their free upgrade to Windows 10 and it takes some time to procure installation media from OEMs. The .isos should be available without entry of a product key for the first year of Windows 10 release, so the OEM userbase can safely migrate.

Windows Vista can essentially be thought of as End of Life albeit 2 years prematurely.

More details of the problems are listed here: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_install/microsoft-software-recovery-tool/95ac28f9-bd2d-4bb3-9f70-a62fecc56316

Windows 8.1 .iso Download

I'm sure "No we don't have any plans to make ISO images available outside of MSDN/Technet subscriptions" by Brandon LeBlanc on 18 October 2013 was amongst the worst promotional material for any Microsoft product.

I'd been arguing the case for the need for the .iso downloads since 2010 on Dell IdeaStorm. It only got worse with Windows 8.0 and with Windows 8.1 I'd never such an awful deployment of a service pack by forcing it through a buggy store. The number of issues with the update made a number of workarounds previously documented here very popular. Unsurprisingly there was a large user backlash and endless frustration over this stupid decision. I'm thankful to all users who left negative feedback here and elsewhere even if it resulted with my ban on Microsoft Answers, SevenForums and EightForums.

Finally only after a year or two (including the lack of a Windows 8.0 OEM .iso) Microsoft have looked to common sense and released a downloader which works as expected.

Their new Windows Installation Media Creation Tool is fully functional. To Download Windows 8.1 see my Download Windows 8.1 Retail and OEM .iso.

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The Windows Installation Media Creation Tool allows for selection of:

  • Language
  • Windows 8.1 Version
  • Architecture

The Windows Installation Media Creation Tool importantly does not ask for a product key, allowing you to download the .iso on any Windows computer.

The Windows Installation Media Creation Tool also checks that the downloaded .iso is okay which should reduce the errors users previously encountered when trying to install with media created from incomplete downloads.

Finally the Windows 8.1 with Update 1 .iso accepts both Windows 8.0 and Windows 8.1 product keys during installation regardless whether OEM or retail:

  • Windows 8.1 (Home) .iso will accept Windows 8.1 (Home) Product Keys and Windows 8.0 (Home) Product Keys.
  • Windows 8.1 Professional .iso will accept Windows 8.1 Professional Product Keys and Windows 8.0 Professional Product Keys
  • Windows 8.1 Single Language .iso will accept Windows 8.0 Single Language and Windows 8.1 Single Language Product Keys

I have multiple confirmations of the new media creation tool .isos working on the OEM license although some cases users used RWEverything and change key for product activation afterwards.

Microsoft have acknowledged the feedback left here and many other places on the many difficulties their previous deployment options (or lack of options) had on the end user. From my own guides these were:

Dell OEM System Locked Preinstallation Added for Windows Vista and Windows 7

I'd been hassled by a subset of Microsoft MVPs for providing this guide however its a corner stone of the Windows Reinstallation Guide and one of the main reasons I designate this guide as "unofficial".

I have therefore compiled together complete information including download links to Windows Vista and Windows 7 Reinstallation media. This includes the OEM system locked preinstallation activation mechanism found in the Dell Windows Vista Reinstallation DVDs and Dell Windows 7 Reinstallation DVDs. These are now incorporated into the Windows Reinstallation Guide. For full instructions including the download links see:

Windows 7 Player 1: YouTube

Windows 7 Player 2: WordPress

Windows Vista Player 1: YouTube

Windows Vista Player 2: WordPress