Windows 10

[Hinfrance]

I generally use VLC for playback, but WMC is so easy to use to play playlists across various Windows machines using the main PC as a kind of music server. Our three Windows machines just sync automatically. For W10 I think I'll have to dump everything on the router hard drive to access it from where ever. I haven't yet really investigated what will happen.

[WillyP]

I do that with music in Foobar2000. Never tried it with video, I don't collect videos. I do have about 100 of my music CDs burned on a laptop, and as long as the laptop is on, any machine can play them as easily as you can on the laptop.

[Hinfrance]

I shall have to look into Foobar2000 - I did install it years ago on another computer when someone bought my daughter an iPod and I couldn't get any music on to it. After 3 hours of struggling we got a few songs on it, decided it was utter cr*p, then put it in a draw where it has been ever since. We use 'normal' music players in this house, from Creative and Sandisk. 

[Ken.]

For Kay and me it will be a mixed bag, we have two old desktops that have Win-XP on one and Vista on the other, so they stay the same. Then, our two laptops are Win 7 on hers and 8.1 on mine plus my old laptop that is running Win 7 and they will all go to Win 10 when the final version comes out. My Win 8.1 laptop already has 10 installed and I'm liking it much better than 8.1
The latest update is Build 10130 (on my 8.1 laptop) and I like the start screen much more, it's a mix of the Tiles and links(on the left side like the 'All Programs' of old) and in this version (10130) the menu looks much better because it only covers part of the screen instead of taking over the whole screen.
One 'App' that I do not like is 'OneDrive', it is very pushy and there is no uninstall, it's built into the OS. 

[Mick]

I figure that being a Windows 10 Upgrade it checks that you have a qualifying version of windows installed before it installs. Hence the little Upgrade notification icon.

Just curious if anyone has any ideas about this scenario.

What happens if you want to do a clean install, or your hard drive dies and you need to re-install the operating system from scratch.  Will you have to install the previous version of windows and using its original product key.  and then upgrade again?

Will the windows 10 upgrade have its own product key. And will you be able to burn it to disk or memory stick for future installs?

[WillyP]

MS has stated that you can do a clean install of W10 at any time, without the W7 or W8 disc or even the windows key. You can go back to 7/8 anytime, too. And you have one year to decide.

[Mick]

MS has stated that you can do a clean install of W10 at any time, without the W7 or W8 disc or even the windows key. You can go back to 7/8 anytime, too. And you have one year to decide.

WillyP, thanks. I'm not sure how that works though, if for example you have a new or formatted hard drive with no operating system on it, how would it install and from where?  I'm intrigued, do you have a link to the said Microsoft statement? 

[WillyP]

Windows 10 Specifications - Microsoft

Microsoft Confirms You Can Clean Install Windows 10 After Upgrading

Microsoft exec: You can clean-reinstall Windows 10 after upgrading | SciTech | GMA News Online

I have an altered ISO copy of a Windows 7 disc that I use for all W7 installs. When you buy Windows 7, the disc has ALL W7 versions on it. A file on the disc tells the installer what version you bought. Removing that file allows you to install it on any machine, as long as you have a valid key and know the version the key goes to. Actually you can guess the version until you get the right one. Microsoft at first tried to say no you can't do this but later said ok, and even had the ISO available on their site for a while. The point is that if you have the key, as long as that key is used for only one machine, it means someone paid for that license and received that key for that machine.

So as long as you know the key, you can go back to W7 even if you never had an original disc. Many machines are sold without original discs, instead there's a partition on the drive that has the OS. Then they stick the Windows key sticker on the bottom of a laptop, or the back of a desktop. Erase that partition, but make sure you have a backup of that key first! Also, if you decommission a machine, and it has a key on it, save that key. The key alone is worth the price of the OS, whereas a disc without it is worthless.

[SimonW]

That's fine, but: One of the PCs I look after was bought with Windows Vista, knowing a free upgrade to Windows 7 would be available soon after, and of course that offer was taken up. So presumably it only has a key for Vista. It did get the recent auto message saying it could be upgraded free to Windows 10, but will that key actually work? And would it work if needed for a re-install, or a replacement HD?

Simon

[WillyP]

I'm not familiar with the Vista to 7 upgrade deal.

The general consensus seems to be that if you still have the same motherboard, MS will accept that as the same machine. However, I have taken keys from junk machines and applied them to entirely different machines without issue.

As they say, though, Your Mileage May Vary on that one! However, changing a hard drive shouldn't be an issue.

According to this article you won't need a 7 or 8 key so I would venture a guess you won't need your Vista key either. But I would hang on to it anyway, just in case.

[WillyP]

I remembered this thread when I came across this article today: How to Uninstall Windows 10 and Downgrade to Windows 7 or 8.1