Upgrading from Win7 to Win10 without losing drivers?

[Lacius]

I've definitely used it more recently than that. If it's activated, it'll stay activated. I'm running it on a Windows 7 unit I had sitting at the office now just to test.

Let me know how it goes. I read online the same thing you just said, so you're probably right. My understanding was the official upgrade tools didn't run gatherosstate.exe anymore to create the token used by Windows 10 to activate a Windows 7-updated machine.

 

[GreatCrippler]

Let me know how it goes. I read online the same thing you just said, so you're probably right. My understanding was the official upgrade tools didn't run gatherosstate.exe anymore to create the token used by Windows 10 to activate a Windows 7-updated machine.

The activation definitely still holds according to all I'm reading. (I'll have eyes on confirmation shortly.) It might be an issue where the activation is no longer retained in UEFI bios types like it was before. Thus if you reinstall fresh later you'd need a new way to activate. That last idea is just speculation though. I'm not sure, and the unit I'm currently testing is on a legacy bios.

 

[Lacius]

The activation definitely still holds according to all I'm reading. (I'll have eyes on confirmation shortly.) It might be an issue where the activation is no longer retained in UEFI bios types like it was before. Thus if you reinstall fresh later you'd need a new way to activate. That last idea is just speculation though. I'm not sure, and the unit I'm currently testing is on a legacy bios.

Like I said, you're probably right according to what I'm also reading. Regarding your test machine, it obviously has never been updated to Windows 10 before, right?

 

[GreatCrippler]

Like I said, you're probably right according to what I'm also reading. Regarding your test machine, it obviously has never been updated to Windows 10 before, right?

No, just an old unit I had dug out to use the SMC card reader on. It's been gathering dust and sitting on Windows 7 for years. I upped the ram and GPU yesterday for other reasons anyways, so this got me curious.

 

[Deleted User]

so i am right now here, in case you dint know spanish:
-keep personal files and applications
you will be able to manage the windows configuration
-keep personal files only
applications and configuration will be deleted, but you will keep your files
-nothing
everything will be deleted, including applications, configuration, and personal files

what should i choose?

 

[Lacius]

View attachment 171153
so i am right now here, in case you dint know spanish:
-keep personal files and applications
you will be able to manage the windows configuration
-keep personal files only
applications and configuration will be deleted, but you will keep your files
-nothing
everything will be deleted, including applications, configuration, and personal files

what should i choose?

The first option: Keep personal files and applications.

 

[Deleted User]

The first option: Keep personal files and applications.

i got this error

 

[Mythical]

I'd run ltsb windows 2019. It cuts out crap, but is still windows ten. You need an activator, but where you find ltsb windows threads (on other sites) you find activators

 

[Lacius]

i got this error

If you haven't already done so, do the following things before trying again:

1. Reboot your computer
2. Disable your antivirus, particularly if it's a third-party antivirus program
3. Run "sfc /scannow" in a command prompt window
4. Make sure all devices are physically detached from your computer, mainly USB devices

If you don't have anything of value on the computer, it might be worth doing a clean installation instead.

 

[Deleted User]

If you haven't already done so, do the following things before trying again:

1. Reboot your computer
2. Disable your antivirus, particularly if it's a third-party antivirus program
3. Run "sfc /scannow" in a command prompt window
4. Make sure all devices are physically detached from your computer, mainly USB devices

If you don't have anything of value on the computer, it might be worth doing a clean installation instead.

so then can i just use the clean install tool of windows 10 on windows 7?

 

[Lacius]

so then can i just use the clean install tool of windows 10 on windows 7?

You can do a normal clean install of Windows 10, assuming you are okay with all of your files and programs being deleted. Then, when the clean installation is complete, you can use the aforementioned tool to activate Windows 10 as if you had done an upgrade from Windows 7 before 2016.

 

[Deleted User]

You can do a normal clean install of Windows 10, assuming you are okay with all of your files and programs being deleted. Then, when the clean installation is complete, you can use the aforementioned tool to activate Windows 10 as if you had done an upgrade from Windows 7 before 2016.

so then how do i do the regular clean install?

 

[Lacius]

so then how do i do the regular clean install?

When you're asked what to keep, choose to keep only your personal files or nothing at all.

 

[Taleweaver]

Going by responses I might be a bit late to the party, but still...I'm surprised that nobody suggested to simply back up drivers.

here's a quick link to some freeware apps that allow for just that.

Of course I wouldn't recommend restoring drivers to devices that simply work afterwards (which...probably around 95-99% still do), but it'd be a simple way to restore them in case they don't work.

 

[Deleted User]

When you're asked what to keep, choose to keep only your personal files or nothing at all.

so i did a clean install (kept nothing) and now neither the integrated mousepad nor the keyboard are responding, but my usb mouse works perfectly. but still, i cant type my password to log in so i am stuck in the lock screen. does this mean i have to buy a usb keyboard to fix the drivers?

 

[Lacius]

so i did a clean install (kept nothing) and now neither the integrated mousepad nor the keyboard are responding, but my usb mouse works perfectly. does this mean i have to buy a usb keyboard?

No, it just means you need to install the proper drivers. If you haven't already done so, you should run Windows Update and see if it catches them. If Windows Update doesn't find those drivers, then you should go to the computer manufacturer's website and download those drivers there.

 

[Deleted User]

No, it just means you need to install the proper drivers. If you haven't already done so, you should run Windows Update and see if it catches them. If Windows Update doesn't find those drivers, then you should go to the computer manufacturer's website and download those drivers there.

i figured out how to use the keyboard, so now everything is fixed! thanks for all of your help

 

[Lacius]

i figured out how to use the keyboard, so now everything is fixed! thanks for all of your help

And the mousepad?

Also, is your Windows 10 activated?

 

[Deleted User]

And the mousepad?

Also, is your Windows 10 activated?

yep, the mousepad works and i activated the win10!

 

[Lacius]

yep, the mousepad works and i activated the win10!

Out of curiosity, did it activate on its own?