Can I get a free win10 upgrade using USB

I've had some trouble with my win7 installation recently and I cannot go through the 'Upgrade my PC' option without it crashing. So I want to install it from USB.

I've read a lot of articles that explain how to get a clean install of win10, but they all recommend an 'in place' installation of win 10 first (using the 'Upgrade my PC' option).

It sounds mad, but I am getting the impression that I am not able to install the upgrade via USB - is that correct?

Martin Hansen Lennox

Posted 2015-08-04T17:52:14.667

Reputation: 133

1You can use a USB drive to perform the upgrade (did it myself multiple times). Best bet is to start Setup.exe (in the USB/DVD you created using the Windows Media Creation tool) from within Windows 7. You can't do a clean install onto nothing though, since that wouldn't be an 'upgrade'. – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 – 2015-08-04T17:55:59.000

That's what I thought but after reading around I'm getting the same impression as td.512 in his answer below. That the media creation tool only works for a clean install AFTER the 'In Place' update has been performed – Martin Hansen Lennox – 2015-08-04T18:01:29.323

If Windows 7 is still running, just run Setup from within Windows. – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 – 2015-08-04T18:03:32.430

Answers

Simple answer: No.

Detailed Answer:

You can't get the free upgrade to Windows 10 without first activating Windows 7 SP1 and then attempting the upgrade, as Windows uses hardware IDs to activate Windows 10, that is to say; Before you upgrade, your PCs hardware is registered with Microsoft as authorized hardware. After you upgrade, you can then proceed to reinstall Windows 10 using installation media such as a disk. However, you can use a prepared Windows 10 USB to upgrade to Windows 10 by using setup.exe on the root of the drive from within an activated copy of Windows 7.

td512

Posted 2015-08-04T17:52:14.667

Reputation: 4 778

Thanks. That's the impression I'm getting. So if my pc won't run through that process it's just tough luck? – Martin Hansen Lennox – 2015-08-04T18:03:22.823

@MartinHansenLennox pretty much, unless you decide to clean install and then activate Windows 7. – td512 – 2015-08-04T18:04:38.893

1A clean install of 10 and then acivate 7... How would I go about that? Or do you mean a clean install of 7? Sorry my brain is frying – Martin Hansen Lennox – 2015-08-04T18:09:13.330

@MartinHansenLennox I do indeed mean a clean install of 7 – td512 – 2015-08-04T18:11:26.583

Of course, I was just busy getting back online. I am now accepting the answer from a happily activated win 10 system. Thanks a lot for all your help. – Martin Hansen Lennox – 2015-08-04T20:51:09.523

I don't know what eventually made it work, but in the end I managed to install it directly from the usb stick and didn't need to copy it to my local drive. – Martin Hansen Lennox – 2015-08-04T20:54:10.570

Yes, use the Windows Media Creation Tool
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/media-creation-tool-install

Wayne In Yak

Posted 2015-08-04T17:52:14.667

Reputation: 165

no, you can't. You need an activated copy of Windows before upgrading, you can't just install and then get a free license. -1 – td512 – 2015-08-04T17:57:30.397

Read the question: "It sounds mad, but I am getting the impression that I am not able to install the upgrade via USB - is that correct? " Yes you can install the upgrade using a USB device by using the tool provided by MS. – Wayne In Yak – 2015-08-04T18:01:29.253

Read the question more thoroughly: I've had some trouble with my win7 installation recently and I cannot go through the 'Upgrade my PC' option without it crashing. So I want to install it from USB. – td512 – 2015-08-04T18:03:59.177