- Thread Author
- #1
I need to set up a Win7 workstation for some software that won't run under Win10. I live in the boonies so my Internet access is via LTE with a 35G allotment before expensive overage charges. I can't afford to waste 10% of my monthly allotment downloading a Win10 upgrade I don't need for that workstation and I already have Win 10 ISO's. Since the free Win10 promotion is long since over, is Microsoft still forcing a Win10 download as part of the monthly Win7/8 update process? I already got nailed once by the automatic download and I refuse to let it happen again! Should I just bite the bullet, drag the workstation to my buddy's house and plug it into his Xfinity for a couple of days?
Regards,
George
Regards,
George
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2013
- Messages
- 2,419
Hi and welcome to the forum 
The short answer to your question seems to be "Yes" at this point. I'm only running W7 occasionally, not all the time due to the large numbers of folks who upgraded to W10 via the free upgrade you mentioned. I only turn on these machines when I'm attempting to solve a customer problem over the phone.
A couple of suggestions you might try:
1.) You can go ahead and just leave the W10 running in NON-ACTIVATED mode, as I do on several of my test machines. I currently have eight(8) W10 machines, and only 3 are currently ACTIVATED. So unless you have certain legacy programs from the W7 era that absolutely WON'T RUN in any W10 machine unless it's Activated, you can keep running in NON-ACTIVATED mode as I do for awhile yet. That period is indefinite; Microsoft could pull the plug on that any time during this year 2017 or maybe never.
2.) You could install the free VMware or if you happen to have W10 Pro version (NON-ACTIVATED), you could run Hyper-box Virtualware included with the W10 Pro; I haven't run it personally but several guys here have done so and compared it favorably to VMware. This would allow you to run a virtual W7 machine and install whatever legacy program you are running that doesn't like W10 whenever you want on the old Windows platform. Hopefully, anyway.
3.) You could also reinstall your W10 at your friend's house [should you need to run ACTIVATED W10 to run your legacy program], using the new W10 free upgrade from Microsoft available from this link here: Windows 10 free upgrade still open for some..
Thanks to our friend, kemical one of our Admins for this!
Installing in this fashion would save you having to purchase a legit W10 license to Activate your W10 to run your old program.
Regarding #3, I actually started a Project to validate how well this free upgrade (who knows how much longer Microsoft will make it available?) works. I've made excellent progress so far, and the 2nd computer I tried to do a W7->W10 upgrade worked perfectly and showed Activated!
Currently, I'm working on the W8.1->W10 free upgrade after having to purchase a legit W8.1 license for one of my old Test PCs. I also am working with a close colleague on having her independently test the free upgrades on both W7 & W8.1 Stay tuned for that 2nd result. Once my colleague completes her independent validation of the upgrade process; we are going to roll out W7/W8.1->W10AT upgrades to our local Computer Club members for folks who can't afford a full W10 upgrade. Seniors and low-income folks mostly. We''ll charge labor to do the upgrade, but the W10 upgrade is still free for now. Most repair shops are charging $130-$200 for this upgrade; I'm trying to do it for $40-$60.
Hopefully, it can save some folks some money and that might be a good way to go for you. You will need to do the upgrade at your friend's house as the W7-W10 upgrade I did took about 23 hours on a solid broadband cable connection *Spectrum-Charter; 65Mpbs D/L*.
Hope that gives you some insight.
Let us know how it goes.
<<<<BIGBEARJEDI>>>>
The short answer to your question seems to be "Yes" at this point. I'm only running W7 occasionally, not all the time due to the large numbers of folks who upgraded to W10 via the free upgrade you mentioned. I only turn on these machines when I'm attempting to solve a customer problem over the phone.
A couple of suggestions you might try:
1.) You can go ahead and just leave the W10 running in NON-ACTIVATED mode, as I do on several of my test machines. I currently have eight(8) W10 machines, and only 3 are currently ACTIVATED. So unless you have certain legacy programs from the W7 era that absolutely WON'T RUN in any W10 machine unless it's Activated, you can keep running in NON-ACTIVATED mode as I do for awhile yet. That period is indefinite; Microsoft could pull the plug on that any time during this year 2017 or maybe never.
2.) You could install the free VMware or if you happen to have W10 Pro version (NON-ACTIVATED), you could run Hyper-box Virtualware included with the W10 Pro; I haven't run it personally but several guys here have done so and compared it favorably to VMware. This would allow you to run a virtual W7 machine and install whatever legacy program you are running that doesn't like W10 whenever you want on the old Windows platform. Hopefully, anyway.
3.) You could also reinstall your W10 at your friend's house [should you need to run ACTIVATED W10 to run your legacy program], using the new W10 free upgrade from Microsoft available from this link here: Windows 10 free upgrade still open for some..
Thanks to our friend, kemical one of our Admins for this!
Installing in this fashion would save you having to purchase a legit W10 license to Activate your W10 to run your old program.
Regarding #3, I actually started a Project to validate how well this free upgrade (who knows how much longer Microsoft will make it available?) works. I've made excellent progress so far, and the 2nd computer I tried to do a W7->W10 upgrade worked perfectly and showed Activated!
Currently, I'm working on the W8.1->W10 free upgrade after having to purchase a legit W8.1 license for one of my old Test PCs. I also am working with a close colleague on having her independently test the free upgrades on both W7 & W8.1 Stay tuned for that 2nd result. Once my colleague completes her independent validation of the upgrade process; we are going to roll out W7/W8.1->W10AT upgrades to our local Computer Club members for folks who can't afford a full W10 upgrade. Seniors and low-income folks mostly. We''ll charge labor to do the upgrade, but the W10 upgrade is still free for now. Most repair shops are charging $130-$200 for this upgrade; I'm trying to do it for $40-$60.
Hopefully, it can save some folks some money and that might be a good way to go for you. You will need to do the upgrade at your friend's house as the W7-W10 upgrade I did took about 23 hours on a solid broadband cable connection *Spectrum-Charter; 65Mpbs D/L*.
Hope that gives you some insight.
Let us know how it goes.
<<<<BIGBEARJEDI>>>>
- Thread Author
- #3
BIGBEARJEDI (love the monicker) - Please remember, my entire issue is PREVENTING THE WIN10 DOWNLOAD not having a workstation with Win 10, activated or not, to run the software under WIN10!
I need some clarification... Are you suggesting I install Win10 in a dual boot configuration with Win7 and not activate Win10 install? That begs the question: "Is the Win7 update software smart enough to recognize a Win10 install in another disk partition or will it download Win10 anyway?" Were your non-activated Win10 installs on Win7 computers done from a DVD or as a download? If you installed from DVD there shouldn't be a 3+G mystery download on the Win7 partition on the computer if what you are suggesting will work. Is the 3G+ download present in your Win7 partition?
All of my current Windows workstations are running Win10 Pro. Unfortunately, others who tried running this software using VMware or Hyper-box haven't had much success.
Activating Windows or any other program over my LTE connection isn't a problem as long as I don't have to download massive files as part of the activation. The only reason to drag a workstation to by buddy's house is for a download that can't be done to a thumb drive, such as the background machinations of the Windows Update download of Win10 or software such as AutoCAD that will only install from a stub download.
If I could copy the Win10 iso files or the contents of the DVD created from the ISO file to the Win7 partition, expect Win7 Updater to find said files and thus prevent a download I would. However, I don't know if that will work.
regards,
George
I need some clarification... Are you suggesting I install Win10 in a dual boot configuration with Win7 and not activate Win10 install? That begs the question: "Is the Win7 update software smart enough to recognize a Win10 install in another disk partition or will it download Win10 anyway?" Were your non-activated Win10 installs on Win7 computers done from a DVD or as a download? If you installed from DVD there shouldn't be a 3+G mystery download on the Win7 partition on the computer if what you are suggesting will work. Is the 3G+ download present in your Win7 partition?
All of my current Windows workstations are running Win10 Pro. Unfortunately, others who tried running this software using VMware or Hyper-box haven't had much success.
Activating Windows or any other program over my LTE connection isn't a problem as long as I don't have to download massive files as part of the activation. The only reason to drag a workstation to by buddy's house is for a download that can't be done to a thumb drive, such as the background machinations of the Windows Update download of Win10 or software such as AutoCAD that will only install from a stub download.
If I could copy the Win10 iso files or the contents of the DVD created from the ISO file to the Win7 partition, expect Win7 Updater to find said files and thus prevent a download I would. However, I don't know if that will work.
regards,
George
- Thread Author
- #4
My use of all caps for "PREVENTING THE WIN10 DOWNLOAD" wasn't a shout, just an attempt at some emphasis that should have been with a font change. I apologize if anyone, especially BIGBEARJEDI, takes offense; I've tried to edit the post but keep getting an error message stating my edit is an attempt to spam.
regards,
George
regards,
George
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pnamajck
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pnamajck
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wizardgmb … it's only to be considered as temporary status … meant to inhibit spamming. we are happy to have you join us. from what i have read, people from all four corners of the world complain about windows forcing updates down consumers' throats. honestly … you best be happy microsoft has not resorted to other means … which they have already started doing with certain enterprise (subscription-based) editions of win-10.
once that happens … i will join ussnorway and take the plunge to ubuntu.
in the meantime, wizardgmb … if you are working inside a program; keep saving data on regular basis. so, if win-10 pulls the plug on you … you don't lose much.
the following was posted on cnet.com just yesterday:
Microsoft won't fix the most frustrating thing about Windows: forced updates
William B
Senior Member
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Since the Windows 10 promotional period it's not forced anymore unless I am mistaken.I mean other than the roll up-updates with W7 you should be good to go.
