rolling back Win 10 to 7 using image

Z

zalazin

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
May 12, 2000
Messages
1,655
I have read that If I install Windows 10 and roll back to 7 I can reinstall after July 29 still for free. I also read you don't have to roll back Just use an image file (Macrium Reflect). MS kepts a digital license for you. I would not trust a roll back over an image restore.

Any Info?
 
you can probably just install a fresh copy on a spare drive or partition and use the Windows 7 key, once installed an activated, then put your other drive back in and you should be free to upgrade in the future with no need to input a key.
 
zalazin said:
I have read that If I install Windows 10 and roll back to 7 I can reinstall after July 29 still for free. I also read you don't have to roll back Just use an image file (Macrium Reflect). MS kepts a digital license for you. I would not trust a roll back over an image restore.

Any Info?
Click to expand...
Once you're system is activated on 10, you can wipe it out and reinstall 7 then go back to 10 with a fresh install in the future. You won't need to keep an image because if someone changes on your system enough to cause a re-activation trigger, not allowing you to reactivate 10, that would happen with the image as well.
 
I'm wondering the same thing. I am not sold on Win10 yet so wanted to be able to keep 7 if I need to, but the date for the cutoff of the free upgrade is coming up this month...
 
Image the 7 installation, upgrade to 10, then roll back to the image of 7 you made. You really don't have to that do now (doing the actual upgrade on top of 7/8/8.1) because you can clean install Windows 10 using the Windows 7 Product Key (entered after the installation and activated online, don't enter that key during the install because it won't work at that point). So, the recommended course of action is:

- image your Windows 7 installation presently
- clean install Windows 10 (without using the key during the installation, skip it at that point, once the OS is fully installed and online then go to activate Windows 10 and enter the Windows 7 Product Key and it'll activate)
- reinstall the Windows 7 image

At any point in the future you can install Windows 10 in the same manner - skip the key during the install - and when it gets online it will automagically activate, you will not need to input the Windows 7 key again as long as it's the same hardware/machine. This is your best bet to take advantage of the free upgrade offer to Windows 10 (if you really must do that) and to lock it in for the future but only on the same hardware.

There's been some changes of late with Microsoft stating in the future (or it might be active now, I have no idea) that they will tie the Windows 10 licenses to a Microsoft Account which I have but never use to tie it to any Windows installation so that wouldn't be relevant to me at all, not even the Windows 10 activations I've done so far on my own hardware for future purposes if needed are tied to my Microsoft Accounts as I have several. So there's a possibility that if you're using a retail class Product Key you might be able to transfer activations across machines, but for OEM hardware that more than likely won't be a potential possibility.
 
I was thinking I'd lock it in now for Win10 and maybe see how it goes in the future with 10, as now I'd not use it... Who knows what they will actually do in the future, but it should be locked for a bit i'd think...
Thanks for the info :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top