I started to post this in the Blue Iris forum as that's where many posts exist about performing fresh installs of Win 10 but since this section includes "computers" I decided to post here.
In case anyone was wondering if free update and activation of the unsupported Win 7 to Win 10 when performing a fresh install (erase and re-format disk) using the MS Media Creation Tool still works, I'm here to say that on Tuesday 7/19/22 it did.
Client had a 2014 dell Inspiron laptop with a 1TB HDD that was ailing terribly so I backed up her stuff, replaced the spinner with a Samsung 870 EVO 500GB SSD, on my personal PC I downloaded and installed the MS Media Creation Tool on an ample USB flash drive, plugged it in and booted up the Dell with it, Win 10 installed in less than 15 minutes without a hitch.
It did ask for the Win 7's Product Key Code of the COA sticker on the bottom of the Dell which fortunately was very legible but there's an option to proceed without typing it in and it attempt to activate with a digital license as well. For the record I have gone that path also in the past and l have not had an issue with any activation to date...and I've done at least a dozen Win 7 to 10 upgrades this way in the past year and all went smooth as silk.
If it gets to the part where it wants you to create or sign-in with a MS account, just click on the back up (left) arrow up at the top left of the screen, disable its Internet connection, click on "next" (forward) and it'll skip the MS account requirement, then re-enable its Internet connection.
In case anyone was wondering if free update and activation of the unsupported Win 7 to Win 10 when performing a fresh install (erase and re-format disk) using the MS Media Creation Tool still works, I'm here to say that on Tuesday 7/19/22 it did.
Client had a 2014 dell Inspiron laptop with a 1TB HDD that was ailing terribly so I backed up her stuff, replaced the spinner with a Samsung 870 EVO 500GB SSD, on my personal PC I downloaded and installed the MS Media Creation Tool on an ample USB flash drive, plugged it in and booted up the Dell with it, Win 10 installed in less than 15 minutes without a hitch.
It did ask for the Win 7's Product Key Code of the COA sticker on the bottom of the Dell which fortunately was very legible but there's an option to proceed without typing it in and it attempt to activate with a digital license as well. For the record I have gone that path also in the past and l have not had an issue with any activation to date...and I've done at least a dozen Win 7 to 10 upgrades this way in the past year and all went smooth as silk.
If it gets to the part where it wants you to create or sign-in with a MS account, just click on the back up (left) arrow up at the top left of the screen, disable its Internet connection, click on "next" (forward) and it'll skip the MS account requirement, then re-enable its Internet connection.
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