be careful with a refresh installation of 8.1 !! If the software asks for install media during refresh process you might find yourself without your programs and settings even you checked the box which asks if you want to keep everything. On the other hand it would indicate that there is bad stuff going on in your setup
I dont want to use the refesh crap built into windows I want to do it via the mounted iso file. I have dont this in the past with widows 7 and not lost anything I had installed. Just not sure how it works with windows 8.1 or if its the same as windows 7.
.... it fixed a few things ... ? Still some unfixed stuff left over in the report? type in: Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
That's why I suggested to reinstall w8.1 on top of itself. Not the crap refresh procedure. It's not the same thing. Take the w8.1 media and do a normal setup choosing to keep everything. That's all
Great when I get a copy of 8.1 I'll try that. then try to install 10 after that. I see no reason why 10 would not istall after doing this.
Thanks a lot getting it right now.' Just making sure this is the correct one I should be getting: en_windows_8.1_with_update_x64_dvd_6051480.iso
if this is the one you have preinstalled on your machine then your are on the right way. When loaded, put it on a USB stick (make sure it can handle at least 4 gig), use Rufus for making the device bootable and run the upgrade to 8.1 but always keep in mind that you might loose data if severe damage had come to your old installation
He can't do an inplace upgrade starting from a bootable media, he must doubleclick on the ISO to mount it, then run the setup there.
Yes you are correct I would normally do it via bootable media but I am broke at the momment and cant afford even a cheap usb stick or some blank dvd's.
Doesn't matter what your're used to. Since Vista inplace upgrades are available only if you start from the running OS. Yes, that's an huge step backward over XP and previous MS OSes.
Perhaps I described it incomplete: Yes i meant to run the setup - mount - from the USB stick just for the convenience of it not to waste some gig on the HDD edit: since option USB stick is a no go you only can run the setup from the place you stored the iso to. Best would be if there were a separate partition
What about pulling out your current HD with all your stuff intact. Get a separate HD and try a clean install of 10 on your machine don't need to activate yet just to test your hardware Or Shrink your current HD get about 20 GB space and get windows 7 installed you may ask here, clean install come back and we take it from there.