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Question
Friday, June 9, 2017 5:42 PM
This computer has windows 10 version 1703. 150633.332
A clean install using a bootable windows 10 iso file had been performed within the past six weeks.
A reset with save files was performed yesterday as I did not understand how to perform an in place upgrade with the bootable windows 10 iso.
This is a practice run to perform an in place upgrade or repair with a bootable windows 10 iso.
This computer manufacturer is HP and repetitively clicking the F9 key allows booting to a device without changing the bios boot order.
After booting to the USB flash drive the first menu was:
Language, time and currency, keyboard or input method.
All of these had default settings including English, English, US
Next was clicked.
The next menu displayed install now. In the left lower corner was the option to repair your comptuter.
Install now was clicked.
It then displayed "setup is starting"
I accept license terms with checked.
The next menu displayed Upgrade: Install Windows and keep files, applications, and settings. It also displayed Custom: install Windows only (advanced)
Upgrade: Install Windows and keep files, applications and settings was clicked.
The next menu displayed: Compatibility report
The upgrade option isn't available if you start your computer using windows installation media
So the in place upgrade then is only available if you have a computer that can boot to windows and is unavailable for computers that cannot boot to windows?
Is that by design? Or is that due to the method of installation using a clean boot followed by an install from a bootable windows 10 iso?
There are two additional recovery media that I have in addition to the bootable windows 10 iso from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10. They are from HP and one is a Windows 10 recovery DVD and the other is a Windows 10 recovery USB.
If windows 10 is installed on the internal SSD drive using the HP recovery media does that provide different or better repair options when using a bootable windows 10 iso? Or are they identical?
If repair your computer is selected using the windows 10 iso the troubleshooting menu has system restore, system image recovery, startup repair, command prompt, UEFI firmware settings, and go back to previous version.
If UEFI firmware settings is clicked, a restart is required which opens a menu that has F11 HP recovery.
When this is clicked it opens "please wait" followed by the troubleshooting menu that is on the computers windows 10.
It now has the options to reset this PC or advanced options.
The advanced options are the same as with the windows 10 iso except that there is an additional option of startup settings.
So where is the option for in place upgrade using a bootable windows 10 iso?
Where is the option to reinstall the operating system and save files, applications and programs?
The other option is reset this PC but this option only saves files. It removes applications and programs.
Please explain in detail how someone with a computer that cannot boot to windows but can boot to a windows 10 iso can repair their computer with an in place upgrade. Is the only option a clean install with the windows 10 iso?
On a separate note please explain how to perform an in place upgrade step by step when a computer can boot to windows. How do you find the command? If there is no menu icon do you have to use search? If you have to use search please explain which search method is used. And if you prefer to use command line what is the command?
All replies (8)
Monday, June 12, 2017 2:41 AM
Hi questionsformicrosoftproducts,
"The upgrade option isn't available if you start your computer using windows installation media"
Is this the exact error message you have got or what is the exact error message you have got?
Usually we could boot from a Windows 10 installation media then choose "Upgrade" option to perform an in-place upgrade repair when we choose the install type.
The "Refresh" (keep personal data)and "Reset" (remove everything) options are added to WinRE since Windows 8. They are quite similar to the options of the installation operations "upgrade" (in-place upgrade repair) and "custom" (clean install). But "Refresh" will remove the desktop apps all while an in-place upgrade won't remove the desktop apps.
In previous system versions (Windows 7, Windows Vista), the in-place upgrade repair is the last method we could try before we performed a clean installation.
How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 & Windows Server 2008 R2
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2255099/how-to-perform-an-in-place-upgrade-on-windows-vista,-windows-7,-windows-server-2008-windows-server-2008-r2
Best regards
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Monday, June 12, 2017 4:17 AM
Please confirm or correct these options for computers with windows 10:
1) An in place upgrade cannot be performed by booting to a windows 10 iso.
2) An in place upgrade cannot be performed by a computer that cannot boot to windows lock screen/wallpaper then desktop.
3) An in place upgrade can only be performed on a computer that can boot to the desktop.
4) Does an in place upgrade always upgrade to the version and build of the windows 10 iso? If so how can you determine the both the version and build before making the windows 10 iso from the Microsoft web site: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
5) If you have a windows 10 iso from version 1511 or from 1607 how does the in place upgrade differ from using 1703?
6) For version 1703 there have been multiple updates including windows defender, updates, and cumulative updates. Does the creation of a windows 10 iso in July versus June versus May alter the time it take for an in place upgrade, or the time that it takes for updates after the in place upgrade?
7) Are there advantages of holding onto a Windows 10 iso for each 1511 or 1607? Will the ultimate result be the same or can you turn off upgrades? or turn off updates? Please explain any advantages for holding onto the older windows 10 iso.
Wednesday, June 14, 2017 6:47 AM
Hi questionsformicrosoftproducts,
No, an in-place upgrade should be performed by booting from a ISO and choose "Upgrade" install(questions for 1,2,3).
An in-place upgrade will reinstall the system files but it will keep personal files and programs. It means the system files will be replaced by the files in the ISO(questions for 4,5,6,7).
Please note it is not available to in-place upgrade with a lower ISO version. In another word, the in-place upgrade ISO should be equal or higher than present Windows system. For the updates, it depends on the ISO version and the "Updates" option during the upgrade process.
I hope my clarification will be useful.
Best regards
Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help.
If you have feedback for TechNet Subscriber Support, contact [email protected].
Friday, February 8, 2019 2:17 PM
That is literally a joke, that you can't perform a in-place upgrade from boot media...I see no damn reason why this option isn't available. Recovery Environment is bloated with s*** it even contains a GUI folder tree but isn't neither prepared to execute the in-place upgrade nor to connect to the internet...over 20 years have passed but yeah for gods sake we have now a game mode and fancy stuff...but no real option to repair a broken Windows except from proprietary so-called "recovery" options. It is a shame. /rantoff
Monday, May 27, 2019 1:34 AM
All hail Windows XP....it was the last MS OS that would allow an inplace upgrade from any bootable media at the boot level.
If your system failed for any reason and you had no back up or image and the only option was to do an inplace upgrade, then this was possible with XP. Also, if you wanted to move the OS from one hardware to a different hardware due to hardware failure or whatever the reason, eg from a laptop to a desktop via the hard-drive, just pop in the CD/USB and do an inplace upgrade without loosing any software, programs, or custom settings. No OS after XP has this option as it must be done from the desktop/within the OS.
Monday, May 27, 2019 6:12 AM
I find this whole discussion a bit odd. I have just upgraded all my Windows 10 machines (except the Insiders machine which was already running it) to version 1903 using the Windows ISO file downloaded from the Microsoft download site. https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/software-download/windows10
You do not even need to burn it to a DVD. Simply mount the file and run setup.exe . Even easier than burning a DVD then having to work out how to boot from DVD. Dell in particular have some odd settings on machines using UEFI and Safe Boot.
I was puzzled by the bit about not being able to upgrade a machine which cannot boot to Windows. If I had a machine which could boot to Windows (and the normal bootfix methods failed) I would be doing a clean install, not attempting an upgrade.
Bill
Wednesday, May 29, 2019 11:13 PM
Hello,
This option was available with earlier versions is Windows which did a file by file copy of the OS.
This was slow and getting slower with each release particularly as the OS is getting larger. There we a number of challenges with this method of setup that were very difficult to address
Setup was changed to do a image based setup, which is much faster, but that doesn't allow for upgrades unless you are inside Windows 10 start the setup.
Being able to boot to media and upgrade an OS, was popular as users would not have to reinstall their installed software and this maintained most OS settings( not all, most). But the speed and issues with this method were difficult obstacles, plus image based setup had to be supported for clean installs for OEM and Enterprise scenarios.
Thanks, Darrell Gorter [MSFT] This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Tuesday, January 21, 2020 9:49 PM
@Bill,
Your method is done within the OS/Desktop, it has nothing to do with an in-place upgrade/repair at the boot level.
It is called an upgrade/repair if when the OS is unbootable.
I have done many in-place upgrade/repair with XP for almost two decades without loosing files, programs and settings and this method is very fast and simple which does not require backup files, images, third-party recovery software etc, and if your cpu/motherboard dies you can simply remove the drive, connect it to a dissimilar hardware computer, plug-in your XP-USB/CD and the in-place upgrade/repair is complete in about 30-minutes or less with about 3 required input questions from the OS.
This has been the case even when the OS, files, programs, settings, and hardware is eight years or older. None of this is possible with 7,8, and 10 as you would be SOL and requires several hours of recovering files, programs, and custom settings at a minimum. Even a modern PC with win10 can take several hours to do a factory recovery with the "Just remove my files" option.