Is there an advantage to purchasing Windows 10 from the Microsoft store?

I am one of those that is still using Windows 7 Pro and I don't have any problems with it and I like it. I am considering getting Windows 10 Pro. If I do, is there an advantage if I purchase it from the Microsoft store? Will it come with the updates included or will I still have to download years of updates just as I would if I purchased it from a retail store? This is the part I dread the most. I wouldn't get rid of Windows 7 if I didn't do a lot of shopping online and I didn't pay my bills online and I want this system to be secure when I do that. If I could drive and take them to the Post Office and then shop in the stores, I wouldn't do that and I would keep Windows 7. Plus, I still use so many programs that I can't purchase new versions of now and they work great on Windows 7. I thought about just keeping 7 and keeping my security software updated but I'm not sure if that would be enough or if Microsoft is just trying to scare us into purchasing 10. What is your opinion?

 

Cathy,

Image your system.
Download Win10 1909 ISO
Upgrade Win7 to Win10
Your Win10 OS will probably be auto activated and you won't have to pay anything.

 

Does the 1909 ISO have the updates included? I don't understand what an ISO is. How would I install it if you don't mind me asking? Also, would I download it from Microsoft? I'm guessing I would but I thought I'd better make sure.

 

do you have a safe link? google is giving me some dubious options.

 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

 

Cathy,

Use the link posted by XIII

Download tool now
Install the tool
Create installation media.....
ISO file

Let us know when you have the ISO. An ISO (a single file) is like a zip file of the Win10 DVD.
1909 has all the latest updates.

 

The updates included is music to my ears!!!! I downloaded the tool but since it is so late, I will wait about installing it and getting started with this. But, once I do, I'll let you know. With Christmas coming up, it may be a few days before I get back to it but I will and thank you so much for this help!

 

OK. Please create a backup image of your Win7 system. It's unlikely anything bad will happen with the upgrade but better to be safe.

 

Oh, don't worry about me not making a backup. I make backups monthly and I had already decided that when I make this jump, I don't care if I had just made a backup last week, I will make another one before I start this. Thank you again for your help!

 

the iso is 5 GB and I don't have a dual layer dvd player. is my only option making a bootable usb?

 

If you download the above ISO it fits on a standard DVD.

But a bootable USB will work for you. What do you intend to do with the ISO?

Cathy won't be using a DVD or USB flash drive.

 

I downloaded the iso from a website that was 5 GB and I'm guessing it was not a valid iso. I then followed your instructions and it was 3.7 GB and I burned a DVD.

I am using a Dell windows 7 Pro version so I hope that upgrading to 10 will work using these instructions.

 

Can you mount or open the ISO in Win7?

 

One path to think about is NOT to replace Windows 7 but install Windaws 10 next to it instead. In which case you can use applications which will not run in Windows 10 by selecting to boot into Windows 7 on the startup screen. It's called dual-booting and Microsoft supports that scheme just fine. Just make sure you have a good IMAGE not just file backups.
I'm sure Brian K can help you with that.
Just my 5c

 

That's what I'd do. Win7 and Win10, but few folks seem interested in dual booting.

 

Wouldn't you have to activate Win10 on that machine first?

 

People are saying a Win7 to Win10 upgrade still leads to an activated Win10.

 

Yeah, but I meant dual boot setup.

 

I'd use BootIt. Copy the Win7 partition so you had two bootable Win7 and then upgrade one to Win10. Then you have all your apps working in both OS.

The computer is "fingerprinted" so all subsequent Microsoft OS should be activated.

 

I upgraded from windows 7 pro to windows 10 pro and it activated for free on its own. Thanks Brian for the advice to mount the drive.

 

Holysmoke,

Thanks for the great news.

 

I can still use Windows 7 and 8 TechNet keys to activate Windows 10.
Microsoft wants everyone on 10.

 

Three or four years ago I used a tutorial when I was installing Windows 10 alongside 7 into a new partition.
It has to do with collecting something to have a valid windows key.
Scant notes remind me that in Windows 7 I had to make genuineTicket.xml which then was used after installation of 10.
Whether this was all needed, I don't know. But it worked for me.
It could be that four years later MS eased the licensing restrictions.

Looks like this may have been the tutorial I used
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials...10-directly-without-having-upgrade-first.html
I just looked at it, and it seems to be the thing even though it doesn't specifically talk about dual boot.

 

I just did this exercise. The Win7 copy took a few minutes. The Win7 to Win10 upgrade took 30 minutes.

I did a Disk Cleanup/Clean up System Files and gained another 12.8 GB of Free Space in the new Win10 partition.

Of interest, Used Space in Win7 prior to the upgrade was 14.5 GB.
Of interest, Used Space in Win10 after the upgrade (and Disk Cleanup) was 10.5 GB. That is a plus. An extra 4 GB of Free Space over Win7.

 

If you upgrade from Windows 7/8.x to Windows 10 it will be activated. If you do a clean install, you can activate it with your Windows 7/8 product key.

In either case, you get a digital license that never expires. If you install Windows 10 again, you don't need a product key and it will automatically be activated.