Chapter 4: Upgrades and Clean Installs
In This Chapter
Finding out whether you can upgrade that old bucket
Upgrading online to Windows 8.1
Installing Windows 8.1 from a DVD
Cleaning the gunk off a new PC
What to do if Windows dies
If your current PC runs Windows 7, you can install Windows 8.1 over the top of the old system by using Microsoft’s online upgrade. Indeed, if you bought a new Windows 7 PC after June 1, 2012, you probably already have a $14.99 upgrade certificate in hand.
As long as your copy of Windows 7 bears a “genuine” product key, and you have a copy of that key handy, the whole process takes less than 30 minutes — much less if you have a fast Internet connection. (“Genuine” being a Microsoft term that means your copy of Windows has passed an online test and doesn’t appear to be fake.)
I’ve been upgrading Windows machines since I moved from Windows 286 (a souped-up version of Windows 2.0) to Windows 3.0 on my trusty Gateway PC in 1990. All the upgrade took was five of those new-fangled high-density (1.2MB) 51⁄4-inch floppies. Since then, I don’t know how many systems I’ve upgraded over the years, how many times, but the count certainly runs more than a thousand. During all those upgrades, I’ve sworn and kicked and moaned about in-place upgrades. They never worked. Sooner or later, putting a new version of Windows on top of an old one, without wiping out the old version, led to heartache, yanks of pulled hair, and screams of anguish. This time, for the first time ever, I’m changing my tune. I talk about my near-religious conversion in this chapter.
Can your PC handle Windows 8.1? Probably. I talk about that in this chapter, too, along with details about running upgrades, both online and from the DVD-based System Builder edition, creating a backup DVD, and what to do if your PC dies. I cover upgrading from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1, which is a lead-pipe cinch.
I also sandwich in a few tips about getting the crap off new PCs — or how to avoid getting a junker altogether. It’s shameful that Microsoft has to charge extra to get rid of PC manufacturer’s junk, but that’s how things shake out. Imagine how the fans would wail if Apple charged extra for clean, decrapified Macs.
If you’re here because Windows 8.1 is misbehaving and you want to tear out its beating heart and stomp on it . . . you’re in the wrong place. After Windows 8.1 is installed on your PC, it’s very rare indeed that you have to install it again. Instead, look into resetting or restoring your PC, a topic I cover in Book VIII, Chapter 2.
Deciding Whether to Upgrade Your Old PC
If you’re currently running Windows Vista or Windows 7 or 8 on a PC, the answer is yes, you can almost certainly upgrade it to Windows 8.1 — and it’ll probably run faster than Vista, at least.
Officially you can (not should, but can) upgrade if your PC has at least:
1 GHz or faster processor — an Intel or AMD processor. A different version of Windows, called Windows RT, runs on an entirely different class of processors — but you can only buy that version of Windows pre-installed on a new computer.
1GB of RAM memory for the 32-bit version, 2GB for the 64-bit (see Book I, Chapter 3 for a discussion of “bittedness”).
16GB (for 32-bit) to 64GB (for 64-bit) of available hard drive space. Of course, that’s just for Windows. If you want to install any programs or save any data, you’re going to need a leeeeeetle bit more.
DirectX 9 graphics card with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver. Every video card made in the past five years meets that requirement.
Here are the two additional requirements that are key to using the tile-based, Metro screen side of Windows 8.1 — assuming you want to use Metro:
A touch-sensitive screen. Yes, you can use a mouse in the tiled, immersive interface — lots of people do every day. But you won’t appreciate tiled programs as much.
A screen resolution of 1366×768. In fact, you can run Windows 8.1 with a 1024×768 screen, but you can’t do a tiled snap — put two tiled Metro apps side by side (see Book III, Chapter 1) — unless you have a screen that runs at least 1366 pixels wide and 768 pixels high. You can get a screen that’s bigger, and it’ll run everything — if the screen’s wider than 1500 pixels, you can even snap three apps.
The much more difficult question of whether you should upgrade launches me into a metaphysical discussion. Consider how the following apply to you:
If you have a touch-enabled PC, there’s absolutely no question you should upgrade to Windows 8.1. Touch on the Win8.1 tiled Metro side is infinitely better than touch on Windows 7.
If you’re using a mouse and keyboard and don’t plan on getting a touchscreen, you only need Windows 8.1 if you really need one of the new features I mention in Book I, Chapter 2, or if one of the Windows Store apps tickles your fancy. If the benefits there don’t put a tingle down your spine, no, you don’t need Windows 8.1. Stick with Windows 7.
Personally, I have a Windows 8.1 tablet, a generic beast I bought just as the old Windows 8 test versions became available. The beast works well though, and I’ll keep running Windows 8.1 on it. I also have a test desktop system, dedicated to Windows 8.1 all the time.
In a 180-degree reversal from my previous Windows 7–centric stance, I’m now running Windows 8.1 on my main production machine as well. It took me more than a year to succumb to the tiled side of the force — and I only visit Metro on rare occasions — but the benefits of running the new Windows 8.1 desktop features finally won me over from Win7.
The laptops and netbooks around the house and office will stay with Win7, by and large — although I may find a compelling reason to upgrade one or two of them so they can run Windows Store apps, even without a touchscreen.
I love my iPad, Android Galaxy Note, and Kindle Fire. I also seriously covet my wife’s iPhone. That’s why I include a lot of information about those dern Appley and Googlie things in this book. I find them all useful, although my life is still seriously buried in Windows.
Frankly, as things stand right now, I’m not sure I’ll ever buy another desktop machine, unless the one I have turns shiny side up. I’ll always need a big screen and a keyboard built like a brick house to get my work done, but the machine I have now does everything I need just fine.
On the road (don’t shoot me), I use a MacBook Air, switching between Mac OS X and Windows 7 depending on the kind of work I’m doing. A free Apple program called Boot Camp makes it easy to dual-boot. I’ve heard it said that the most stable notebook for Windows is a MacBook, and I’m starting to believe it. The screen’s gorgeous, the battery life is good, the keyboard is usable, and it’s as rugged as it is light.
When I need a new laptop, I’ll look hard at the MacBook Pro and the Chromebook.
Will I ever buy a Windows 8.1 machine? Could happen.
Choosing Your Upgrade Path
Here are the two ways to get a Windows 8.1 upgrade from Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7:
You can buy a Windows 8.1 upgrade key and download the upgrade from the Internet. This is the way I recommend to almost everybody, as long as your current computer is running a “genuine” copy of Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7, you have the original 25-character key, and you have a decent Internet connection.
Note: You can make a backup bootable USB drive or DVD drive if you use the online installation method. Yes, Microsoft thought of that.
You can buy a Windows 8.1 DVD, called the System Builder Edition, in a box, through a process not unlike the one everybody used ten years ago. If you already have a copy of Windows running on your computer, this approach is not only wasteful (just try recycling the DVD jewel case!), but it’s also a pain in the neck because you have to futz with booting from the DVD, entering a product key, deciding which partitions to nuke, and then running Windows Activation.
But if you need to create a Win8.1 system from scratch — perhaps on a newly built computer, or inside a Virtual Machine, or for double-booting, maybe even with Boot Camp — the System Builder DVD fills the bill.
Whether you upgrade online or upgrade by booting from a DVD or USB drive, Windows 8.1 has certain restrictions:
When upgrading from Windows 7, you can choose to keep your programs, some of your settings (desktop background and Internet Explorer favorites and history), and data (anything in your user folders, including Documents, Desktop, and Downloads). If you have anything stored outside of one of the user’s libraries, don’t count on it coming across. You may be pleasantly surprised, but it may not come through.
Of course, you should always, always, always back up all your data before you perform an upgrade.
When upgrading from Vista, you can keep most of your settings as well as Windows logon accounts and files, but you have to re-install your programs. So, for example, if you have Office 2007 running on your Vista machine, you need to have the installation CD for Office 2007 in order to get your programs back after the upgrade.
When upgrading from Windows XP, you can keep only your logon accounts and user files.
If you want to change from a 32-bit version of Windows to 64-bit Windows 8.1, you will necessarily wipe out all of your old programs and settings, as is the case with an upgrade from XP.
If you need to upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1, the process is simple, although it can take a bit of time, especially if your Internet connection isn’t all that great.
I take you through the upgrading details, step by step, in the next three sections.
Upgrading XP or Win7 to Windows 8.1 online
Unless you have a fake copy of Windows, you've lost your original product key, or your Internet connection's slower than a filibustered Senate, I strongly recommend that you buy the Windows 8.1 Online Upgrade. (The name may vary depending on where you live.) You can find it in your local computer store or online at, among other places, the Microsoft Store (www.microsoftstore.com) and just about anywhere software is sold.
If you run the online upgrade, as a bonus, you also get a no-hassle run of the compatibility checker, which can be a real godsend.
To upgrade using the web-based installer:
1. Make sure you have a backup of everything that’s important to you.
The only way to “undo” any upgrade to Windows 8.1 is to wipe it out and start all over again.
2. Start Internet Explorer (yes, I recommend using IE in this case), go to the website specified in your upgrade package, and follow the instructions to connect.
The website's probably www.windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/download, or some variation, but the location may change. Do whatever your instructions say.
3. If you don’t want spam — er, helpful updates and notices from Microsoft — leave the sign-up box empty and select the Download Windows 8.1 check box. If you see a notification that asks about running or saving the Upgrade Assistant program, click Run.
No, you won’t download all of Windows 8.1, in spite of what the button says. The Upgrade Assistant is a small (5MB) file that guides you through the installation.
The Upgrade Assistant runs a compatibility check and shows you a summary of the results, as shown in Figure 4-1.
Figure 4-1: With an online upgrade, you get a compatibility report up front.
4. If the Upgrade Assistant report shows any items for you to review, click the See Compatibility Details link.
The Upgrade Assistant shows you a report like that in Figure 4-2, which displays common compatibility problems for anyone upgrading from Windows 7. These are the most common compatibility problems:
• Install an App to Play DVDs is a common problem because Windows 8.1 can’t play DVDs. Fortunately, solving the problem is as simple as installing the free VLC media player. See Book VI, Chapter 7.
• Secure Boot Isn’t Compatible with Your PC affects some PCs that don’t have Secure Boot compatibility. Although it’s nice to have, Secure Boot isn’t a show-stopper. See Book IX, Chapter 3.
• Your Screen Resolution Isn’t Compatible with [tiled] Snap is true on any PC that isn’t configured at 1366×768 resolution or higher. If your video card and monitor run that high, you can change it after you upgrade. If they don’t, you have to ask yourself whether tiled Snap is worth an upgrade to your hardware. (Hint: It probably isn’t.) See Book II, Chapter 1.
In Figure 4-2, Windows also advises that I may have a problem with Apple not recognizing that my copy of iTunes is running on an authorized PC. A quick look at the iTunes online documentation shows how to re-authorize a new PC (or new operating system).
Make sure you understand the implications of the report. If there are any significant problems, it’s much, much better to solve them now, rather than waiting until after you’ve upgraded to Windows 8.1.
Figure 4-2: A few of the most common, upgrade-compatibility sticking points.
5. Take your time and when you’re sure you can solve all the problems in the report, print it if you like, and then click Close.
You return to the compatibility report (refer to Figure 4-1).
6. Click Next.
The installer may show you a product key.
7. If you see a product key, take a picture of it with your phone.
Or you can pull out a stylus and handy clay tablet, or try indelible ink on the palm of your hand. You probably won’t need the key, but if you do, you’ll be glad you have a copy.
8. Click Next.
The installer starts downloading a big file. On a typical ADSL connection, this may take 30 minutes; on a Google fiber line, oh, about ten seconds.
When the download’s done, the Upgrade Assistant screen (see Figure 4-3) appears.
Figure 4-3: Make sure everything’s ready — you have backups and answered all the advisor questions — before you proceed.
9. Decide from the following options:
• To install now, keep the Install Now button selected (it’s selected by default).
• To create a DVD or USB drive that can be used to install Windows 8.1 on this computer, choose Install by Creating Media.
• To put an installation program on your desktop to use later, choose the last item, Install Later on this Computer.
10. Click Next.
Most likely, you chose Install Now in Step 9. If you did, Windows whirs for a while and then comes up with a Choose What to Keep dialog box. The choices (Windows Settings, Personal Files and Apps; Just Personal Files; Nothing) vary depending on which version of Windows you’re upgrading from.
If you chose Install by Creating Media, the installer downloads the files necessary for installing Windows 8.1, helps you put them on a DVD or USB drive, and gives you a product key that will work on this particular PC. Continue with the steps in the next section, in order to install Windows.
11. See Table 4-1 to help you choose what you want to keep, and then click Next.
The upgrader makes a special compatibility pass to make sure you’ve been notified of all the possible problems. It may even ask you to uninstall programs (such as antivirus or firewalls) that may interfere with the upgrade. When everything’s okay, you’re prompted to restart your machine.
12. Click Restart.
Your old version of Windows shuts down and then comes up. You’re asked whether you’re ready to install Windows 8.1.
13. Make sure Continue from Where I Left Off is selected and then click Next.
The User Account Control challenge appears. You may have to provide the user name and password for an admin account on your Windows 7 computer.
14. Click Yes.
The installer, again, checks to make sure everything is okay. When it’s done, the Ready to Download Windows screen, as shown in Figure 4-4, appears.
15. Jot down the product key (you probably won’t need it) and click or tap Next.
Go have a latte . . . or two . . . or three. This installation can take 30 minutes or more. Don’t touch your machine while Windows works.
You’re ready to personalize your installation.
16. Continue with the instructions in the next section, starting at Step 9.
Figure 4-4: The point of no return.
The online installer actually copies all the installation files into a hidden folder called ESD on your C: drive. You can just copy those files onto a DVD or USB, or any drive you like, and you’ll have a Windows upgrade disk: Double-click the Setup.exe file, and the installer takes off.
Table 4-1 Choose What to Keep
|
This Choice . . . |
. . . Actually Means This |
|
Keep Windows Settings |
Some of your Windows settings survive the upgrade: user accounts and passwords, your desktop background, Internet Explorer favorites and history, some File Explorer settings. Other Windows settings don’t survive. |
|
Keep Personal Files |
Specifically means all the files in the Users folder. That includes the Documents, Pictures, Photos, Videos, and Desktop folders. But if you have data sitting in some other folder, stored outside Users, it may or may not make the transition, even if it’s in one of your libraries. |
|
Keep Apps |
The upgrade process keeps all the application programs that are identified and understood by the upgrader. Microsoft has hundreds of thousands of programs and drivers on file — but it doesn’t have every Windows program made. In addition, some programs (such as some system utilities) can’t make it through the upgrade process. The problematic programs should be listed in the compatibility scan. |
|
Nothing |
A clean install. The upgrade routine moves several folders (Windows, Program Files, Program Files [x86], Users, and Program Data) to the windows.old folder, but all the originals are overwritten in the upgrade process. Remember: If you use a fingerprint reader or some other device that doesn’t rely on passwords to log you in, make sure you have your password before you upgrade. The biometric data doesn’t survive the upgrade. |
Installing Win8.1 from a DVD or USB drive
If you’re going to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 8.1, and want to keep your data and programs intact, I strongly urge you to perform the online upgrade I mention in the preceding section. As long as you stick to upgrading 32-bit Win7 to 32-bit Win8.1, or 64-bit Win7 to 64-bit Win8.1, the online installer works great.
On the other hand, if you want to wipe your computer and install Windows 8.1 from scratch, do that by booting from a DVD or USB drive and running a clean install. That’s the process I describe in this section.
I can’t emphasize enough that you must make full backups of all your data, write down all your passwords (unless they’re stored online someplace like LastPass), get all your software installation CDs and DVDs, and make yet another backup just in case, before starting this process.
If you buy a shrink-wrapped copy of Windows 8.1, you get a DVD (or possibly a USB drive) that’s ready to boot. If you have an ISO file, follow the instructions in the sidebar “Making an ISO file usable” to turn the file into a bootable DVD or USB drive.
With a bootable USB drive or DVD in hand, you may have to adjust your computer so that it boots from the USB or DVD.
Here’s how to go through the whole process — and survive to tell the tale:
1. With your old version of Windows running, insert the Windows installation disk in the DVD drive, or the installation USB in a USB port.
2. Choose Start⇒Shut Down to go through a full shutdown.
Windows may offer to install itself while you’re trying to shut down. If it does, click the Cancel button.
3. Power off the PC, wait at least a full minute, and then turn on the power.
If the PC can start (or boot) from the DVD drive or USB drive, you see text on the screen that says something like Press any key to boot from CD or Press Esc to choose boot device.
4. Press whatever key is recommended.
If the PC doesn’t offer to boot from the DVD drive or USB stick, you have to look in your PC’s documentation for the correct setting in your PC’s BIOS. If you’re not familiar with your PC’s BIOS, go to the website for your PC manufacturer and search for the terms change boot sequence.
5. When the PC boots, you may be asked if you want to go online to get the latest updates. If you do, choose Go Online to Install Updates Now and click Next.
6. In the Windows Setup screen, change the language if you wish, click Next, and then click Install Now.
7. When the installer prompts for the product key, enter it. When a license terms screen appears, accept it.
The Which Type of Installation Do You Want? dialog box, as shown in Figure 4-5, appears.
Figure 4-5: Wipe everything and perform a clean install by choosing the Custom option.
8. To wipe everything and start fresh, click Custom Install Windows Only (Advanced).
The installer asks you where you want to install Windows, as shown in Figure 4-6.
Figure 4-6: Where to install Windows?
9. If there is more than one entry in the upper box, choose Drive Options (Advanced), click each entry in the upper box, one by one, and click on the link that say Delete. When you’re done, click Next.
Then go have another latte . . . or two . . . or three. Your computer restarts several times.
If you had to jimmy your BIOS in Step 4 to make your PC boot from a DVD drive or USB, you may reach an odd situation where you see the setup screen again, and your computer just sits there waiting for you to start again. If that happens, pull the DVD or USB drive out of its slot and manually restart your computer. The installer kicks back in again the second time.
By the time the installer comes up for air, you’re ready to personalize your copy of Windows.
10. Choose a background color for the tiled Start screen (don’t worry, it’s easy to change later), type a name for the PC (better if you stick to letters and numbers, no spaces or weird characters), and click Next.
Windows asks about your initial settings, as shown in Figure 4-7.
Figure 4-7: I suggest the Customize option. It saves having to change bad choices later.
11. If you trust Microsoft, choose Use Express Settings. If you’re like me, choose Customize.
If you choose Customize, the installer takes you through a series of questions. Here’s what I do:
I turn on sharing. I tell Windows Update “Don’t set up Windows Update (not recommended)” — see Book VIII, Chapter 3 for instructions on how to set it properly.
I automatically get new device drivers/apps (both set to On). I turn on the SmartScreen filter (see Book IX, Chapter 3). I choose to send Do Not Track requests to websites that I visit (see Book VI, Chapter 6). That doesn’t really accomplish anything at this point, but someday maybe it will.
I use Windows Error Reporting and IE Compatibility lists. I don’t let Microsoft collect information about my location when I’m using location-aware apps (turn it Off). The only real downsides are in the Windows Store apps Maps and Weather — and you can turn on location tracking when you fire up those apps, if you like. No way I’d participate in the Customer Experience Improvement Spying Program, and I don’t want Microsoft to learn about how I use Help in the Help Experience Improvement Program — Off and Off again.
Next comes the most pernicious setting in Windows 8.1. Microsoft asks if it can get search suggestions and web results from Bing for Windows Search. See Book III, Chapter 2 for the full diatribe, but there’s no way on heaven or earth I’ll let Bing track my local PC searches, or my location when I’m searching. In other words, I turn it Off. I don’t want to send my IE browsing history to Microsoft — that goes Off. I do let apps use my name and account picture — On. I won’t let Windows and apps request my location, unless I specifically grant it later. But I do turn on Microsoft Active Protection Service, because it provides a worthwhile service. You can see an overview of these settings in Figure 4-8.
12. If you just upgraded from Windows 7, provide your account’s password. If you performed a clean install, don’t let Windows bully you into using a Microsoft account. Enter the account name (and type!) you like.
Figure 4-8: My choices on privacy options.
Personally, I use a clean (er, fake) Microsoft account, but you may feel differently.
In Book II, Chapter 4, you find an extensive discussion of the pros and cons of Microsoft accounts. Suffice it to say, there’s no clear-cut “right” answer, but if you create a new, clean Microsoft account and use it exclusively for Windows 8.1, you won’t be giving away too much of your privacy in exchange for the benefits of having a Microsoft account.
13. Set up SkyDrive.
Finally, you’re given a chance to set up SkyDrive automatically. I haven’t found any downside to taking advantage of Microsoft’s offer of free online storage space, so I click Use SkyDrive. That installs SkyDrive and sets it as the default location for many of your apps. It also adds a SkyDrive link to your Documents library — a fact I discuss at length in Book VII, Chapter 3.
14. Click Finish and stand back.
The tiled Metro Start screen appears, and you’re done.
In either upgrade scenario — online or boot from USB — Windows creates a folder called windows.old that contains dribs and drabs of your old Windows installation. After you’ve run Windows 8.1 for a while — and you’re sure there’s nothing in windows.old that you need to reclaim — you can delete that folder
Upgrading Windows 8 to Windows 8.1
Microsoft has a couple of methods to upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1, but by far the easiest way runs through the Microsoft Store. Here’s how to get it going:
1. Go to the Windows 8.1 update page at www.windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/download.
2. Click or tap on the button marked Get the Update.
Windows will download and run a small file, and then tell you to reboot. When you’ve rebooted, a big band appears across the Metro Start screen, telling you to go to the Windows Store to retrieve the update.
3. Go to the Windows Store, click the update link, and go get a latte.
The update can take a while, but it’s all very simple, very slick.
That’s all it takes to go from Win8 to Win8.1. You end up in the Metro setup section, which I describe starting at Step 10 of the preceding section.
Cleaning the Gunk Off New PCs
On your new PC, did you get a free 60-day trial for Norton Internet Security with Symantec Live Update and the trial version of WinDVD and Roxio and Quicken — and oh! — this neat discount for EarthLink?
If you bought a new computer with Windows pre-installed, the manufacturer probably sold some desktop real estate to a software company or an Internet service provider (ISP).
Oh yeah, the AOLs and Nortons of the world compensate the Sonys and Dells and HPs for services, and space, rendered.
The last thing you need is yet another come-on to sign up for AOL or an antivirus program that begs you for money every week, or a fancy manufacturer-installed driver that just sits there and sucks up space.
Some manufacturers have wised up and started offering clean PCs, for a slight premium. Microsoft stores also sell Signature editions of popular PCs — Signature implies that the PCs have been divested of typical manufacturer junk. Believe me, it’s worth the money to get the cleanest PC you possibly can.
The easiest way to get a clean PC? Install Windows 8.1 from Microsoft. Use any of the methods mentioned in the preceding section and, as long as you don’t bring across old programs in an upgrade, your new computer will be clean as can be. Blissfully so.
If you have a PC with all that junk, here’s what you can do to remove it:
Take it to a Microsoft store (one of the brick-and-mortar ones), where you can pay $99 for someone to take the junk off a new PC.
Use a tool that removes most, if not all, the useless junk. PC Decrapifier is a free, simple program that scans your machine and gets rid of most of the junk. As this book went to press, the Windows 8.1 version wasn't ready, so check at the developer's website, www.pcdecrapifier.com, to see whether it's Win8.1-safe.
What If the Wheels Fall Off?
So what should you do if Windows dies? Try this:
If Windows came bundled with a new PC, scream bloody murder at the vendor who sold you the %$#@! thing. Don’t put up with any talk about “it’s a software problem; Microsoft is at fault.” If you bought Windows with a new PC, the company that sold you the machine has full responsibility for making it work right. Period.
If you upgraded from Vista or Windows 7 to Windows 8.1 and didn’t complete a custom (clean) install, try that. You don’t have much to lose, eh? Follow the instructions in the section, “Installing Win8.1 from a DVD or USB Drive,” earlier in this chapter, and go for the Custom (Clean) Install.
If you completed a custom (clean) install and Windows still falls over and plays dead, man, you have my sympathies. Check with your hardware manufacturer and make sure that you have the latest BIOS version installed. (Make sure to find an instruction book; changing the BIOS is remarkably easy, if you follow the instructions.) Visit the online newsgroups or drop by my lounge, at windowssecrets.com/forums to see whether anybody there can lend a hand. If all else fails, admit defeat and re-install your old operating system.
Life’s too short.