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What will happen to existing recovery partition
I have an Inspiron desktop machine with a pre-installed recovery drive/partition. I am currently running Windows 7.
What will happen to that partition and its contents, should I decide to use Microsoft's free upgrade to Windows1 0? What actions should I take, please?
RoHe
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November 12th, 2015 11:00
You didn't mention your exact PC model, but have you checked to see if Dell tested that model with Win 10?
Assuming the Win 10 upgrade goes properly, you'll have 30 days from date of upgrading to automatically revert back to the previous version of Windows by selecting that option in Win 10. After 30 days you lose the automated option. So Speedstep's recommendation to image the hard drive with Win 7 before upgrading is a good idea.
If Dell has tested this model, be sure to install the latest Win 10 drivers from Dell's Support site after upgrading to Win 10.
If Dell hasn't tested it, you might experience some problems after upgrading to Win 10 which may or may not be fixed by hunting down new drivers on your own.
Even if Dell has tested your model, you should wait a few more weeks before upgrading to Win 10. Microsoft is about to release the "TH2" version of Win 10 which fixes quite a few issues with the first (TH1) release and is supposed to make the upgrade process easier and more reliable.
You actually have until July, 2016 to get the Win 10 upgrade for free, so there's really no rush...
speedstep
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November 12th, 2015 11:00
F8 Recovery will become Broken NEVER TO WORK EVER AGAIN.
So clone your old drive to a new drive. Then Do the 10 update on that.
If you want to go back you clone the old backup to the new once again.
RoHe
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November 12th, 2015 16:00
At least one user mentions having put Win 10 on a 560 and apparently seems to work. You might want to search these forums to see if there are any other threads about this topic.
I heard Win 10 TH2 was officially released today, but you probably should wait a little longer just to see if there are any major snafus with this new release.
Back up personal files on external media first and make sure you have the installation disks and product keys for all your software, in case something goes badly and you need to reinstall.
deyerawks_922df8
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November 12th, 2015 14:00
Model is MT560, and it does not appear in the tested list. I see there might therefore be problems with upgrade, but in truth how serious are they likely to be? Any opinions?
Philip_Yip
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November 13th, 2015 00:00
Make USB Recovery Media using the latest version of Dell Backup and Recovery following the instructions here:
http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/dell-backup-and-recovery-1-8-1-71/
This will give you the ability to revert to your Windows 7 base OS should you need to.
Next ensure you have the latest BIOS revision installed and check if you have UEFI and SecureBoot. Not sure if that model has:
http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/updating-the-bios/
Then finally follow the instructions here to Download the first properly Digitally Deployed version of Windows 10 i.e. Windows 10 Threshold 2:
http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/download-windows-10-oem-and-retail-iso/
Clean Install wiping all partitions as the Recovery partition is useless once Windows 10 is installed. Should you need to revert use the Dell Backup and Recovery Bootable USB.
After Windows 10 is installed a new Recovery partition can be made using Dell Backup and Recovery:
http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/dell-backup-and-recovery-1-9-0-22-windows-10-clean-install/
However realistically speaking its likely to be obsolete by the time you actually want to use it as windows 10 will likely have a new build and updated .iso so personally I wouldn't bother.
deyerawks_922df8
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November 13th, 2015 01:00
Thank you all for your replies; all very helpful.:emotion-1:
NATAKUC4's final comment is most probably true, a chimes with me, approaching my eighties! I am an obsolescent human with obsolescent car and computer, and our sort are always thinking whether there will be value for long enough to merit a change. Though not directly OT, some strange oddities have occurred lately, that do not seem malware related. The cost to change is not that daunting.
I'll think on!