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Can I upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 8?
Hello everyone: first, I may not be in the right forum but I could not find one to deal with my issue. If you can help me here, great. But, after reading my comments and you decide that's there a proper forum please advise me how to navigate to it so that I can re-place my comments there.
I own a DELL INSPIRON 3647, running Windows 8.1, and it's on a rolling cart. Whenever I want to use it, I got to roll it out, plug it in and go at it. Sometimes it's just to check a website and when I'm through I gotta put it away. To get around that I've purchased several small laptops but I'm far from being pleased for various reasons.
Today I bought a DELL LATITUDE E6430 but it's loaded with Windows 7. For my needs I could possibly live with it as it is. But I'd rather upgrade it to 8.1. I could go to YouTube and select one of the many videos showing how to do it.
But if it's possible, I'd prefer to use the Operating System disks that DELL sent me with the purchase (from them) of the INSPIRON. So my question to the members is: Can I use the INSPIRON disks to upgrade the LATITUDE?
Let me hear pros and cons and any hints, tips, suggestions, etc., you may have which I will appreciate.
ejn63
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August 16th, 2016 05:00
No, you cannot - legally or practically. The WIndows 8 media relies on an embedded entitlement key present on the Inspiron but not the Latitude.
You CAN still upgrade to Windows 10 though, which is the way to go.
ejn63
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August 16th, 2016 18:00
The only legal way to do this is purchase a retail copy of Windows 8.1 (don't delay, as they won't be available much longer) with a license key. You won't be able to install 8.1 without providing a license key for the system -- since the embedded key will not be present.
Any discussion of bypassing the licensing is not permitted by the terms of this forum.
Philip_Yip
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August 17th, 2016 02:00
Follow the instructions here to Download a Windows 10 RS1 .iso and clean install with your Windows 7 OEM Product Key:
http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/download-windows-10-oem-and-retail-iso/
Optixian
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August 16th, 2016 18:00
Thanks for your informative reply which makes me think of other questions. Just curious.
1. What would happen if I did use the INSPIRON's disks? Would the LATTITUDE react in a damaging way or would I simply get some kind of error message?
2. How do the YouTube videos get around the entitlement key and would the LATITUDE also react negatively if I went that route?
Thanks for the Win 10 suggestion but I would never go to Win 10, I'd rather stay with Win 7 and learn how to use it. My INSPIRON was almost "upgraded" until I found out the kind of hornet's nest I almost got in and stopped it permanently. I have no need for whatever it offers. You can't beat Win. 8.1.
Optixian
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August 16th, 2016 22:00
Thanks for both warnings, I appreciate it.
Optixian
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August 17th, 2016 15:00
Thank you for that but I don't further instructions as the laptop arrived today and the first thing I saw on the screen was that the laptop didn't start correctly. I clicked on automatic repair, it went through its paces and the last message was "Windows failed to start", etc. So I'm returning the laptop, I don't want to bother further with it.
Thanks to all and no further replies are necessary. I'm grateful that you all are here and ready to help.