Inspiron 15, 7000 series – 7537: Hot keys for boot options?

If you're upgrading, you actually don't need to make any changes.  Plug in the flash drive, click on the setup from there, and kick off the installation directly from under Windows 8.1.

But after I upgrade the OS and the key has been associated with Win10, I will then do a clean install of Win 10 after removing the mechanical drive and installing an SSD. I will need boot shortcuts then.

Plus, I need to change the boot order so I can do an image restore. I have to boot the machine from USB (Macrium Reflect). F2 is BIOS and boot order does not allow/indicate USB. I know there's a key that pre-boot loads a popup screen allowing you to change the boot order?

While I was in the BIOS yesterday I stumbled across the setting to disable fast boot or secure boot (forgot which now). Since Brink says to disable both I did. However, after clicking disable the system provided an intimidating warning that doing so could jeopardize the ability of the system to boot. Great. I didn't save the change?????

If you disable secure boot or change to legacy mode -- the existing copy of Windows on the drive will not boot.  If you make a Reflect recovery flash drive in UEFI mode, it is NOT NECESSARY to disable this in order to boot the recovery drive.

If you DO make the change to boot a non-UEFI boot medium, you MUST reverse the changes to boot from the re-imaged drive.

Sorry, but given my track record at not getting this stuff let me recount what I think you are suggesting.

1. Boot 8.1 as usual.

2. Insert a USB flash drive that has the Win10 .cab file that I have and mentioned earlier.

3. Double click the .cab file on USB and 8.1 will upgrade?

Can't be right, too easy ;-)

I think I may have steered you off course with the Reflect mention. The ONLY reason I imaged her 8.1/image is in case all went to h*ll in hand-wagon with the upgrade process (that I dread)

My mention of secure boot was ONLY in reference to Brink's tutorial cautioning to DISABLE both fast and secure boot before upgrading 8.1->10.

Is there something I misunderstood? Do I really not need to mess with those features if I'm just going to a) upgrade 8.1 to 10 via USB, and b) then remove that mechanical drive, insert an SSD and do a clean install of 10

Mark

Properly written, you should see a "Setup" file on the flash drive.  DId you use the Windows media creation tool to make the drive?

Well, not so fast.

All that happened after double clicking the .cab file on the USB flash drive was that it opened up an explorer view of the contents of the compressed .cab file? IOW's, my action did not cause the .cab file to execute?

Oops. Now in progress.

Thank you ejn63

The entire process went like a breeze!

Her laptop is running a clean Win10 with apps installed.

Her mechanical drive is now external and will be used for Reflect auto images.

Mark

ejn63,

Are you still there?

I'm posting to a new thread: 'Inspiron 15, 7537 will not boot from Macrium Reflect Rescue USB Flash drive'

Mark