How to get a new OS on a Netbook with no CD reader?

pappa_golf

think what you want , possibly add some technical input as well "if" you can.

kwikbreaks

An Atom based netbook is unlikely to have the grunt to run full fat Win 7. I've put the Starter Edition on one and it runs but isn't a sparkling performer even with an SSD and the full 2GB the chipset will support.

esuhl

pappa_golf wrote: »

if you reload win xp (how?) where are you going to get 10 yrs + of security updates from?

You can get SP3 here:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/windows-xp-service-pack-3.aspx

And post-SP3 hotfixes at various places like these:
http://www.ryanvm.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6438&sid=f2c1da7a6bb05954fa3db5d62ffa8831
http://xdot.tk/
http://www.windowsupdatesdownloader.com/

It should be pretty straightforward if you have copy/image of the installation/recovery media.

esuhl

pfpf wrote: »

Hi.
My netbook has XP on it and I would like W7 on it. (Please leave the W10 debate for now).

Not wanting to start a debate... but... would Linux be of interest?

The distro I use (Arch) is not something I'd recommend unless you want to read lots of wiki pages and spend a fair bit of time manually configuring your system, but it runs soooo much faster than XP on my Atom-based netbook. Maybe there's an easier-to-use lightweight distro that might suit your needs.

If not, fair enough.

NiftyDigits

pfpf wrote: »

Hi.
My netbook has XP on it and I would like W7 on it. (Please leave the W10 debate for now).

Is there a way to upgrade online and then add a key? Or do I need to buy W7 on cd and connect a portable CD reader?

Thanks.

Why not begin with the brand and model number of the Netbook? Perhaps there are better options available. Also helpful to know how much RAM is installed.

Forget about utilising your current copies of Windows 7 unless you wish to install Windows 7 Home upwards.

kwikbreaks

Take note of niftydigits now he's here. It was his guidance that got my XP netbook running Win 7. I have since tried it on Win 10 but will probably go back to Win 7 on it as it is a laggard running 10.

System

kwikbreaks wrote: »

An Atom based netbook is unlikely to have the grunt to run full fat Win 7. I've put the Starter Edition on one and it runs but isn't a sparkling performer even with an SSD and the full 2GB the chipset will support.

I run Home premium on an NC10 (atom based). Runs quite happily with 2GB RAM. Even runs MS Office quite happily as well

kwikbreaks

!!!!!! wrote: »

I run Home premium on an NC10 (atom based). Runs quite happily with 2GB RAM. Even runs MS Office quite happily as well

Fair enough - that's about the same spec as mine.

I suppose what one person calls "quite happily" may well be what I'd call "non sparkling" as it's just subjective and based on what you are used to and I rarely use my netbook these days. Apart from dropping aero and media player I'm not 100% sure of the difference between Starter and Home Premium but it probably isn't much. I know it's what the later netbooks were sold with but it may have just been licencing costs that determined it.

musafir05

download the iso from getintopc.com
use ebay to grab a msdn license from a seller.
use rufus to create a bootable usb.
install and activate.
wait for windows 10 notification and upgrade to it.

esuhl

kwikbreaks wrote: »

Apart from dropping aero and media player I'm not 100% sure of the difference between Starter and Home Premium but it probably isn't much. I know it's what the later netbooks were sold with but it may have just been licencing costs that determined it.

Windows 7 Starter is effectively just a crippled version of Win7 Home Premium, etc.

It's 32-bit only and, as you say, lacks the Aero graphics features and media components.

I imagine Home Premium would run just as fast as Starter if you disabled the Aero features, etc.