Windows 7 - free/cheap upgrade to Windows 10?

EveryWhere

DIYhelp76 wrote: »

Hi

I first started this thread months ago but then life intervened...am glad it's helped others though.

I'm back to post the details of my laptop (below).

It has a great screen and I would like to keep it if I can make it faster. At the moment, sometimes it's speedy, other times it takes AGES to boot up and AGES to load web pages. I run Zone Alarm Firewall and Avast free antivirus. I've come close to throwing it across the room several times...:o

On some webpages it spends ages searching for a secure connection and running stuff like adnxs.com, googleads, adsafeprotected.com, adclick.g.doubleclick and all other kinds of nonsense I don't understand.

I have an ad blocker running too (AdBlock) and I defrag regularly.

I'm completely UNTECHNICAL so any step by step, simple guidance really appreciated - how do I know if there is the ability to remove and replace my hard drive inside the laptop or not? Is it an easy thing to do or do I risk breaking the laptop completely?

I have an external hard drive back up of all my files, photos etc. but don't know how to back up anything else I might need, such as the existing Windows software.

LAPTOP SPECS:

Windows 7 Home Premium

Hewlett Packard HP G72 Notebook PC
Intel R Pentium R CPU P6100 @ 2.00GHz
Memory RAM installed - 3.00GB (2.43 GB usable)
64 bit operating system

C: local disk = 27.5GB free of 282GB
Recovery 2.19GB free of 15.2GB
DVD Drive RW (E:)


Many thanks for any help in how I can improve speed and reliability.

You have way too much rubbish running and that includes ZoneAlarm and AVAST.

Browsers and other methods are now more helpful in blocking nasties than they were before.

But you should simply swap to an SSD and clean install Windows 10 Pro to it and then copy over any data you wish to keep. leave all of the bloat and slowness behind.

The good news is that you should have a dedicated hatch for the storage drive, so it should be a relatively easy swap. Perhaps ten to fifteen minutes for the uninitiated.

You can get an overview here(though they takes the unnecessary step of removing the tab at the far right hand side, when they only needed to remove the connector from the hard drive bracket itself. No harm done, as it makes it less likely you will do damage by tugging at it unnecessarily.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3xQ5OG5Xrc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3xQ5OG5Xrc


Then you remove the old HDD from that bracket, replace it with the SSD and put everything back together.

You'll be moving to Windows 10 64 bit during the upgrade process.

grumpycrab

DIYhelp76 wrote: »

other times it takes AGES to boot up and AGES to load web pages. I run Zone Alarm Firewall and Avast free antivirus.

Unless there's a hardware problem that is not the fault of the disk drive, I agree with Everywhere. It's a risk free approach :- take existing hard drive out - its always there as an archive - put in SSD e.g. £23 for 240GB and clean install Windows10.


Copying data back off the orignal hard drive is easy (and guess its backed up somewhere anyway.) Probably worth first looking at your program installs on the existing hard drive. Whether you'll need to reinstall these under Windows10 is up to you but you may want to make a note of them now. And if any need license keys, make sure you have these for later too.

EveryWhere

:)For when it comes to parts, you can choose to take it up to 4 GB of RAM, by purchasing a 2 GB module for £4 or take it up to 8GB by purchasing 2 x 4GB for £26; https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/16GB-8GB-4GB-Memory-RAM-Laptop-Notebook-PC3-8500-DDR3-1066-MH-204-PIN-SoDIMM-LOT/322773538302

These might work, at £12 for 2 x 4 GB; https://uk.webuy.com/product-detail/?id=smem2q2aa Though no guarantee.

SSD, according to your budget. Crucial MX500 is oft recommended.

Let us know when you are ready to begin. See you in a few months :rotfl:

Aidanmc

caveman38 wrote: »

After my Laptop downloaded the latest update of W10 (1903 I believe) I noted that the OS now used 50+ Gb.
On my PC which I intend updating to W10 I only have 34Gb of free space on my SSD. To simplify things and keep all programs etc. I was hoping to use that SSD (although a clean install with a new SSD would be cheap to do)
Does anyone know what the HD space requirement is for the upgrade.

I did a clean install of windows 10 after fitting a new SSD and it used 25Gb.

DIYhelp76

Hello EveryWhere and Grumpycrab,

Thanks both for your helpful replies.

I'm determined to get started on this without many more months intervening! Thanks for the You Tube video - there is a "hatch" and it seems straightforward...

Just a few quick questions:

My existing drive seems to have around 297GB (282 GB C drive and 15GB D drive). But the drive you are suggesting I replace with is 240GB. Would I be able to put in a much larger capacity SSD drive or wouldn't that work? I've had to offload a lot of music and photos to a portable hard drive but in an ideal world would like to store everything also on the laptop drive for direct access. So would like to future proof by putting in as big a capacity as possible. How do I know what capacity will be compatible with the laptop I have?

RAM - the existing RAM is 3.00GB and it says 2.43GB of this is "usable". Would you still recommend increasing this - if so is it a similarly easy task (hatch and unplug one and hook up another)?

Restoring Windows - all I have is a sticker on the bottom of the laptop which says "Windows 7 Home Premium" and has a product key written on it. Would I just go to a Windows website, insert that product key and that would allow me to freely download/install Windows 10? I don't think I have any discs.

One last point - recently the laptop tends to get very hot underneath now with use - often I have to take the battery out and just use mains power. Does this mean it may be about to die and so not worth undertaking the above?

Thanks again.

grumpycrab

DIYhelp76 wrote: »

the drive you are suggesting I replace with is 240GB.

We suggest a clean install. Windows needs 25GB. Cost versus convenience. If you must have your music/pics on your computer, then yes, get a bigger drive. Or perhaps you have lots of programs to install? But 500GB is about £75.

DIYhelp76 wrote: »

recently the laptop tends to get very hot underneath now with use

Yes, this is a risk. Visually examine the vents (one sucks in cold air and another blows out hot air). If you see dust, carefully vacuum the vents (laptop off of-course); with a bit of luck this will dislodge and remove any dust. If this makes little difference then you may need to open latop to extract any stuck dust (usually lodges between fan and outgoing vent) and/or renew thermal paste between CPU and heatsink (not a basic task.)

The memory upgrade is easy and cost effective. The Windows10 license is free and Everywhere will advise.(e.g. you don't need a license to download Windows10 to a required 8GB USB stick.)

EveryWhere

DIYhelp76 wrote: »

Hello EveryWhere and Grumpycrab,

Thanks both for your helpful replies.

I'm determined to get started on this without many more months intervening! Thanks for the You Tube video - there is a "hatch" and it seems straightforward...

Just a few quick questions:

My existing drive seems to have around 297GB (282 GB C drive and 15GB D drive). But the drive you are suggesting I replace with is 240GB. Would I be able to put in a much larger capacity SSD drive or wouldn't that work? I've had to offload a lot of music and photos to a portable hard drive but in an ideal world would like to store everything also on the laptop drive for direct access. So would like to future proof by putting in as big a capacity as possible. How do I know what capacity will be compatible with the laptop I have?

RAM - the existing RAM is 3.00GB and it says 2.43GB of this is "usable". Would you still recommend increasing this - if so is it a similarly easy task (hatch and unplug one and hook up another)?

Restoring Windows - all I have is a sticker on the bottom of the laptop which says "Windows 7 Home Premium" and has a product key written on it. Would I just go to a Windows website, insert that product key and that would allow me to freely download/install Windows 10? I don't think I have any discs.

One last point - recently the laptop tends to get very hot underneath now with use - often I have to take the battery out and just use mains power. Does this mean it may be about to die and so not worth undertaking the above?

Thanks again.

I didn't suggest 240 GB. I suggested a particular brand. The capacity is only dependent on your budget/how much you wish to spend.
But looking at the issue of overheating, you might choose to spend less, rather than more; https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebooks-Archive-Read-Only/HP-G72-110SA-overheating/td-p/647755

I've already indicated that you should upgrade the RAM to at least 4 GB of RAM. Did you miss that post? There is a similar hatch for the RAM. Even more simple to swap the existing 1 GB module for a 2 GB or 4 GB module.

You won't be using the product key. You'll be using the gatherosstate method to upgrade; https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/23354-clean-install-windows-10-directly-without-having-upgrade-first.html
.

In conclusion, I would not spend too much on it, because of it's inherent fault related to the overheating.
You can always move the SSD to a new device if and when the G72 fails. So it's not a waste of money regardless.
RAM you would not be able to re-use, but it is not expensive anyway.
You can choose between the 2GB module of PC8500 DDR3 1066MHz for £4 or the 2 x 4 GB modules of PC10600 DDR3 1333MHz for £12.

The price differential between cheap and good SSD is not that much. Perhaps £15 on a 500 GB SSD.
Which is why I recommend the Crucial MX500 regardless, as you would be happy to move that to any new device. It also has a five year warranty, as compared to three with the cheaper models.

EveryWhere

First step, after choosing the path you wish to take and ordering the items, is to create the installation media;
Creating the Windows 10 USB flash drive
Visit the Microsoft Media Creation Tool website
Click on Download Tool Now.
Save the Application.
Plug your USB Flash Drive into the PC where you saved the application.
Run the Application.
Accept the EULA
Select Create installation media for another PC and click Next.
Choose the correct settings for your version of Windows 10
Language (Country)
Windows 10
64-bit (x64)
Click Next.
Select USB Flash Drive and click Next.
Select the Flash Drive and click Next.

You'll need an empty USB Flash drive with a capacity of at least 8 GB. DVD are not suitable.

almillar

My existing drive seems to have around 297GB (282 GB C drive and 15GB D drive). But the drive you are suggesting I replace with is 240GB. Would I be able to put in a much larger capacity SSD drive or wouldn't that work? I've had to offload a lot of music and photos to a portable hard drive but in an ideal world would like to store everything also on the laptop drive for direct access. So would like to future proof by putting in as big a capacity as possible. How do I know what capacity will be compatible with the laptop I have?

Excellent question, asked at the right time, BEFORE buying! Well, how much data do you have, and how much is just crud? If everything is organised, right click on your 'Music' folder and click properties - it will show you the size in GB. Do the same for your Pictures folder, and Videos even. A 240GB SSD is arou £25, a 480GB one can be had for under £50 I think. If you don't mind spending more, since you do have a lot of data, just go for it.

Frozen_up_north

DonnySaver wrote: »

Windows 10 has caused me hours of pain since I upgraded to it. Had at least 2 very lengthy sessions with MS to try and fix stuff that Windows 10 updates caused. Ended up totally re-installing Windows each time.

Problems with Windows 7 machine = None.

I would NEVER buy another MS machine again. IF I could it afford I would buy a Mac....but I can't so I'm stuck with my crap Windows 10 machine for now.

Nothing wrong with Windows 10, I’m not a Microsoft fan but have no issues with Win 10 that are attributable to Microsoft. The only problems have been driver issues for cards where the manufacturers haven’t provided updates, or software that was initially written years ago and not updated to work correctly with Win 10 (HD screen on laptop, hard to read as not written to be dpi monitor aware).