[SOLVED] Issues when upgrading to windows 10 from windows 7

[katerinafm]

Hello everyone!

Recently, I attempted to upgrade my pretty old pc to windows 10. I used the 'upgrade now' option from the windows 10 installer, not a usb or iso. I did not do a clean install.

I had problems even during the end of the installation, with generic blue screen errors that didn't tell me what was causing the crash. Eventually as I was trying to boot into repair mode the installation finished by itself, but then the crashes continued seemingly randomly but with extreme frequency. The CPU was stuck at 100%, and the crashes would happen even before I logged in if I let the computer sit idle.

The problem, at least with the CPU (which I suspect was causing the crashes? I'm not an expert by any means and the error didn't say if it was a specific driver) did not appear to be happening when I'd boot into safe mode while trying to fix the issue. However nothing I tried worked. I also did not have sound anymore. Eventually I used the built in function that allowed me to go back to windows 7 if I do it within a week of the upgrade. That at least worked like a charm.

I am thinking of doing a clean install now, but of course I am extremely worried that the issue is going to persist even with a clean install, and since I've been told that with a clean install you don't have the built in option to roll back to windows 7, I am wary.

Does the fact that the crashes/100% cpu usage didn't happen in safe mode show promise? Does it mean that windows 10 is fine on my pc, it's just a leftover file from 7 or something that's not loading in safe mode that was causing the issues? My computer is 11 years old and I cannot afford a new one so I really don't want to mess it up.

System specs:
Foxconn H67M
gtx 1070 8gb
16gb ddr3 ram
intel i7-2600 @3.40GHz 2.80 GHz

Thank you!

 

[USAFRet]

Sometimes, an inplace upgrade goes wrong.
Simply does not work.

A fresh install may be the only solution.

But...taking an Image of the existing C drive, before you start, is strongly recommended.
That way, you can always go back and start over.

 

[katerinafm]

Sometimes, an inplace upgrade goes wrong.
Simply does not work.

A fresh install may be the only solution.

But...taking an Image of the existing C drive, before you start, is strongly recommended.
That way, you can always go back and start over.

A system image backup from the built in backup tool is not what you're referring to, is it? Do you mean a full clone of the hard drive using a tool like clonezilla?

Also what do you think about the issues not happening in safe mode?

 

[USAFRet]

A system image backup from the built in backup tool is not what you're referring to, is it? Do you mean a full clone of the hard drive using a tool like clonezilla?

Also what do you think about the issues not happening in safe mode?

No, not from the built in backup tool.

I use Macrium Reflect for this. Not a clone, an Image.
Although a clone would mostly work as well.

Not happening in Safe mode means that whatever is causing this is not being invoked in Safe Mode.
Could be a driver, could be hardware.

 

[katerinafm]

No, not from the built in backup tool.

I use Macrium Reflect for this. Not a clone, an Image.
Although a clone would mostly work as well.

Not happening in Safe mode means that whatever is causing this is not being invoked in Safe Mode.
Could be a driver, could be hardware.

Oh, I was hoping it meant it was something that would be fine with a clean install...

What's the difference between an image and a clone? The goal is to have a backup of windows 7 isn't it? I am okay with letting go of most of my files at this point, it's the option to go back to 7 that I want.

 

[USAFRet]

A clone consumes the entire target drive.
An Image, done in something like Macrium, results in a single file. A representation of the entire drive in that file.
You can continue to use the rest of the drive.

You can apply an Image to any drive with sufficient free space, without inpacting the rest of the data on it.
A clone will wipe out everything ont he target drive.

For this purpose, either method will work.


As for the clean install vs Upgrade....no way to really tell until you try it.

But a full wipe and install is MUCH more likely to work than an inplace upgrade.

 

[katerinafm]

A clone consumes the entire target drive.
An Image, done in something like Macrium, results in a single file. A representation of the entire drive in that file.
You can continue to use the rest of the drive.

You can apply an Image to any drive with sufficient free space, without inpacting the rest of the data on it.
A clone will wipe out everything ont he target drive.

For this purpose, either method will work.


As for the clean install vs Upgrade....no way to really tell until you try it.

But a full wipe and install is MUCH more likely to work than an inplace upgrade.

So if I use Macrium, it will create a backup of 7 and I can use it once I'm in windows 10 to roll back to 7, correct? Just want to make sure I understand. Is Macrium free?

 

[USAFRet]

The free version will work
https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree

You'll also need to create a Rescue USB. It in the Other Tasks - Create Rescue Media.


However....what state is the system in NOW?
You already did the Upgrade, and it does not work 100%.
Correct?

With the system in this state, you can't make an image of the previous Win 7.

 

[katerinafm]

The free version will work
https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree

You'll also need to create a Rescue USB. It in the Other Tasks - Create Rescue Media.


However....what state is the system in NOW?
You already did the Upgrade, and it does not work 100%.
Correct?

With the system in this state, you can't make an image of the previous Win 7.

Like I mentioned in my original post, once I couldn't figure out how to get windows 10 to work properly, I used the built-in function that windows 10 had that allowed me to go back to windows 7 (it is available for a week after you upgrade). So now I am running windows 7, not 10. This is an option that I've been told won't be available with a clean install.

 

[USAFRet]

Right.

OK, so the system is back on WIn 7, and running well?

Yes, a clean install will wipe out ALL of Win 7...nothing to go back to.


As mentioned though...sometimes the inplace upgrade fails where a fresh install works.


So, create a full drive backup of the existing Win 7.
Fresh install of Win 10, wiping out ALL of the original 7.
If it works, great.
If not, recover back to the Win 7.

Or...a fresh install of WIn 10 on a whole different drive.

What specific drive is in this, and what might you have available?

 

[katerinafm]

Right.

OK, so the system is back on WIn 7, and running well?

Yes, a clean install will wipe out ALL of Win 7...nothing to go back to.


As mentioned though...sometimes the inplace upgrade fails where a fresh install works.


So, create a full drive backup of the existing Win 7.
Fresh install of Win 10, wiping out ALL of the original 7.
If it works, great.
If not, recover back to the Win 7.

Or...a fresh install of WIn 10 on a whole different drive.

What specific drive is in this, and what might you have available?

Windows 7 is running well right now. I've had issues in the past but they seem to be ironed out.

A full drive backup of win7 using macrium's operating system backup or should it be a backup of the entire disk, including files, etc? I have no idea which would be best.

My hard drive is a 1tb hdd and I also have a backup drive of the same type. I also have an 8gb usb (everything else I have is much smaller and I imagine not much help for this)

 

[USAFRet]

Entire drive, all partitions.

In the event that a full wipe and reinstall with Win 10 is needed, the files would be wiped out as well.


Also, your personal files....copy them off to your other drive as well.
Again, in the even of a full wipe and reinstall for Win 10, you'd be able to easily copy them to the new install.

 

[katerinafm]

Entire drive, all partitions.

In the event that a full wipe and reinstall with Win 10 is needed, the files would be wiped out as well.


Also, your personal files....copy them off to your other drive as well.
Again, in the even of a full wipe and reinstall for Win 10, you'd be able to easily copy them to the new install.

Oof, a new backup of the entire 1tb drive will take the entire day (literally, at least from my experiencing backing up my hdd in the past), but if you're telling me my existing system image backup is not enough to get 7 out of it if needed I guess it can't be avoided .

 

[USAFRet]

Oof, a new backup of the entire 1tb drive will take the entire day (literally, at least from my experiencing backing up my hdd in the past), but if you're telling me my existing system image backup is not enough to get 7 out of it if needed I guess it can't be avoided .

An Image in Macrium should only take an hour or two.

How full is this 1TB?

 

[katerinafm]

An Image in Macrium should only take an hour or two.

How full is this 1TB?

Like 800gb by now. Both my hard drive and back up hard drive are not ssd

 

[USAFRet]

Start the Image creation and see what it says about time.

 

[katerinafm]

Start the Image creation and see what it says about time.

Hi, sorry for the last response, it's taken me a few days to get some things in order.

I downloaded macrium reflect and I clicked backup and then windows backup and it's creating an image. I followed a tutorial video. This is what you meant yeah? It's currently saying it will take 8 hours but the time keeps changing so I don't know how indicative it is of how long it'll take.

 

[USAFRet]

Hi, sorry for the last response, it's taken me a few days to get some things in order.

I downloaded macrium reflect and I clicked backup and then windows backup and it's creating an image. I followed a tutorial video. This is what you meant yeah?

Assuming you clicked and selected the right things, yes.

 

[katerinafm]

Assuming you clicked and selected the right things, yes.

Besides what I told you I don't know if you mean anything specific by 'right things'. This is the tutorial I'm following backing up your windows using macrium reflect

 

[USAFRet]

Besides what I told you I don't know if you mean anything specific by 'right things'. This is the tutorial I'm following backing up your windows using macrium reflect

If you selected ALL partitions from the Source drive, yes.

 

[katerinafm]

I was about to start the clean install but already I am unable to boot from the usb and I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I made a bootable usb using rufus with these settings and selected the usb in the boot menu but it still just launches normally. Am I missing something?

 

[katerinafm]

If you selected ALL partitions from the Source drive, yes.

Edit: Forgot to mention I remade the usb without rufus and just used the media creation tool of the installer to make my usb automatically and then i could start the installation of 10.

Hi. I seem to be having the same issues that I had with an upgrade with a clean install. Crashes with error KMODE EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED from the end of the installation, ran the installation a few times and it finished somehow after crashes in between, and now I have the same issue of constant crashes (same error every time) and CPU is stuck at 100%. I am currently in safe mode which seems to work, but that's about the only stable thing right now. I can't even stay in normal mode long enough to dig around. Help?

 

[katerinafm]

Well, a note for others that might have this issue, while I was not able to get windows 10 to work, macrium reflect's restore worked great. Was able to restore windows 7 using macrium's rescue media and a backed up image of my windows 7. Thank you USAFRet for suggesting it.