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Windows 10 updates

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by doniel

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Years back, when Windows 10 was being offered as a free upgrade, I downloaded the file. Since Windows 11 is now being offered as a free upgrade, I installed Windows 10, while keeping Win8.1 as my active system. I ran Windows PC Health Checkup to find out what hardware I'd need to upgrade to, but it told me that I need build 1803 or higher to run that program. Windows Update claims my system is up to date. How do I get Update to recognize that my system is NOT up to date and get it to update my system properly?

26 replies

by rproffitt

So it's too early to install. The Windows PC Health Checkup is known to be defective so again we wait for Microsoft to issue yet another version.

-> You didn't reveal what Windows you have. Run WINVER and supply what it reports.

Also, many installs of Windows are either damaged or have antivirus suites that can break that PC Health app. For now, because Windows 11 is unreleased and strictly for folk to try (alpha?) no one I know is doing anything with it on their own PCs.

by rproffitt

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/all/version-1511-os-build-10586104-will-not-update-to/96e26beb-6930-4816-b53f-4c8f6a3d4286 notes this among other discussions on the web.

There have been folk that disabled updates or just don't know why their PC won't update.

After a client has all their stuff backed up or we pull their old HDD out to install a SSD for boot, we'll create new W10 install media using the FREE tool from Microsoft called the "Media Creation Tool" (google finds it.)

As to the license, it is digital and unless there's something untold about this PC, you don't have to enter the key.

After the machine is working again we add the old HDD as a second data drive so the owner can get their files copied over.

[b] Summing it up. I don't expect the Windows PC Health Check to work on such an old Windows version.[/b]

by kees_b

Can you tell more about "I installed Windows 10, while keeping Win8.1 as my active system". Seems strange. As Bob already asked: what does winver say when you're in your Windows 10 system that says you're up to date?

It's very well possible that Windows 11 can be installed to replace a Windows 8.1 installation directly. In that case, there is no need to go via Windows 10. Wait until the .iso file for Windows 11 is made public and see.

by doniel

Bob, can't give you the version yet. Rebooting is always a time-consuming hassle. As soon as I can get to it, I'll let you know.
Kees_B, I prefer to continue to use Win8.1 for as long as possible. I believe it has about another year and a half until support ends.
I'm doing all this just to be ready to get Windows 11 as a free upgrade. I haven't seen anywhere that it will be a free upgrade to Win8.1 users.
I hope that clarifies. If not, please ask.

by kees_b

Windows 11 isn't yet offered at all. But there is near 100% chance that it will be a free upgrade for Windows 10 forever, and - indeed - a somewhat smaller change (my guess is 99%) that it will be a free upgrade for Windows 8.1 forever also.

If you want to be really, really safe, install the current version of Windows 10 on a new (temporary) HDD or SSD. That will be free and work if your PC is authorised for Windows 10, as it apparently is. Then, when Windows 11 is released, upgrade to Windows 11 to make your PC authorised for Windows 11.

But first check if your hardware is compatible, for example running the program from https://www.whynotwin11.com/ . Please realise that Windows 11 won't run or only run unsupported on older hardware, such as practically all PC's that came with Windows 8.1 before 2019.

If it all works then replace that temporary disk by your current Windows 8.1 disk and you can switch to Windows 11 as long as you have this PC.

by doniel

Thank you, Kees_B. You wrote: install the current version of Windows 10. Where can I get it?

by kees_b

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 has it. Use "create installation media" (DVD or USB stick and boot from that to install it. That is what Bob meant when he wrote "media creation tool".

Isn't that the same location where you got your 1511 version from?

by doniel

You don't actually expect me to remember where I got it all these years later, do you? I'm creating a USB drive right now. Hopefully, it will install an up-to-date version of Windows 10.
As I wrote Bob above, I downloaded whynot11win11 and it worked. As far as I'm concerned, this is resolved. Thank you, Kees_B!

by doniel

I installed Windows 10 from my USB drive and this time, it's an up-to-date version. It ran WindowsPCHealthCheck and all I need to do now is basically trash my current system. :-)
Once again, my thanks to you guys!

by doniel

That WAS how I created the file from which I installed Windows 10. My option for updates is: Automatically.
At any rate, this is all moot now. I downloaded whynotwin11 as suggested by Kees_B and it worked. So, as I'm about to write in reply to his last post, I consider this resolved.
Once again, thank you, Bob!

by chalessmith

Go to Settings >> Update >> Check for Update

And then the System will itself tell whether your system is eligible for update or not

by doniel

While I appreciate your wanting to help, I installed Windows 10 a few weeks back. (I wasn't able to reply when you first posted. There was a technical issue and TechRepublic's support wasn't able to figure out the problem.)

by doniel

I installed Windows 11, but there were a couple of hiccups. The first was that I couldn't get an Internet connection. I was able to determine the problem - I needed to enable DHCP on my router - but I can't for the life of me understand why I had an Internet connection with DHCP disabled in Win8.1 and Windows 10, but not in Windows 11. The second problem was when I went back into Win8.1, the OS I currently use, the partition I'd installed Windows 11 into wasn't showing. I found that it didn't have a letter assigned to it - it was shown as Local Drive (1:) - and once I assigned it a letter, all was well. What happened there?

by rproffitt

It's for testing at the moment and support is where you find it or Microsoft.

by doniel

My understanding is that it officially began to roll out on Oct. 5th.

by rproffitt

Try https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows11/

But the SAME ISSUES REMAIN as prior Windows. That is you must be adept at finding, installing and configuring BIOS and drivers.

It's far from install and use.

by doniel

that you have no answers to my questions?

by rproffitt

" How do I get Update to recognize that my system is NOT up to date and get it to update my system properly? "

Which looks to be solved. As W11 is quite new there will be issues that no one has good answers to.

-> Here's one. Why doesn't the Windows 11 task bar work on the second monitor?

That's something for Microsoft to address as this is a closed source OS.

-> But here's what I'm seeing the same as the Windows before 11. Same old issues about drivers, BIOS, settings and more.

Something about the Emperor's new clothes?

by doniel

has been uncomplicated. Other than DHCP, the install went smoothly. But that's just my experience. I hear you.
(As to the original topic, that was resolved weeks ago.)
I was hoping to get clarity on the two issues that cropped up, but if it's not to be, it's not to be.
Thanks, as always, for your input, Bob.

by rproffitt

When you have a new issue, it's best to have a new discussion.

by doniel

But since I was trying to update Windows 10 in order to install Windows 11, I decided that this was a logical extension of the original discussion.
I've seen threads in other forums that are way longer than this.
Nevertheless, I'll keep it in mind for the future.

by rproffitt

Time for a new discussion since everyone has to look across pages to find what are the issues, what's solved, what's not, etc.

by doniel

I just explained what my thinking was. I conceded that it could have been wrong when I wrote that I'll keep it in mind for the future.

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