Is it possible to set up Windows 10 from an ISO file on your laptop without risking data loss?
Is it possible to set up Windows 10 from an ISO file on your laptop without risking data loss?
It's around midnight here, but I'm really worried about a heart attack. After attempting to set up Windows 10 on my Windows 8.1 machine, I kept encountering the message "Windows cannot install on a USB drive" or similar oddities. Once I tried figuring out the problem, I decided to restart the laptop, and now it's showing a boot error (I'm currently downstairs). I checked online for solutions like "reinstall Win 8.1," but I can't do that right now. My laptop holds a lot of crucial data, so I'm considering making an ISO for Windows 10 and installing it directly instead of fixing or reinstalling the old version. The issue seems to be with the boot configuration file missing some necessary details. Can I still install Windows 10 from a bootable ISO without having to wipe everything? Thanks in advance.
The best method to perform the upgrade while keeping your files safe is to begin the setup on your previous Windows version. Because it won’t boot there, you’ll need to format the hard drive first. An alternative is to boot from the Windows 8 installation disk, fix the existing system, and then upgrade from that point.
Consider downloading the Win8.1 ISO and creating a repair disk if you need to fix your system.