Top critical review
1.0 out of 5 starsInstallation was a bear, and the USB I got was not WIN 10 Pro version
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2016
Well packaged for a Microsoft product; however, installation is extremely problematic on my new Dell desktop running WIN 8.1. The installation instructions are nil. They say to set up your computer to boot to the USB drive. Well, in new computers running WIN 8.1, that is a multi-step process, and I had to go to Dell and Microsoft and other blogs to finally get clear instructions. WIN 8.1 does not allow easy access to BIOS to make the boot order change, and the direct access to BIOS (needed to change boot order) now goes through an intermediate step - UEFI. Once in and changed, a re-start is needed and you must navigate to the 'file manager' and locate "SETUP" stored on the USB drive. This latter step is never mentioned! THEN, if you have an internet connection, the set up program looks for updates. This takes an inordinately long time. After that, installation of WIN 10 PRO begins. I'll update later if WIN 10 PRO is actually worth all this effort; but as is the installation using the USB drive is a PITA. I would have thought that with all their (Microsoft) expertise, they would have come up with a much more user-friendly and easier way to upgrade one of their own OS (WIN 8.1) systems. This is like driving square pegs into round holes. And, in case you're wondering, I have lots of computer experience, a new DELL desktop with plenty of RAM, and a high speed internet connection. So, it ain't me, folks. :-) PS Only reason I did this was my employer required WIN 10 PRO for its "security features," otherwise I would have sent this USB back pronto.
Update: Few days after my nightmare installation, I have WIN 10 Pro up and running, or so I thought. I could not seem to get the encryption application or feature to load and install, and it supposedly comes with WIN 10 Pro. After Googling and reading, I go to Microsoft for help. The agent examines my machine, and tells me I do not have WIN 10 Pro, but rather WIN 10 Home. Huh? I paid for, and the retail packaging said "PRO." But, alas, it was not - it was HOME, and that was why the encryption feature (BitLocker) was not installed. It was never on the USB drive to begin with. So, and I do not blame Amazon, because they are wonderful about issues like this; whoever sold this USB WIN 10 Pro to Amazon either deliberately or inadvertently put the wrong software on the USB drive. I think it may have been counterfeit, because since the installation, my mouse and computer have been behaving erratically, and my Anti-Malware software detected hits; and that was unusual. So, I had to send it back for a refund. Thanks, Amazon, for standing behind your customers; but, buyers of this software -- beware.