Vostro 460/XPS 8300, Upgrade Adventures

I've never had issues with ORICO PFU3-4P Cards that have Fresco Logic FL1100-1G0-SX Chipset. However My goal was getting it working in Mac Pro Tower with OSX as well as with windows.  There are no OSX drivers for NEC-based USB 3.0 chipsets. Compatible with Windows 2000/XP/VISTA/7/8/10 , MAC OS,Linux 

https://www.amazon.com/ORICO-Express-Controller-Compatible-OS、Linux/dp/B01J4CHJNA/

You may want a

https://www.amazon.com/Coolerguys-4-Pin-Molex-Sleeved-Extension/dp/B0014XDBIA

Sata to Molex

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Cable-Adapter-Female-8-inch/dp/B07BQFKTG7

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@speedstep wrote:

I've never had issues with ORICO PFU3-4P Cards that have Fresco Logic FL1100-1G0-SX Chipset.

Thanks for the recommendation.

I also found Orico a while back. I like their External USB-3.x HDD Enclosures. They support UASP so speed is real nice and they seem to be reliable ... inexpensive but I say still good. 

Dude!!! This Works!! Took me a while to get my head around it. . Thank you so much! I've just gone from A03 to A06 and Im doing A07 now. . Looking at getting to A014.. Ill let you know how I go 👍

You don't have to go one by one but you cannot jump 14 versions from A00 all the way to A14 in one step.

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@RC_Ed wrote:

Dude!!! This Works!! Took me a while to get my head around it. . Thank you so much! I've just gone from A03 to A06 and Im doing A07 now. . Looking at getting to A014.. Ill let you know how I go 👍

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Excellent.

Right, while the stock Rufus way was good enough for some Dells (over the years), this is what was required for these ones to work. 

Yeah, it's like going back to to the early 90's and playing with DOS again ... good-times :Stickouttongue:

I too just do them all in order (checking BIOS each time) like, what's the rush. I'm just happy to see it work and not brick. 

I'm kinda wondering what machine you have. Looks like this BIOS update procedure also worked recently on an Inspiron 660.

https://www.dell.com/community/Inspiron-Desktops/Inspiron-660-BIOS-update-error-for-PCIe-issue/m-p/6159152#M7123

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@Tesla1856 wrote:

UPGRADES and PROCEDURES Done
   

In-place upgrade from Windows-7 to (free) Windows-10 Pro 64-bit :Cool:
- Try connecting live ethernet cable before you start so it gets final pre-install updates
- Maybe it didn't reboot on-its-own that one first time, but Install was normal and fine otherwise.
- All this will be deleted and wiped soon (but now I got legit Windows-10)

Clean-installed Windows-10 Pro 64bit (v1703) to blank/raw SSD.
- Used Microsoft.com made flash-drive. F12 to start.
- Entered Windows-7 key from sticker on machine. Full install to blank SSD.
- Took about 15 minutes total (including a few reboots)
- Windows Installer formatted SSD as MBR/NTFS (says DiskPart later)
- Device Manager is clean and correct. Windows-10 Pro 64bit shows Activated
- Set to Private Network and other network settings
- Boots up (to fully loaded and usable desktop) in about 15 seconds. :Cool:

 

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Hey guys

After reading this I went ahead and cleaned up the trusty XPS 8500 (Bios A12) and did an upgrade in place from W7 Ultimate x64 to W10 Pro x64.  Version 1809  (Used W7 driver for bluetooth/wireless adapter for only missing driver in device manager)

After the W10 upgrade, I followed Tesla’s lead for a leaner “clean” W10 install with a Microsoft created bootable USB stick install to the reformatted blank 256GB M4 SSD. 

The only thing I did different was when I was prompted to enter a key, I chose “I don’t have a product key” rather than entering the key off the COA sticker.

After install, the Windows 10 Pro install says it is activated with a digital license.

Guessing the motherboard received the digital license from the upgrade and Windows 10 activated itself after the install?

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@HanoverB wrote:

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After install, the Windows 10 Pro install says it is activated with a digital license.

 

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Nice. Good to hear that still works (free Windows-10 Pro 64bit for that machine)

I'm not sure how much of Microsoft's Activation Technology is suppose to be public knowledge.  :Smile:

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@Tesla1856 wrote:

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@HanoverB wrote:

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After install, the Windows 10 Pro install says it is activated with a digital license.

 

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Nice. Good to hear that still works (free Windows-10 Pro 64bit for that machine)

I'm not sure how much of Microsoft's Activation Technology is suppose to be public knowledge.  :Smile:

 

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XPS 8300 upgrade in place to Windows 10 Pro successful and all drivers installed without any additional installations necessary.  !00% functional.  Grandson now able to use the Spotify app which was not functional with Windows 7.

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@HanoverB wrote:

 

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@Tesla1856 wrote:

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@HanoverB wrote:

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After install, the Windows 10 Pro install says it is activated with a digital license.

 

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Nice. Good to hear that still works (free Windows-10 Pro 64bit for that machine)

I'm not sure how much of Microsoft's Activation Technology is suppose to be public knowledge.  :Smile:

 

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XPS 8300 upgrade in place to Windows 10 Pro successful and all drivers installed without any additional installations necessary.  !00% functional.  Grandson now able to use the Spotify app which was not functional with Windows 7.

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Yeah, XPS-8300/Vostro-460 are still useful machines.

Can't beat FREE Windows-10.

I wonder if machines with only (legit) Windows-7 Home (non-Pro) still get the free upgrade?

I'm still a fan of "clean installs" and still do them when I have time-to or a reason to. However, Microsoft has really improved the upgrade process. It actually works 100% now. :Smile:

https://www.dell.com/community/Alienware-General-Read-Only/Alienware-Aurora-R1-Windows-10-Pro-Upgrade-Smooth-sailing-so-far/td-p/5512004

I have an Optiplex GX620 tower that I have used since 2006.

The hard drive has been replaced as has the DL2032 battery.

The Video Card was upgraded to Radeon HD6450.

It ran WIN98SE,  XP,  Windows 7,  Windows 8.0,  and now runs Windows 10 just fine.

Because its a tower the power supply can always be replaced with standard EPS 12v power supply.

Hard drives and Batteries fail over time but the rest of the unit will probably outlive me.

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@Tesla1856 wrote:

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I wonder if machines with only (legit) Windows-7 Home (non-Pro) still get the free upgrade?

However, Microsoft has really improved the upgrade process. It actually works 100% now. :Smile:

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It was surprisingly easy and was waiting for the Dell wireless card driver issue to show up, but it didn't.  They must get data back from the installs and add drivers as time passes.  

According to this upgrade path page, W7 Home (with a digital license I assume) will still upgrade to W10 Pro.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/upgrade/windows-10-upgrade-paths

Sweet deal.

So the question is, if it does default upgrade to W10 Home, is there a free upgrade path to Pro?

Can I actually do that on my XPS 8930 running W10 Home?

Edit: From reading on the web, it looks like W7 Home upgrades to W10 Home.   Still a free upgrade though.

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@HanoverB wrote:

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@Tesla1856 wrote:

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I wonder if machines with only (legit) Windows-7 Home (non-Pro) still get the free upgrade?

However, Microsoft has really improved the upgrade process. It actually works 100% now. :Smile:

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1. So the question is, if it does default upgrade to W10 Home, is there a free upgrade path to Pro?

2. Can I actually do that on my XPS 8930 running W10 Home?

3.  it looks like W7 Home upgrades to W10 Home.   Still a free upgrade though.

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1. I think you can use "Windows Anytime Upgrade" to get from Home to Pro, but I doubt it is free.

2. Yes, I think so since that is it's main purpose.

3. Right. I was just wondering if it still works. Someone said only Pro upgrades were still working. The upgrade-offer period ended years ago.

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@speedstep wrote:

I have an Optiplex GX620 tower that I have used since 2006.

The hard drive has been replaced as has the DL2032 battery.

The Video Card was upgraded to Radeon HD6450.

It ran WIN98SE,  XP,  Windows 7,  Windows 8.0,  and now runs Windows 10 just fine.

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Wow; I'm impressed. :Smile:

I'm also impressed with Tesla1856's upgrades. :Smile:

@Tesla1856 

I'm confused on upgrading past A06 on XPS 8300. Can this be done and where is the firmware coming from?

Right now I'm on A06 XPS 8300. I want to boot off a 4gig SSD. Is this possible to get UEFI support?

I'm confused on upgrading past A06 on XPS 8300. Can this be done and where is the firmware coming from?

Right now I'm on A06 XPS 8300. I want to boot off a 4gig SSD. Is this possible to get UEFI support?