I have an old Win7 Dell that I updated to Win1020H2. 22H2
refused to do anything but a fresh install, but 20H2 updated
and accepted the OEM license.
I decided to then test updating from 20H2 to 22H2. No go.
Then I was reading that the system files are identical from
2004 to 22H2.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/kb5015684-featured-update-to-windows-10-version-22h2-by-using-an-enablement-package-09d43632-f438-47b5-985e-d6fd704eee61
So now I'm curious. Is there any official listing of what's different?
I assume that I'm missing a lot of security updates in 20H2
that I won't be able to get, but is there anything else noteworthy?
I remove Edge and Apps, so none of that matters to me. I had
assumed that each year updated system files. Has there really been
no change aside from fluff and security patches in 5 years?
19H2 November 2019 Update 18363
20H1 May 2020 Update 19041 \
20H2 October 2020 Update 19042 \
21H1 May 2021 Update 19043 \___ Funny numeric pattern
21H2 November 2021 Update 19044 /
22H2 2022 Update 19045 /
Graphics card: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
You may be able to update to 21H2, as it is
possible that 22H2 kicked out XDDM graphics
drivers. My Optiplex 780, to get 22H2 to install
on it, I added a video card that barely met the
requirements (it has a WDDM 1.1 driver).
The OS is a rolling release, with random changes.
What ever gave you the idea it actually stood still :-)
The kernel is constantly being patched. And based
on feedback from VirtualBox devs, even kernel calls
have had the number of parameters in a call changed,
as an example of what they've had to deal with.
Even if you look in WinSxS and you find four different
versions of a library, is it safe to assume the API is
the same on all of them ? Knowing how developers think,
the answer to that is "No". The last time I had people
who cared about compatibility, it was on SunOS 4.1.3U1 .
One of the reasons we have version control systems,
is to let fools move fast and break things. The version control,
the dependency analysis, is the "cleanup in aisle three".
Just how Windows Defender interacts with a system, has
to take into account discovered exploits. And some things
have to be changed out of necessity (CVE at the 10 level).
At the moment, I don't see a reason you could not
get to 21H2.
You should keep a series of DVDs, when approaching
end of life for an OS. If you notice some funny
"slowing down" behavior, then use an older version
of the OS to get a bit of performance back again.
I'm not proposing installing a copy of 9928, but I
bet it runs faster :-)
I've tried 22H2 mounting the ISO and
booting from a rufused stick.
I'd
thought that it might update from 20H2, but of course it's still
a Win7 computer.
If you boot from a flash drive then your only option is clean install of
the operating System.
Mounting ISO allows you to run Setup.exe so I don't understand what do
you mean by booting from rufused stick. Did you create a bootable flash
drive using the tool called Rufus? If so then there must be a Setup.exe
file at the root of the flash drive.
If 20H2 was installed and activated then there is no need to talk about
Win7. The license has become a digital one and so the Microsoft servers
will recognise your machine if you use the same machine as 20H2.
On 2/9/2025 11:51 AM, MR wrote:
If you boot from a flash drive then your only option is clean install ofAs I mentioned in the first post, I trien mounting the ISO
the operating System.
Mounting ISO allows you to run Setup.exe so I don't understand what do
you mean by booting from rufused stick. Did you create a bootable flash
drive using the tool called Rufus? If so then there must be a Setup.exe
file at the root of the flash drive.
and running setup.exe. That didn't work, so I tried a USB stick
for good measure. It refused to do anything but a clean install
in both cases, so I suspect the 22H2 installer is refusing an
update because the systenm was originally Win7.
If 20H2 was installed and activated then there is no need to talk about
Win7. The license has become a digital one and so the Microsoft servers
will recognise your machine if you use the same machine as 20H2.
Apparently that's not the case. I've done this before, running
setup.exe from a mounted ISO, so I know how to do it. But this time
it doesn't give me the option of saving files. Only clean install.
That would likely mean needing a new license.
At any rate, I'm not uncertain about that part. I'm just curious
about what substantial difference there is between 20H2 and 22H2.
On Sun, 2/9/2025 1:36 PM, Newyana2 wrote:
On 2/9/2025 11:51 AM, MR wrote:
If you boot from a flash drive then your only option is clean install of >>> the operating System.As I mentioned in the first post, I trien mounting the ISO
Mounting ISO allows you to run Setup.exe so I don't understand what do
you mean by booting from rufused stick. Did you create a bootable flash
drive using the tool called Rufus? If so then there must be a Setup.exe
file at the root of the flash drive.
and running setup.exe. That didn't work, so I tried a USB stick
for good measure. It refused to do anything but a clean install
in both cases, so I suspect the 22H2 installer is refusing an
update because the systenm was originally Win7.
If 20H2 was installed and activated then there is no need to talk about
Win7. The license has become a digital one and so the Microsoft servers
will recognise your machine if you use the same machine as 20H2.
Apparently that's not the case. I've done this before, running
setup.exe from a mounted ISO, so I know how to do it. But this time
it doesn't give me the option of saving files. Only clean install.
That would likely mean needing a new license.
At any rate, I'm not uncertain about that part. I'm just curious
about what substantial difference there is between 20H2 and 22H2.
I would start looking for logfiles, and try and figure out
why it is doing that.
Remember that the Windows directory changes to Windows.old
and a new Windows directory is created. So at some level,
the Windows 7 aspect should be "flushed" out of the system.
If you try and take the Win10 version *backwards*, it will likely
respond by requesting a "Clean Install". I don't think it
necessarily has migration logic for going backwards. But it
really should be able to handle it. It's just untested.
If the version of the offered media (ISO or USB "setup.exe")
is the same version as currently installed, or a higher
version, then it should accept a "preserve files and programs"
option for that install.
My guess is the "backwards version move" is what is
upsetting it. But otherwise, start looking for .log files .
Newyana2 wrote on 2/9/25 6:25 AM:
21H2 might work. I haven't tried it. When 22H2 wouldn't do an
update I just tried 20H2. I've tried 22H2 mounting the ISO and
booting from a rufused stick. The hardware doesn't seem to
be an issue. It just says it will only do a fresh install because
"Windows might be installed to the wrong location or I might
be trying to install an older OS."
Normally 20H2 to 22H2 does not require a clean install.
- no significant hardware system requirements between the versions Conditions that might cause it:
- Windows system image needs repair (DISM command line option)
- Windows component store needs cleanup (DISM command line option)
- Windows Update broken/corrupt
- Windows Update engine out-of-date
=> May 2023 KB5026361 last release 20H2 update is required(LCU and
SSU)to update to 21H2/22H2
- Windows 20H2 does not have June 2023 KB5027389 stand-alone(not
included with monthly LCU/SSU update) Windows 10 Compatibility Update(includes the Windows Recovery Update)and is deployed/installed separate update via Windows Update or the MSFT Catalog. Note June 2023
was also the first monthly update(LCU, SSU, SafeOS) that included the
WinRE update for Win10 21H2 and 22H2
- Device using Legacy MBR and not GPT(more common on older devices)
where System partition is on the o/s partition
- Device using GPT with no Recovery partition, or deleted Recovery
partition, Windows partition not resizeable/shrink to free space to
create WinRe partition, WinRE partition, if present, insufficient free
space.
- lesser issues(Graphics driver, Network driver outdated, stand-alone
graphic card no longer supported or outdated driver); device has both
onboard graphics and add-on graphics card with add-on enabled/onboard disabled[in some cases, BIOS/UEFI disabling the add-on and enabling the onboard will allow the 22H2 to be successfully installed]; 3rd party utilities that modify Windows; 3rd party AV/AM; end-user
tweaking/removing main Windows integrated programs(Edge, Defender)
- Windows Photos(rare case but a known issue) app package removed or uninstalled.
Other routes to update
- instead of using Windows Update or UBS media or ISO to update, use
the the Win10 22H2 Update Assistant(download the exe from the Windows
10 Software Download site - 'Update Now' option.'
- download exe file is 'Windows10Upgrade9252.exe
may be necessary to check the exe file's properties and unblock theexe and/or run the exe as admin
Newyana2 wrote on 2/9/25 3:39 PM:
On 2/9/2025 4:35 PM, ...w¡ñ§±¤ñ wrote:Your symptom/issue is obviously not the first failure of 20H2 to 22H2 on
Newyana2 wrote on 2/9/25 6:25 AM:
Normally 20H2 to 22H2 does not require a clean install.
21H2 might work. I haven't tried it. When 22H2 wouldn't do an
update I just tried 20H2. I've tried 22H2 mounting the ISO and
booting from a rufused stick. The hardware doesn't seem to
be an issue. It just says it will only do a fresh install because
"Windows might be installed to the wrong location or I might
be trying to install an older OS."
- no significant hardware system requirements between the versions
Conditions that might cause it:
- Windows system image needs repair (DISM command line option)
- Windows component store needs cleanup (DISM command line option)
- Windows Update broken/corrupt
- Windows Update engine out-of-date
=> May 2023 KB5026361 last release 20H2 update is required(LCU and
SSU)to update to 21H2/22H2
- Windows 20H2 does not have June 2023 KB5027389 stand-alone(not
included with monthly LCU/SSU update) Windows 10 Compatibility
Update(includes the Windows Recovery Update)and is deployed/installed
separate update via Windows Update or the MSFT Catalog. Note June
2023 was also the first monthly update(LCU, SSU, SafeOS) that
included the WinRE update for Win10 21H2 and 22H2
- Device using Legacy MBR and not GPT(more common on older devices)
where System partition is on the o/s partition
- Device using GPT with no Recovery partition, or deleted Recovery
partition, Windows partition not resizeable/shrink to free space to
create WinRe partition, WinRE partition, if present, insufficient
free space.
- lesser issues(Graphics driver, Network driver outdated, stand-alone
graphic card no longer supported or outdated driver); device has both
onboard graphics and add-on graphics card with add-on enabled/onboard
disabled[in some cases, BIOS/UEFI disabling the add-on and enabling
the onboard will allow the 22H2 to be successfully installed]; 3rd
party utilities that modify Windows; 3rd party AV/AM; end-user
tweaking/removing main Windows integrated programs(Edge, Defender)
- Windows Photos(rare case but a known issue) app package removed or
uninstalled.
Other routes to update
- instead of using Windows Update or UBS media or ISO to update,
use the the Win10 22H2 Update Assistant(download the exe from the
Windows 10 Software Download site - 'Update Now' option.'
- download exe file is 'Windows10Upgrade9252.exe
may be necessary to check the exe file's properties and unblockthe exe and/or run the exe as admin
Complicated. I tried the 20H2 ISO out of curiosity (what's already
on there) and that also refused to do an update. The update from
7 to 20H2 was smooth, though at the time, 22H2 refused to do
anything but a clean install.
I noticed that the system window pops up and then closes. So
something is not right. I ran SFC and DISM repairs. Still no luck
with the system window. It is using MBR. Though 22H2 doesn't seem
to be complaining about installing -- only refusing to update
rather than clean install.
This computer also does have a graphics card added to
the onboard because the original predates HDMI and I needed
to be able to display on the monitor as well as running HDMI
to a TV. That graphics card is barebones. Something like a $35
NVidia, I think. (I don't play video games. Only pipe movies.)
The complication here is that I don't have a problem with a clean
install but I expect it would lose the license, since Win7 -> 10 is no
longer a free update.
It sounds like it's probably not worth trying to do much more.
Setup is not telling me what the issue is. And all the hardware issues
don't explain why even 20H2 refuses to install on top of itself. But
if I get bored I might re-run a Win7-> 20H2 update, then try 22H2
immediately, before tweaking 20H2.
a device(including those originally with Win7).
- Those 'knowns' that I provided are almost everything I recall or
have seen in my earlier 13 yrs in the MVP program, current MSFT
listservers, AskWoody owner/admin/moderator patch lady(Susan B. - if she doesn't know about it, it didn't happen), and other sources.
If you have verified:
1. the DISM Image and Component store routes show no corruption, no
repair need, no component store cleanup
2. your 20H2 version is later than May 2023(the last released 20H2
update was 19042.2965)Update Assistant route
3. your device has the June 2023 KB5027389 stand-alone(Compatibility
update installed. (Fyi..the KB can be downloaded from the Catalog, if installed and already present, it will tell you not applicable or
already installed)
If the above are all ok, then try using the available online Update Now option to download and run the Upgrade Assistant - Windows10Upgrade9252.exe
Thanks, but that's way more trouble than this is worth.
On Sun, 2/9/2025 7:43 PM, Newyana2 wrote:
Thanks, but that's way more trouble than this is worth.
On Mon, 2/10/2025 12:45 AM, Paul wrote:
On Sun, 2/9/2025 7:43 PM, Newyana2 wrote:
Thanks, but that's way more trouble than this is worth.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/upgrade/log-files
setupact.log Down-Level [your current OS] C:\$Windows.~BT\Sources\Panther\setupact.log
Maybe your WindowsUpdate is jammed or a key service
required for WindowUpdate is removed. The OS can't function
without the supports for Windows Side By Side to handle
packages. Since your attempt failed so quickly, that's my guess
at a root cause. A services malady.
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