Author: parsec
Subject: Z170 Extreme 7 first time asrock user questions
Posted: 10 Apr 2016 at 12:39pm
I can't speak for MSoft and how they handle the free upgrade to Windows 10. If all I had to do was use a Win 7 key to activate a fresh Win 10 installation, I would have never bought the Win 10 keys I now have.
IMO, you cannot use a Win 7, 8, or 8.1 key to activate a new Win 10 installation from a free ISO download.
I would be thrilled to be proven wrong, but I'll need more proof than "it should work...". Such as the page on MSoft's website that describes how it is done. I checked into that last year, and as I recall, it's not that simple or possible.
The upgrade installation of Win 10 from an existing, qualifying Windows product, is tied to the mother board of the PC as usual. At no point are we provided with an activation key during the upgrade. The so called tools for retrieving Windows activation keys are not to be trusted IMO.
The upgrade to Win 10 works, and so will a fresh installation of Win 10 on the same mother board. During the fresh Win 10 installation, you have the option to Skip entering the key, and do so. Once the installation is complete, Win 10 will automatically activate as long as you have a working network connection.
I must ask what you mean by "changing to UEFI mode"? I know what it means to me, but please be more specific.
The requirement to use "UEFI mode", which for most users means configuring the UEFI/BIOS before a Windows 8 - 10 installation to cause the Windows installation program to use the EFI bootloader, is only required if you are using a PCIe SSD as the OS drive.
That is, any of the Samsung M.2 PCIe SSDs, XP941, SM951, or 950 Pro, and Intel PCIe SSDs, the 750s or any of the DC P3000 series.
Since you bought the Z170 Extreme7+, I assume you will be using at least one of those SSDs.
Any SATA drive used as the OS drive can be used in UEFI mode, but that is not necessary.
If you mean you want to enable the Secure Boot option, which will automatically configure the UEFI settings to boot in UEFI mode, then that must be done before the OS installation.
There a few other things you would need to know if you plan on or need to install Win 10 in UEFI mode, but I'd like to know what you meant in using that term.
Mixing two kits of memory is much less of a gamble when they are ordered at the same time, I will agree with that. But there is still some luck involved when doing that, and no 100% guarantee they will work together. I've had and have seen both success and failures doing that. The faster the DDR4 memory is (at and above 3000), and the greater amount of memory being used, the less likely it will be a success.
Are your kits each 2 x 8GB DIMMs? What is the full model number of that G.SKILL memory? Your choice of 3000 is good, as the amount of memory that can be used begins to drop off as the speed increases above 3000. Check the Memory Suppor list for your board here:
http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Z170%20Extreme7+/?cat=Memory
Subject: Z170 Extreme 7 first time asrock user questions
Posted: 10 Apr 2016 at 12:39pm
 apachehavok wrote:Hi all! In a few days I will have the asrock extreme 7+, the I7 6700 and 2x 16GB kits of Gskill 3200! No RAID setups just yet. Will be just using a few SSD's and a dvd drive for the windows installs. First time Asrock user as I have been an Asus fan for 15 years now but could not pass up the deal I got for the extreme 7 Few questions if ya don't mind 1: I have to use my windows 7 license to do the free upgrade to windows 10. Do I just enable ps2 emulation in the BIOS and boot off the windows 7 DVD? I will install windows 7, install all the drivers, disable ps2 emulation, then run all windows updates including the windows 10 upgrade. After windows 10 is installed and working I plan on burning the 10 ISO and doing a clean from scratch windows 10 install so as not to have the 7 stuff lingering there. Does that sound ok?^ Are those the right steps or am I missing something? 2: At what point do I switch to UEFI mode? Or do I even need to? I have been a windows 7 user for years and this is my first step in upgrading past windows 7 and am still slightly confused as to what even UEFI does? 3: Regarding the Gskill ram. Has anyone gotten the 2x 16gb gkill kits to work? It was much cheaper to get 2x 16gb kits rather then the single 32gb kit but was hoping that because I ordered the 2 at the same time it would be compatible. Thanks for any info everyone! |
I can't speak for MSoft and how they handle the free upgrade to Windows 10. If all I had to do was use a Win 7 key to activate a fresh Win 10 installation, I would have never bought the Win 10 keys I now have.
IMO, you cannot use a Win 7, 8, or 8.1 key to activate a new Win 10 installation from a free ISO download.
I would be thrilled to be proven wrong, but I'll need more proof than "it should work...". Such as the page on MSoft's website that describes how it is done. I checked into that last year, and as I recall, it's not that simple or possible.
The upgrade installation of Win 10 from an existing, qualifying Windows product, is tied to the mother board of the PC as usual. At no point are we provided with an activation key during the upgrade. The so called tools for retrieving Windows activation keys are not to be trusted IMO.
The upgrade to Win 10 works, and so will a fresh installation of Win 10 on the same mother board. During the fresh Win 10 installation, you have the option to Skip entering the key, and do so. Once the installation is complete, Win 10 will automatically activate as long as you have a working network connection.
I must ask what you mean by "changing to UEFI mode"? I know what it means to me, but please be more specific.
The requirement to use "UEFI mode", which for most users means configuring the UEFI/BIOS before a Windows 8 - 10 installation to cause the Windows installation program to use the EFI bootloader, is only required if you are using a PCIe SSD as the OS drive.
That is, any of the Samsung M.2 PCIe SSDs, XP941, SM951, or 950 Pro, and Intel PCIe SSDs, the 750s or any of the DC P3000 series.
Since you bought the Z170 Extreme7+, I assume you will be using at least one of those SSDs.
Any SATA drive used as the OS drive can be used in UEFI mode, but that is not necessary.
If you mean you want to enable the Secure Boot option, which will automatically configure the UEFI settings to boot in UEFI mode, then that must be done before the OS installation.
There a few other things you would need to know if you plan on or need to install Win 10 in UEFI mode, but I'd like to know what you meant in using that term.
Mixing two kits of memory is much less of a gamble when they are ordered at the same time, I will agree with that. But there is still some luck involved when doing that, and no 100% guarantee they will work together. I've had and have seen both success and failures doing that. The faster the DDR4 memory is (at and above 3000), and the greater amount of memory being used, the less likely it will be a success.
Are your kits each 2 x 8GB DIMMs? What is the full model number of that G.SKILL memory? Your choice of 3000 is good, as the amount of memory that can be used begins to drop off as the speed increases above 3000. Check the Memory Suppor list for your board here:
http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Z170%20Extreme7+/?cat=Memory