Upgrade Windows 10 1607 To 21h2

[Suyay Escarsega]

Iam attempting to bring a decent top-end HP desktop machine into the most recent age of Windows 10, namely v21H2.

Currently the machine is running Windows 10 Pro v1607 64bit and will not accept any 21H2 ISO install on bootup or any install using the setup file in the upgrade install package.

Doing a new clean install is not a good option as this is a business machine in daily use by a relative who is a design and build achitect with many years of structural plans, drawings and important heritage business data stored on the machine plus complex draughting / drawing applications none of which we can afford to mess-up or lose.

Is there not some other pre-requisite like service stack update(s) or other stuff to add / install when making the quantum leap from W10 1607 to 21H2 being as Windows Kernal is different in Win 10 2004 and above?

There has been more than two years of Windows system change and the upgrade system cannot or may not cope with the differences greater than that. The incremental jumping method could also work for you, there was success upgrading from 1607 to 1809v2 (the good October release).

This article deals with upgrading from Windows versions that are out of support. For a current version of this article, please see Windows upgrade paths that deals with currently supported versions of Windows.

This article provides a summary of available upgrade paths to Windows 10. You can upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7 or a later operating system. Paths include upgrading from one release of Windows 10 to later release of Windows 10. Migrating from one edition of Windows 10 to a different edition of the same release is also supported.

If you're also migrating to a different edition of Windows, see Windows edition upgrade. Methods and supported paths are described on this page to change the edition of Windows. These methods require that you input a license or product key for the new Windows edition prior to starting the upgrade process. Edition downgrade is also supported for some paths. However, applications and settings aren't maintained when the Windows edition is downgraded.

Windows 10 version upgrade: You can directly upgrade any General Availability Channel version of Windows 10 to a newer, supported General Availability Channel version of Windows 10, even if it involves skipping versions. Work with your account representative if your current version of Windows is out of support. See the Windows lifecycle fact sheet for availability and service information.

In-place upgrade from Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 General Availability Channel to Windows 10 LTSC isn't supported. Windows 10 LTSC 2015 didn't block this in-place upgrade path. This issue was corrected in the Windows 10 LTSC 2016 release, which only allows data-only and clean install options.

You can upgrade from Windows 10 LTSC to Windows 10 General Availability Channel if you upgrade to the same or a newer build version. For example, Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB can be upgraded to Windows 10 Enterprise version 1607 or later. Upgrade is supported using the in-place upgrade process using Windows setup. The Product Key switch needs to be used if you want to keep your apps. If you don't use the switch, the option Keep personal files and apps option is grayed out. The command line would be setup.exe /pkey xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx, using your relevant Windows 10 GA Channel product key. For example, if using a KMS, the command line would be setup.exe /pkey NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43.

Windows N/KN: Windows "N" and "KN" SKUs (editions without media-related functionality) follow the same upgrade paths shown in the following tables. If the pre-upgrade and post-upgrade editions aren't the same type (for example, Windows 8.1 Pro N to Windows 10 Pro), personal data is kept but applications and settings are removed during the upgrade process.

Windows 10 is a major release of the Windows NT operating system developed by Microsoft. Microsoft described Windows 10 as an "operating system as a service" that would receive ongoing updates to its features and functionality, augmented with the ability for enterprise environments to receive non-critical updates at a slower pace or use long-term support milestones that will only receive critical updates, such as security patches, over their five-year lifespan of mainstream support. It was released in July 2015.

Windows 10 Insider Preview builds are delivered to Insiders in three different channels (previously "rings").[1] Insiders in the Dev Channel (previously Fast ring) receive updates prior to those in the Beta Channel (previously Slow ring), but might experience more bugs and other issues.[2][3] Insiders in the Release Preview Channel (previously Release Preview ring) do not receive updates until the version is almost available to the public, but are comparatively more stable.[4]

Mainstream builds of Windows 10 are labeled "YYMM", with YY representing the two-digit year and MM representing the month of planned release (for example, version 1507 refers to builds which initially released in July 2015). Starting with version 20H2, Windows 10 release nomenclature changed from the year and month pattern to a year and half-year pattern (YYH1, YYH2).[5]

The second stable build of Windows 10 is version 1511 (build number 10586), known as the November Update. It was codenamed "Threshold 2" (TH2) during development. This version was distributed via Windows Update on November 12, 2015. It contains various improvements to the operating system, its user interface, bundled services, as well as the introduction of Skype-based universal messaging apps, and the Windows Store for Business and Windows Update for Business features.[6][7][8][9]

On November 21, 2015, the November Update was temporarily pulled from public distribution.[10][11] The upgrade was re-instated on November 24, 2015, with Microsoft stating that the removal was due to a bug that caused privacy and data collection settings to be reset to defaults when installing the upgrade.[12]

The third stable build of Windows 10 is called version 1607, known as the Anniversary Update. It was codenamed "Redstone 1" (RS1) during development. This version was released on August 2, 2016, a little over one year after the first stable release of Windows 10.[13][14][15][16] The Anniversary Update was originally thought to have been set aside for two feature updates. While both were originally to be released in 2016, the second was moved into 2017 so that it would be released in concert with that year's wave of Microsoft first-party devices.[17][18][14]

The Anniversary Update introduces new features such as the Windows Ink platform, which eases the ability to add stylus input support to Universal Windows Platform apps and provides a new "Ink Workspace" area with links to pen-oriented apps and features,[19][14] enhancements to Cortana's proactive functionality,[20] a dark user interface theme mode, a new version of Skype designed to work with the Universal Windows Platform, improvements to Universal Windows Platform intended for video games,[13] and offline scanning using Windows Defender.[21] The Anniversary Update also supports Windows Subsystem for Linux, a new component that provides an environment for running Linux-compatible binary software in an Ubuntu-based user mode environment.[22]

On new installations of Windows 10 on systems with Secure Boot enabled, all kernel-mode drivers issued after July 29, 2015, must be digitally signed with an Extended Validation Certificate issued by Microsoft.[23]

Controls for the Game Bar and Game DVR feature have moved to the Settings app, while a new "Game Mode" option allows resources to be prioritized towards games.[30] Integration with Microsoft acquisition Mixer (formerly Beam)[31] was added for live streaming.[30] The themes manager moved to Settings app, and custom accent colors are now possible.[30] The new app Paint 3D allows users to produce artwork using 3D models; the app is designed to make 3D creation more accessible to mainstream users.[32]

Windows 10's privacy settings have more detailed explanations of data that the operating system may collect. Additionally, the "enhanced" level of telemetry collection was removed.[30] Windows Update notifications may now be "snoozed" for a period of time, the "active hours" during which Windows will not try to install updates may now extend up to 18 hours in length, and updates may be paused for up to seven days.[30] Windows Defender has been replaced by the universal app Windows Defender Security Center.[30] Devices may optionally be configured to prevent use of software from outside of Microsoft Store, or warn before installation of apps from outside of Microsoft Store.[33] "Dynamic Lock" allows a device to automatically lock if it is outside of the proximity of a designated Bluetooth device, such as a smartphone.[34] A "Night Light" feature was added, which allows the user to change the color temperature of the display to the red part of the spectrum at specific times of day (similarly to the third-party software f.lux).[35]

The fifth stable build of Windows 10 is called version 1709, known as the Fall Creators Update. It was codenamed "Redstone 3" (RS3) during development. This version was released on October 17, 2017.[36][37][38] Version 1709 introduces a new feature known as "My People", where shortcuts to "important" contacts can be displayed on the taskbar. Notifications involving these contacts appear above their respective pictures, and users can communicate with the contact via either Skype, e-mail, or text messaging (integrating with Android and Windows 10 Mobile devices). Support for additional services, including Xbox, Skype for Business, and third-party integration, are to be added in the future. Files can also be dragged directly to the contact's picture to share them.[39] My People was originally announced for Creators Update, but was ultimately held over to the next release,[40][41] and made its first public appearance in Build 16184 in late April 2017.[37] A new "Files-on-Demand" feature for OneDrive serves as a partial replacement for the previous "placeholders" function.[42]

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