On Friday, October 12, 2018 at 11:33:51 PM UTC+8, Paul wrote:

Sigh.

You should be downloading the DVD. Currently this
says "April 2018" download, and this is the wrong
file. Wait a few days until this says "October 2018"
download.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/soft...load/windows10

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/soft...d/windows10ISO === page offered to
WinXP or Linux
users
You do not want to be using any method that combines
the download phase and the install phase in one step.
If it fails, the download starts over again...

The response of the first URL above is dynamic. If the browser is
run from Win7/8/10, you will get a copy of MediaCreationTool.exe
or similar. The web page offers a small file, and that file
does the download itself and makes an ISO9660 file for you.

If you visit the website using a WinXP or a Linux machine,
you will be offered a different web page, with an actual
ISO9660 file offered for download. The file is stored
in a folder on the server, where the folder is erased
after 24 hours. You have 24 hours to complete the download.

Preparing a DVD from the ISO file, using Imgburn or similar,
gives you an archival copy for future reference. The disc
can be booted to gain access to a Command Prompt and make
repairs to the installed OS for example.

But for the basic Upgrade Install you're trying to do,
once you have the ISO9660 file in hand, right-click it
while you are in Win10 and select "Mount". Then, find
the virtual DVD drive in "My Computer", and run setup.exe
off the virtual DVD drive. That will start the Upgrade Install.
You don't actually need (slow) physical media to do an
Upgrade Install. The process can be done from the
hard drive, using "Mount".

As of yesterday, the above web link was offering 17134 media.
I haven't checked today to see if 17763 media has been
returned for download purposes. It was pulled a few days
ago, because of a data loss problem.

Now, if you want, you could

1) Download 17134 "April 2018" DVD, run setup.exe off the
image and install 17134.

2) Use cleanmgr.exe, remove Windows.old previous OS files
from cleanmgr. *Only* tick the box for removal of
system files. You need to click the system button
near the bottom of the dialog, to get to the
"second level" of cleanmgr.

3) Now, the 17763 will be offered via Windows Update.
At some point. A couple days ago, a machine here
upgraded to 17763 when I didn't want it to. Now,
17763 seems to be turned off again.

It's hard to say, as of this morning, what the
disposition of 17763 is. I'm still offered "April 2018"
from the download link, which is not a good sign.

Paul

I have the ISO for Windows 10- 64 bit downloaded on this PC (this is a desktop not a laptop, which is a brick as I type this, "Automatic Repair" etc not working). The ISO files have a date of 6/20/2018.

I will mount this ISO on the "Rufus" freeware that creates a bootable USB, and then boot from the USB, and install. Then I must find a key within 30 days to 'activate', agree?

I think that's correct.

Unless you know of a cheaper (save me 9.99 USD) or, more importantly, quicker way (since buying a key via snail mail and having my non-tech friends ship it to me from the USA to the Philippines, where I'm at, will literally take about a month, mail is slow here).

Thanks Paul, will check this thread a few hours from now and tomorrow.

Strange how everything was going OK, except for the fact I had a 2015 version of Windows 10-64x until, in the middle of an "downloading Windows Update process", I rebooted, but this being a laptop that has constant power that should not have done anything bad.

RL