Question 1

So I'm looking at getting this because the PC I'm building will not have an optical drive. Does this in fact come preloaded on a USB flash drive ready for you to use?

The information on this page other than the name doesnt say anything about it on a flash drive

Accepted Answer

Yes. It comes ready on a bootable USB Flash drive. Be warned however, it will not boot on a USB 3.0 port. Only a USB 2.0 port.

Question 2

I know with the downloaded version I need to make a microsoft account. Do I have to do that with this version or is entering the product key during install the extent of activating it?

Accepted Answer

Microsoft wants you to use a Microsoft ID (Hotmail/Outlook/Etc) on all Windows 10 devices as your username. And they push you to do so HEAVILY. But, you do not have to to activate and use the operating system. That is the advantage to purchasing a hard copy on USB rather than downloading it from Microsoft. You own the copy and have the product key and don't have to associate it to a Microsoft ID. However, some functionality will be disabled, like using the Microsoft App Store can't be used without a Microsoft ID. But, I'm using it without a Microsoft ID just fine.

Question 3

Can this be used to upgrade from windows 7 or windows 8.1 without loosing programs and files already on the computer?

Accepted Answer

I don't know as my copy is going into a brand new PC that I am building; however, I think not as this is the full blown retail version configured to go into a PC with no previous OS installed in it.

The good news is that I was able to upgrade this PC, the one I am using to answer your question, to W10 Pro 64-bit without any problems.  I didn't lose anything; I was able to eliminate lots of MS bloat code that I won't ever use, and W10 remembered that I am using Firefox as my default browser ... although it did install Edge anyway. But ...

I did take the time to investigate, download, and install the graphics, sound, and Wi-Fi drivers that were compatible with my prior W7U 64-bit OS and W10 BEFORE I started the download to upgrade my system to W10.  My brother didn't and had problems with W10 booting due to an Nvidia graphics driver bug in the W10 version of the driver code.  We were able to repair the problem by downloading a later (the same day) driver from the Nvidia website.

Be sure you choose the "Custom" installation option for W10 when given the choice.  Do not use the default "Express" option under any circumstances as it eliminates lots of update and configuration options from the W10 Upgrade installation.

Be sure you choose to "Never update drivers" option in the Windows Update settings.

Hope this wordy answer helps ...

Question 4

I need the DVD/CD.  The flashdrive thing isn't working for my desktop PC.

What do you suggest?

Can I create an ISO disc on some other computer to use on my desktop and then use the product code I received earlier with the flashdrive?

Accepted Answer

Usually if you have other USB drives or device plugged in they might interfere, If that does not work you can tell your system to manually boot off the drive usually by tapping f12 or some other key when its starting up.

But yes you can make a DVD that should work with your key,
Download the official Windows 10 Media Creation Tool
NewEgg does not let me make links but if you google it you can find it no problem , it lets you create additional USB installers or DVD or iso :)

Question 5

Is this the Win operation system I would buy if I needed to put Win 10 on my "Win XP Desktop and Win 7 Laptop" to get them to Windows 10? The OME Version said look up "Retail" this one doesn't say retail that is why I ask.

Accepted Answer

Yes this is basically the same as what they meant by retail because it says "Full Version"

The negative of buying OEM instead of this even though its cheaper is you get no support and once you install it, its locked to that one machine forever and you can never change machines. You can install it again on the same machine but that is it.

The full version you can still only install on one computer at a time but if that computer breaks or you throw it away you may delete windows on that machine this reuse the full version on a different computer just don't use the key on two machines at the same time.

Hope this helps! 
And make sure your XP computer meets the requirements.
Since you mention 2 machines you will need to buy 2 copies however win 7 can upgrade to win 10 for free check online how to do that. So you would only need one copy for your xp

Question 6

Does this version come with its own  license key ?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the key is printed on a white card held in the sleeve on the right hand flap of the inside cover printed with an icon of a key within a circle; take out the card and you will see the license key is printed on the reverse

Question 7

does this come with a flash drive or do I need to buy a separate flash drive?

Accepted Answer

The new Windows 10 comes with the OS loaded on a flash drive. Plug it in and either upgrade or reinstall.

Question 8

How is the Product Key and COA delivered?

Accepted Answer

The package is about 4" x 6" x .75" and contains a thumb drive for installation and a card with the product key. On the outside edge of the package is a Microsoft label identifying its contents. Maybe this is the COA?

Question 9

What do they mean by 32 and 64-bit? Does it mean, I have the possibility of getting either an 32 bit or 64 bit from the delivery? Or when I install it into my newly built machine, I have t choose which system I want it to be runned?

Accepted Answer

Any newly built machine should be able to run 64 bit Windows. 64 bit Windows can run 64 bit apps, or 32 bit apps. But 32 bit Windows, cannot run 64 bit apps. Another advantage of 64 bit Windows is that it is able to address much more memory that 32 bit Windows, as much as 64 GB or more. 32 bit Windows tops out at about 3.6 GB or so. Note that 64 bit Windows and apps will necessarily use more memory than 32 bit Windows and apps. This is because data is saved in memory using 64 bit address spaces, rather than 32 bit. It's not really that important, but I did want to make sure I mentioned it.

Question 10

Will this do an update or do I need to do a fresh install?

Accepted Answer

Using a USB to bring a new computer on line is a bad idea, most  new computers will not read a USB, it will automatic look for a DVD. Buy a full version of 8.1, then reload windows 10 over that. You will have less problems, please note there is no full version of windows 10 to buy.

Brand	Microsoft
Model	FQC-08788

Name	Windows 10 Pro - Full Version (32 & 64-bit) / USB Flash Drive
Bit Version	32-bit/64-bit
Version	Professional
System Requirements	1 GHz processor or faster 1 GB RAM for 32-bit; 2 GB for 64-bit Up to 20 GB available hard disk space 800 x 600 screen resolution or higher DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM driver Internet access (fees may apply) Microsoft account required for some features Watching DVDs requires separate playback software
Packaging	Retail

Windows 10 Pro - Full Version (32 & 64-bit) / USB Flash Drive

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Item#: N82E16832588529