Update Windows 10 1809 ISO to 22H2

E

Elzar's Spice Weasel

New Member
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
I've got a Windows ISO from Dell which will install on my Dell Laptop. It is Windows 10 1809 x64. I'm looking to do some customization to is but I would like to first update it to Windows 10 22H2 before further customization. Is there a way of doing this?

Years ago I used the Windows Media Creator to download what was the latest edition of Windows 10 but the ISO failed to install due to Dell integrating the license code into the BIOS and requiring some sort of programming in the installation media to read this information from the BIOS so that Windows can be activated. If I install with the ISO from Dell, I can then use Windows Update to update to the 22H2. The other thing is that Dell has integrated the drivers into the ISO and the only purpose that would be served by trying to figure out what would need to be added to a fresh 22H2 ISO from Microsoft would likely be in obtaining the most up-to-date drivers rather than using the dated ones in the Dell ISO.
 
W10 1809 and 22H2 are considered entirely different products -- even though they're all "Windows 10" for branding. Only W10 20H1 through 22H2 can share images because they're based on the same underlying code.

Dell, HP, Lenovo and ASUS normally provide a product key (Home, Pro) in the BIOS. And by default, Windows will attempt to auto-select the Windows product version presented in the key, unless overridden using an EI.cfg file.

The recovery ISO's that OEM's provide have their own driver set integrated into the image. Every Windows release has a set of default drivers, some of which may work on your PC, and some required drivers (usually for storage) may be missing.

1. Download a W10 22H2 ISO, or use MCT.
If you want an actual ISO, use a browser agent trick to fool MS's website that you're not on a Windows platform.​

2. Search for your Dell's model, or use the Service tag; and find the current W10 drivers for this PC. Download the drivers.

3. Extract the Dell drivers (*.inf, *.sys) to a local folder. Using NTLite, apply the driver set to your selected image.

4. Create an EI.cfg file to override the BIOS product version, if you want to switch to a different Windows edition. You still will have to provide a new license if you're switching editions.
https://www.ntlite.com/community/in...elect-either-windows-10-or-11.3515/post-34681

By default, Windows will try to use the same product key from BIOS. If you're using a MS Account on this Dell, your current Windows license may have been converted to a digital form and associated with this PC's HW ID.
 
Going the route that starts from the 22H2 ISO sounds a lot simpler that I thought it would. And it basically looks like starting from the Dell 1809 ISO is not possible, even though with Windows Update, a running 1809 system can be updated to 22H2 (or at least could last time I tried).

Thanks for the info. The laptop came with the Pro edition of Windows, so I have no need to use something other than the BIOS version of the product key, but it is interesting to see what is necessary to create an ISO that overrides the BIOS version of the product key.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top