If you’re thumbing through the internet to find out how to get the free windows 10 upgrade, you are at the right the right place. Keep on reading to find out the steps to upgrade free Windows 10.
Microsoft officially ended the free Windows 10 upgrade program in November 2017 and most people who didn’t update until then thought there was no way to update, but that’s not the case. There are still ways to update your Windows even in today’s time, long after the official program has ended. You just need your Windows key and it’s all very simple from there.
When Microsoft’s support for Windows 7 officially expired in January 2020, that upgrading became more critical than ever. When the pandemic made working from home (or going to school via virtual sessions) unexpectedly popular, it turned out to be a huge relief for household budgets. Millions of users have taken old PCs out of storage in the last two years and brought them up to speed rapidly owing to these free updates.
How Does the Windows 10 upgrade Works?
If you have an activated Windows 7 (or Windows 8) key, you can upgrade to Windows 10 in only a few clicks. Your PC will receive a real, activated Windows 10 key, exactly as it did during the first year of Windows 10 when the free upgrade offer was publicly announced.
You may also update a PC by doing a clean install of Windows 10, even if it does not already have any operating system installed. All you need is a valid Windows 7 (or Windows 8) key.
There’s no assurance this will always work, but it has been working so far. Microsoft may one day pull the plug and stop providing new updates. However, you may still upgrade for the time being.
After you update, your PC receives a legitimate Windows 10 key that will continue to operate even if Microsoft discontinues new upgrades in the future.
This method can also work with Windows 11, albeit the severe Windows 11 hardware compatibility requirements will prevent most older PCs from upgrading to Microsoft’s newest operating system. Windows 10 is still a viable alternative for such PCs until at least October 2025.
Back Up Your Data Before Upgrading
We recommend that you back up your files before you begin. The update procedure should not destroy your information unless you choose to do so, but having a recent backup is usually a good idea—especially when executing a large operating system upgrade.
We also recommend that you locate your Windows 7 (or Windows 8) product key in case you need it. This key may be printed on a sticker on the cover of your PC or on your laptop. You’ll need to locate the license key you purchased if you installed Windows 7 or Windows 8.
If you cannot locate your PC’s key then you can find it using numerous apps on the net.
Tips to Follow Before Upgrading Your PC
If you have a PC running a fully licensed copy of Windows 7, 8, 8.1 (Windows 7 Pro, Home or Ultimate edition, or Windows 8.x Home or Business), you may install Windows 10 upgrade using this process.
Before you begin, I propose the following basic chores to avoid potential problems:
- Check if your copy of Windows is properly activated. This is critical if you have recently reinstalled Windows.
- Examine your network and storage gear for any recent driver changes
- Download and install BIOS updates for your hardware that are available; this is also very important for the system sold in 2017 or earlier, as that was when manufacturers were still working out with difficulties with windows 10.
- Uninstall any third-party security software and low-level system programs that may interfere with the update for the time being. After the update is complete, you can install those apps again.
- Finally, unplug any external devices, such as USB flash drives or external hard drives. Several typical installation issues can be traced back to the Setup Software becoming confused by these extra disks.
How to Install the Windows 10 Upgrade
After you’ve completed the above suggestions, navigate to the Download Windows 10 page and click the Download tool now option. When the download is finished, double-click the executable file to launch the Media Creation Tool.
If you’ve downloaded the Media Creation Tool on the computer to be upgraded and intend to update only that PC, you can select the Upgrade This PC Now option.
You can install the Windows 10 upgrade with this choice. Depending on your hardware, it usually takes approximately an hour. (Using an SSD as your system disk is the most efficient method to accelerate the process.)
Connect your computer to the internet and restart it. Open Settings, then select “Update & Security” and then “Activation.” You may check here to verify if the Windows 10 upgrade was successful. If not, hit the “Activate” button (if present) to get a digital Windows 10 product key. Use your Windows 7 or Windows 8 license key instead.
That’s it! Now you have the Windows 10 upgrade on your computer. Do check just to make sure that your data is all still there and you’re good to go.
To get the most out of Windows 10 and take use of features like password less sign-on through Windows Hello, you need purchase a new Windows 10 PC (or one launched after July 2015) with all of the hardware changes. If you are a student or a member of a university faculty, you may be eligible to get Windows 10 for free.
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