Microsoft's free upgrade promotion for Windows 10 ended over five years ago. However, nobody informed the folks who manage Microsoft's Windows-activated servers. This means that you are still able to make the upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 and get a free digital license for the newest Windows 10 version, without having to pass through any hurdles. The upgrade was more crucial than ever after the support of Windows 7 officially ended in January 2020. This proved to be an immense relief to families' budgets as the pandemic made working at home (or attending school via remote sessions) quickly extremely popular. Over the last two years, thousands of users have pulled their old computers from storage and brought them on the right track quickly due to the free upgrade options.
In addition: Windows 11 FAQ This is everything you have to know
It is also possible to make the upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro using an upgrade key from an earlier edition of the business version or Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 (Pro/Ultimate). This could help you save up to 100 dollars in OEM upgrade costs when you purchase a new computer that comes with Windows 10 Home preinstalled. (For more information, refer to "How do you upgrade Windows 10 Home to Pro without hassle.") The methods I have described in this article are exactly the same way to work with Windows 11 as well, but most older PCs aren't allowed to upgrade to Microsoft's latest operating system due to the strict Windows 11 hardware compatibility requirements. For these PCs, Windows 10 remains a feasible option for at least October 2025. In this article, I'll go over the basics of installing Windows 10 as an upgrade on older hardware. I'll also address the licensing implications which can be (as always) complicated. I created and published the initial version of this blog at the beginning of 2017, a few months after Microsoft's first free upgrade offer had ended. The upgrade promotion was just about to expire, so when I installed Windows 10 upgrade tool and tried it on a previous Windows 7 PC, I believed for the upgrade to not be activated and I'd be required to provide an activation key for the product. Imagine my delight when instead, I was presented with this screen.
In the following four-year period, I actually repeated the steps on test computers frequently and confirmed that the upgrade tool free of charge continues to work. I still receive regular emails from people who have firsthand experiences that their upgrades for free have been successful, and there was no purchase or product key needed. A few users have complained that the upgrade is not working due to a Setup error or an error incompatibility. For more information about how to fix the issue, check out "This Free Windows 10 upgrade offer still is working. This is the reason - and how to avail it. " For assistance in decoding errors in setup, refer to "Windows 10 Setup log files to resolve issues with installation. " Are you looking to purchase a digital copy of the latest Windows 10 version? Follow these directions.
How do you upgrade an old computer to Windows 10?
If you own a computer with a "genuine" version of Windows 7/8/8.1 (Windows 7 Home, Pro, or Ultimate edition and Windows 8. x Home or Business validly registered and activated) You can follow the same procedure I followed for installing Windows 10 as an upgrade. Before you begin I suggest a few basic tasks that will help you avoid any potential issues: Check the fact that the copy you have of Windows is working properly. This is crucial in the event that you have recently installed Windows. Be Confirmed to check for any driver updates, specifically for hardware that is used for storage or network networks. Download and install any BIOS updates that are available for your system; this is particularly important for systems purchased in 2017 or earlier in the time when hardware manufacturers were still figuring out problems that were not compatible with Windows 10. Back up the data on your computer to external storage devices or cloud services (or either). Think about doing a complete system backup on an external HDD by using Windows 7's Windows 7 backup program, which is also available on Windows 8. x and Windows 10. Simply run the command Sdclt.exe and select to select the Create A System Image option. Temporarily deinstall security software from third parties and low-level system utilities that could affect the upgrade. You can install them again once the upgrade has been completed. Also, remove any external devices that are not needed Particularly USB flash drives as well as external hard drives. (Several common errors in the installation are due in part to the Setup program getting confused by these other drives.) After you have those preliminary steps completed Go to the Download Windows 10 webpage and select the Now download button. Once the download is completed you can double-click the executable to launch your Media Creation Tool.
If you've installed the media creation tool onto the computer you want to upgrade and want to upgrade this PC only then you should select an Upgrade this PC now option. This option will install the latest version of Windows 10. It generally takes about an hour, dependent on the type of hardware you use. (Having the SSD be your main drive will provide the ideal method to speed it up.) If you're certain you'll need in the future to update to Windows 10 on more than one PC, or you're looking for more flexibility in the case that an immediate upgrade doesn't work, select the alternative then save the install file to a USB drive or in an ISO file. The download will take a short time, but once it's completed you can launch the Windows Setup application manually to run Windows 10 for any computer with the latest compatible Windows version (sorry that this isn't compatible on PCs with Windows Vista and Windows XP). The exact steps are dependent on which option you select: USB flash drive The USB flash drive that you made into a free USB slot in the computer you'd like to upgrade. Open File Explorer default (Windows Explorer in Windows 7) and double-click Setup to install Windows 10. Make note that you can't start from an uncreated USB disk or CD in order to carry out upgrading to Windows 10. It is necessary to launch Windows 10 setup from the Windows 10 setup application from your current running and activated copy Windows. ISO files When the download has completed and you're ready to install the ISO file and then open it using Windows Explorer or File Explorer window. If you have a computer with Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 it is possible to double-click the ISO file to launch it as a virtual drive. If your computer is that runs Windows 7, you'll need to install a third-party application like the open-source, free Windows CDEmu. After you've mounted the ISO file, double-click Setup to begin the installation process.
Follow the steps to finish the upgrade process to Windows 10. There's no need to provide a product key after the upgrade is completed after you've connected to the internet, you'll receive an electronic license for the most current Windows 10 version, which you can verify by visiting Settings > Update and security > activation. All your applications and data documents will be in the cloud. Digital licenses are tied to this particular device, meaning it is possible to reformat the disk and then run an uninitiated installation of the exact version in Windows 10 anytime. (If you're planning to upgrade your old storage device to an SSD then perform the upgrading into Windows 10 on the old hardware. After confirming that the latest Windows 10 version is properly activated, connect it to the SSD and then restore from backup images or boot your USB flash drive to perform the clean installation. It's not necessary to have an account number or activation code, as activation happens automatically.) This is a strange language. It's a bit odd that the free update via The Get Windows 10 app ended on July 29th, 2016. The discussion on keys for products says that keys are required "for the tool to function" (not an actual fact) however it doesn't mention anything about licensing.
In contrast to the sloppy"Genuine Windows" label that appears on previous upgrades The activation screens for the Windows 10 upgrade specifically confirm the existence of the "digital license." The free upgrade promotion was extended briefly and was at least extended to those who utilize assistive technology. The information on the FAQ webpage even declared it a "free extender of the upgrade program" and noted it wasn't limited to specific assistive technology. (I often utilize the Magnifier application within Windows which is unquestionably an assistive technology.) Of course, I'm certainly not a lawyer, so this column doesn't offer legal advice. But I will state that I'm certain of the status of activation of any PC that has been upgraded using the tools on that page, during the time of eligibility. The extension was, I believe was a huge gesture of a wink and a nod created to make it simple for people who needed to get a Windows 10 upgrade to still receive it, while also calming the OEM partners, who were not satisfied with the focus on upgrades throughout the year instead of new PC sales. Unfortunately, I use the word "was," because the extension (which was in turn expanded) officially ended in January. 16th, 2018. The page which was previously running an Upgrade Assistant is now returning the error code. The main question is the question of whether Microsoft will ever disable the activation servers to distribute digital licenses following an upgrade from an older Windows version. I've continued to investigate the scenario and have confirmed that it is still working long after the discontinuation in support of Windows 7. I’m still hearing stories from readers who have shared their experiences. If you've tried this method on a PC you can click me at the very top of the page and fill out the Connection form to tell me what you learned from it.