
- Windows for free download how to#
- Windows for free download install#
- Windows for free download driver#
- Windows for free download upgrade#
- Windows for free download full#
The exact steps depend on which download option you chose:
Windows for free download install#
The download takes a little time but when it's complete, you can run the Windows Setup program manually to install Windows 10 on any PC running any supported Windows 10 version (sorry, this won't work with PCs running Windows Vista or Windows XP).
Windows for free download upgrade#
If you know you'll want to upgrade to Windows 10 on more than one PC, or if you just want more flexibility in the event that the instant upgrade fails, choose the second option and save the installation files to a USB drive or as an ISO file. (Having an SSD as your system drive is the best way to speed up the process.) It typically takes an hour, more or less, depending on your hardware. That option installs the most recent version of Windows 10. If you've downloaded the Media Creation Tool on the machine you plan to upgrade, and you plan to upgrade one and only one PC, you can choose the Upgrade This PC Now option. You can upgrade directly using this tool, or create separate media. After the download completes, double-click the executable file to run the Media Creation Tool. With those preliminaries out of the way, go to the Download Windows 10 webpage and click the Download tool now button. (Several common installation errors can be traced to the Setup program, being confused by these additional drives.) Finally, disconnect any unnecessary external devices, especially USB flash drives and external hard drives.You can reinstall those programs after the upgrade is complete. Temporarily uninstall third-party security software and low-level system utilities that can interfere with the upgrade.Just run the command Sdclt.exe, and then choose the Create A System Image option.
Windows for free download full#
Consider doing a full system backup to an external hard drive using the Windows 7 backup program, which is also available in Windows 8.x and Windows 10.
Windows for free download driver#


Imagine my surprise when, instead, I was greeted with this screen. The free upgrade offer had just ended, and when I downloaded the Windows 10 upgrade tool and ran it on an old Windows 7 PC, I fully expected that the upgrade would fail activation and I'd be asked for a product key. I wrote and published the first version of this post in early 2017, several months after Microsoft's initial free upgrade offer ended. I'll also talk about the licensing issues involved, which are (as always) confusing.
Windows for free download how to#
In this post, I'll cover the basics of how to install Windows 10 as an upgrade on older hardware. (For details, see "How to upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Pro without hassles.") That can save you as much as $100 in OEM upgrade charges if you buy a new PC with Windows 10 Home preinstalled. You can also still upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro by using a product key from a previous business edition of Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 (Pro/Ultimate).

And it could be a great relief to your budget if you're required to work from home (or go to school via remote sessions) and you need to take an old PC out of storage and get up to speed quickly.Īlso: Windows 11 FAQ: Here's everything you need to know That upgrade is more important than ever, now that support for Windows 7 has officially ended. Here are ZDNet's current top picks for a variety of use cases.
