As you’ve probably heard, Windows 10 is a free upgrade for those on Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. If you haven’t already, check out our post “What’s New in Windows 10” to get insight into what the version is going to be all about. Here, we’ll outline what you need to know and what you need to do – all with links to tools that guide you how to do it.

What You Need to Know

• It’s free for users on Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1! To verify what version you are using, follow the steps outlined here: “How to Verify What Version of Windows You Are Using“
• Timeline: Windows 10 was released on July 29, 2015. You need to upgrade within a year or by July 29, 2016.
• There will be a few sacrifices involved but they are more than likely worth it. Some of the applications that came from the manufacturer with your computer might be erased. Lots of folks refer to this as bloatware – so, you may not be concerned at all.

What You’ll Need

• Some Time – make sure you’ve set aside some time to prep your machine for the upgrade and allot about an hour for the upgrade itself.
• Specifications: Your hardware needs to meet some basic specification requirements to operate Windows 10. Check this post out to learn “How to Verify Your Computer’s Specifications“. To ensure your computer will be able to upgrade to Windows 10, use the “check my PC” feature when you reserve the app.
  • Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor or SoC
  • RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) for a 32-bit version, or 2GB for 64-bit
  • Hard disk space: 16GB for a 32-bit OS; 20GB for 64-bit OS
  • Graphics card: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
  • Display: 1024×600
• You’re Up To Date – Windows 7 users need to ensure that you have Service Pack 1 installed whereas Windows 8 users need to have upgraded to Windows 8.1. Check these articles from Microsoft tolearn how to upgrade to 8.1 or update to Service Pack 1.

What You Need to Do

• Backup Your Computer – Although applications, files and settings will migrate as part of the upgrade, some settings and applications might not upgrade. To gain peace of mind, check out one of our video tutorials: Backing Up Hard Drive on Windows 7 or Backing Up Your Hard Drive on Windows 8.
• Update to Windows 10
  1. Click the Start button (likely in the bottom left corner)
  2. Type “Windows Update” and select Windows Update from the Programs List
  3. Check and Install any updates. You may need to do this a few times.
  4. Wait for the Windows 10 Prompt
     1. Once your computer has the latest updates, wait for a Windows icon to pop up in the taskbar on your desktop informing you that you can now reserve Windows 10.
     2. Follow the directions on the screen to let Microsoft know that you would like the Windows 10 update. For peace of mind, you can enter your email address to confirm the update but that isn’t necessary.
     3. Once you’ve wrapped up the reservation process, you’ll need wait Microsoft to automatically send Windows 10 to your computer. This can take several days or even weeks. When it’s time to install the update, you will get a notification on your computer.
• Review Your Anti-Virus Subscription – During the upgrade, Microsoft will uninstall your antivirus application before subsequently reinstalling it. But, if your subscription is out of date, only Microsoft’s Windows Defender will be installed. Make sure you check that your virus subscriptions is up and running after the upgrade.