In case you missed it, July 29 was the last day to get Windows 10 for free. If you planned ahead, you might have taken steps to secure your upgrade even after that deadline. Or maybe not! For a limited time, Microsoft will continue to offer Windows 10 at no charge for users who rely on the operating system's assistive technologies -- specifically, individuals with significant vision, hearing, dexterity, language or learning needs. If you're lucky enough to have no such needs, well, it'll just be our little secret. Because Microsoft requires no proof that you're a user of assistive-technology products, meaning pretty much anyone who wants Windows 10 can get Windows If you missed the free Windows 10 upgrade, you can still get it -- even if you don't use assistive technologies.

We won't tell if you don't. And the process couldn't be much simpler: Head to the Windows 10 upgrade page and click Upgrade Now. That'll download a small executable you'll run to download Windows 10 in its entirety and perform the upgrade. There's nothing different about this version of Windows or the license that accompanies it. It's pretty much identical to what everyone got prior to July I'm trying to decide if there's some ethical reason not to do this. Because, to be honest, I just did it yesterday -- I'd forgotten to update one of my kids' older laptops and was kicking myself for having missed the cutoff date. It's not like I deprived another user of getting something they truly need; Microsoft hasn't indicated a fixed number of licenses available or anything like that.

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Before updating, please refer to the Windows release information status for known issues to confirm your device is not impacted. To get started, you will first need to have a licence to install Windows You can then download and run the media creation tool. For more information on how to use the tool, see the instructions below. If you are installing Windows 10 on a PC running Windows XP or Windows Vista, or if you need to create installation media to install Windows 10 on a different PC, see Using the tool to create installation media USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file to install Windows 10 on a different PC section below. Note : Before you install Windows 10, check to make sure your PC meets the system requirements for Windows We also recommend going to the PC manufacturer's website for any additional info about updated drivers and hardware compatibility. Follow these steps to create installation media USB flash drive or DVD you can use to install a new copy of Windows 10, perform a clean installation, or reinstall Windows If you have Office or earlier and choose to perform a clean install of Windows 10, you will need to locate your Office product key.

For tips on locating your product key, check Find your Office product key or Enter the product key for your Office program. Select the language, edition, and architecture bit or bit for Windows After completing the steps to install Windows 10, please check that you have all the necessary device drivers installed. Note: Drivers for Surface devices may be found on the Download drivers and firmware for Surface page. If your PC does not automatically boot to the USB or DVD media, you might have to open a boot menu or change the boot order in your PC's BIOS or UEFI settings.

To open a boot menu or change the boot order, you'll typically need to press a key such as F2, F12, Delete, or Esc immediately after you turn on your PC. For instructions on accessing the boot menu or changing the boot order for your PC, check the documentation that came with your PC or go to the manufacturer's website. If you do not see the USB or DVD media device listed within the boot options, you may need to reach out to the PC manufacturer for instructions for temporarily disabling Secure Boot in your BIOS settings. If changing the boot menu or order doesn't work, and your PC immediately boots into the OS you want to replace, it is possible the PC had not fully shut down. To ensure the PC fully shuts down, select the power button on the sign-in screen or on the Start menu and select Shut down. If you downloaded an ISO file for Windows 10, the file is saved locally at the location you selected. If you have a third-party DVD burning program installed on your computer that you prefer to use for creating the installation DVD, that program might open by going to the location where the file is saved and double-clicking the ISO file, or right-click the ISO file, select Open with and choose your preferred DVD burning software.

If you want to use the Windows Disk Image Burner to create an installation DVD, go to the location where the ISO file is saved. Right-click the ISO file and select Properties. On the General tab, click Change and select Windows Explorer for the program you would like to use to open ISO files and select Apply. Then right-click the ISO file and select Burn disc image. If you want to install Windows 10 directly from the ISO file without using a DVD or flash drive, you can do so by mounting the ISO file. This will perform an upgrade of your current operating system to Windows Download Windows 10 Before updating, please refer to the Windows release information status for known issues to confirm your device is not impacted.

Windows 10 Update l Version 22H2 The Update Assistant can help you update to the latest version of Windows To get started, click Update now. Update now Privacy. Create Windows 10 installation media To get started, you will first need to have a licence to install Windows Download tool now Privacy. Select Download tool , and select Run. You need to be an administrator to run this tool. On the License terms page, if you accept the license terms, select Accept. On the What do you want to do? page, select Upgrade this PC now , and then select Next. After downloading and installing, the tool will walk you through how to set up Windows 10 on your PC. All Windows 10 editions are available when you select Windows 10, except for Enterprise edition. For more information on Enterprise edition, go to the Volume Licensing Service Center. Your copy of Windows 10 will automatically activate later using your digital license. Select Change what to keep to set whether you would like to Keep personal files and apps , or Keep personal files only , or choose to keep Nothing during the upgrade.

It might take some time to install Windows 10, and your PC will restart a few times. Before you download the tool make sure you have: An internet connection internet service provider fees may apply. Sufficient data storage available on a computer, USB or external drive for the download. A blank USB flash drive with at least 8GB of space or blank DVD and DVD burner if you want to create media. We recommend using a blank USB or blank DVD, because any content on it will be deleted. When burning a DVD from an ISO file, if you are told the disc image file is too large you will need to use Dual Layer DL DVD Media.

Check a few things on the PC where you want to install Windows bit or bit processor CPU. To check this on your PC, go to PC info in PC settings or System in Control Panel, and look for System type. System requirements. Make sure the PC meets the system requirements for Windows We also recommend going to the PC manufacturer's website for additional info about updated drivers and hardware compatibility. Language in Windows. You'll need to choose the same language when you install Windows To see what language you're currently using, go to Time and language in PC settings or Region in Control Panel. Edition of Windows. You should also choose the same edition of Windows. To check what edition you're currently running, go to PC info in PC settings or System in Control Panel, and look for Windows edition.

For more info, go to the Volume Licensing Service Center. Microsoft Office products. If you just purchased a new device that includes Office , we recommend redeeming installing Office before upgrading to Windows To redeem your copy of Office, please see Download and install Office Home , Personal, or University on your PC. For more information, check How to upgrade to Windows 10 on new devices that include Office Using the tool to create installation media: Select Download tool now , and select Run. If you agree to the license terms, select Accept.

page, select Create installation media for another PC , and then select Next. Attach a blank USB flash drive with at least 8GB of space. Any content on the flash drive will be deleted. ISO file. Save an ISO file to your PC, which you can use to create a DVD. After the file is downloaded, you can go to location where the file is saved, or select Open DVD burner , and follow the instructions to burn the file to a DVD. For more info about using an ISO file, see Additional methods for using the ISO file to install Windows 10 section below. After the installation media is created, follow the steps below to use it. Attach the USB flash drive or insert the DVD on the PC where you want to install Windows Restart your PC.

On the Install Windows page, select your language, time, and keyboard preferences, and then select Next. Select Install Windows. To mount the ISO file: Go to the location where the ISO file is saved, right-click the ISO file and select Properties. On the General tab, click Change… and select Windows Explorer for the program you would like to use to open ISO files and select Apply. Right-click the ISO file and select Mount. Double-click the ISO file to view the files within. Double-click setup. exe to start Windows 10 setup. More download options Sign in to the Volume Licensing Service Center to download Enterprise editions. Sign in to your subscription on the Visual Studio Subscriptions portal for available downloads. Visit the Windows Insider site to download Insider Preview builds. Give feedback Please select an option.

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exe to start Windows 10 setup. See full bio. You will not be required to purchase Windows 10 on devices that take advantage of the free upgrade offer after this offer lapses. Thank you for your valuable input. Hi, Once Windows 10 is installed, could one switch back to Windows 8.

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