How To Upgrade From Windows 8.1 To 10

How to upgrade to Windows 10 for free

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

Editors Notation: Windows 11 arrived in 2021. See our Windows 11 system requirements guide to see if your laptop or desktop is compatible. Windows 11 is a costless upgrade, much like Windows 10.

Microsoft shut down its free Windows 10 upgrade programme in November 2017. If you lot didn't get your complimentary version of its all-time operating organisation to appointment, y'all were pretty much out of luck. Or, then we idea. Information technology turns out, yous tin still upgrade to Windows 10 without spending a dime.

It turns out there are several methods of upgrading from older versions of Windows (Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.one) to Windows 10 Habitation without paying the $139 fee for the latest operating system.

How to Install and Manage Fonts in Windows ten
How to adjust ClearType for better-looking fonts on Windows ten

Keep in heed that this workaround won't necessarily work all the fourth dimension. If it doesn't, you lot'll need to pay the Windows 10 Home license fee or, if your system is older than 4 years, you lot might want to buy a new one (all new PCs run on some version of Windows x). You will certainly demand to upgrade from Windows seven or Windows 8 if you are all the same running those legacy operating systems as Microsoft no longer supports them.

How to Upgrade to Windows ten for free

1. Ensure you're using a genuine copy of Windows 7 or later. Annihilation older will non piece of work (please, if possible, buy a new system if you're using Window XP or Vista). If y'all're using Windows 7, write downwardly the activation cardinal (y'all may need this later). A gratuitous tool like NirSoft's ProduKey will assist y'all find it.

2. This is a good cease to pause and support anything yous'd like to salvage on your current PC before continuing. Follow our Windows 10 backup instructions on how to do then.

iii. Visit the Windows 10 download page (opens in new tab) . This is an official Microsoft page that may let you to upgrade for free. One time you're there, open up the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool (press "download tool at present") and choose "Upgrade this PC now."

4. Accept the terms and choose the upgrade options that lets yous keep your files and preferences. Again, having a backup ready at this betoken is very important so salvage everything to the cloud or to an SSD or USB.

5. Reboot your estimator and connect it to the internet. Open Settings and choose "Update & Security" and click "Activation." From hither, you can see if the Windows x upgrade worked. If not, press an "Activate" button (if there is i); this will create a digital Windows ten production primal. Endeavor using your Windows 7 or Windows 8 license key.

Now that you know how to upgrade to Windows 10 for complimentary, exist certain to check out our other Windows 10 tutorials below, including tips on how to uninstall programs on Windows x, how to discover your MAC address in Windows ten, how to create a new folder in Windows 10 and more than.