Update Windows 7 To Windows 10 Free

 

Why should you upgrade to Windows 10?

You should upgrade to Windows 10 so that you can continue to get all the latest security updates. Microsoft has discontinued its support for Windows 7. This means that users will no longer receive the latest updates and security patches, putting their security at risk. Windows is offering a free upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10. Also, upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 now, while the upgrade from 10 to 11 is still free of charge.. Microsoft allows users to skip multiple generations to upgrade to the latest operating system for free, starting with the free upgrade for Windows 7, which is no longer supported. With a Windows 10 update, you’ll not only boost your PC’s security and performance, but also benefit from the latest features. Windows 10 allows for streamlined performance, which makes it easier to speed up your PC and clean up your PC. After upgrading to Windows 10, you can then consider another upgrade to Windows 11. The same goes for Windows 8.1 users, who can refer to this guide as well.

To upgrade to Windows 10

Before upgrading, the Microsoft Windows 10 installer will make sure that your system is compatible with Windows 10. If the installer concludes that Windows 10 won’t run, it will abort to keep your files and system protected. Just run the Windows 10 installer to check your computer’s compatibility with Windows 10. And here’s how to install Windows 10 for free.

Back up your files

Backing up your files and cloning your hard drive is the first step to upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10, because it may delete files (if you choose to do so). Copy any important data to another hard drive in case something goes wrong. For example, you might spill coffee all over your computer or get infected with a computer virus or some other type of malware. First, get an external HDD or SSD for your backup. This is the easiest way to back up an entire hard drive’s worth of data. These devices provide enough storage space, and you can easily copy the files back if needed. To back up your files under Windows 7, select Start > Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore. Windows will guide you through the process. Perform a full backup and create a system image. Restoring Windows from a system image returns everything to the state it was in when the image was created. When you upgrade your operating system, certain settings and applications are removed to make room for newer and better ones. This means that your computer will now work a bit differently and you’ll have to get used to it. But you’ll benefit in the long run, and the security benefits are ultimately more important than old habits.

Get a Windows 10 license

If you have an official version of Windows 7 or 8, you can easily get a Windows 10 license. During installation, Microsoft will ask you to provide a license key for one of these versions of Windows. You will need to enter a license key for Windows 7, 8, or 10 to complete the installation. The license key is often located on a sticker on the side of the computer. Look for a sticker with the Windows logo and enter the long sequence of letters and numbers indicated on it. Alternatively, you can look in the box your computer came in. If you can’t find the key anywhere, go to the Start menu, type cmd to open the command prompt and paste the following text: wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey To find your Windows product key from the command prompt.

Perform a clean installation

Microsoft allows you to create Windows installation media so that you can reinstall your operating system in case something unexpected happens. The best way to do this is to save the Windows installer to a blank USB drive with more than 8 GB of space. Make sure it is a new, unused USB drive because all existing contents will be erased. The installer will suggest a clean install of Windows 10, which is recommended. This will erase everything on your computer and give you a fresh version of Windows 10, making your computer feel like new. After the installation, keep the USB drive in a safe place and label it with a unique name, such as “Windows 10 installer”.

Upgrade to Windows 10

After creating the USB drive, you can perform the Windows upgrade. To do this, select how you want the upgrade process to proceed. If you don’t want to delete everything on your computer and start over completely, choose a simple upgrade. If the text Change retained items is displayed, you can specify that you want the Windows 10 upgrade tool to keep personal files and apps, keep only personal files, or keep nothing. Your files will only be deleted when you upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 if you select this option.

Activate your license

Make sure that your installation has been successfully activated by going to Settings > Update and security > Activation GO. Follow the steps shown to activate your Windows 10 license and get the most out of your updated operating system.

Update drivers

Without up-to-date drivers, certain components of your computer will not function properly. For example, without updating your audio drivers, your computer may output distorted sound or none at all. Update your Windows drivers to make your update to Windows 10 fully worthwhile. Open the Device Manager and update the individual components by right-clicking on Properties and then on Update Driver clicking. Alternatively, you can use Avast Driver Updater to automatically update all drivers. Make sure that Windows Update is configured to update your system regularly. To check the Windows Update settings, open the Start menu, click on Settings and then click Update and Security. In the left navigation bar, select the option Windows Update. Now you will see the status of your Windows system and whether more updates are available. This is also the perfect time to reinstall your security software. And while you’re configuring your system, you should set up a VPN right away to hide all your activities from prying eyes. Now you can be sure that you’re getting the most out of Windows.

Protect your updated PC with Avast

Avast One, an application for comprehensive security and privacy, is seamlessly synchronized with any device, especially with current Windows computers. Thanks to the program’s automatic updates, you’ll stay continuously protected against new types of malware and other online threats. You’ll receive notifications if your passwords have been compromised or if your system is vulnerable and needs an update. Download Avast One for free today. Upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10 can be done directly from the running operating system. Although some time has passed since the end of support for Windows 7, many computers are still running the outdated operating system – including the media PC of our author Sara Petzold. We have taken this situation as an opportunity to explain to you step by step in this article how you can upgrade an older Windows like Windows 7 to Windows 10 while it is running. How to install Windows 10 via installation media from scratchWe will explain how to install Windows 10 from scratch in a separate guide: 19 5 More about installing Windows 10

Installing Windows 10 via upgrade – Before the upgrade

How do I prepare the upgrade correctly? Before you can start with the actual installation, you first need Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool for Windows 10, which you can download for free from the manufacturer’s official website. You will also need a valid Windows key for the upgrade. In most cases, you can use the product key of your already installed Windows 7 operating system for Windows 10. The requirement: You can only activate a Home version with a Home key and a Pro version only with a Pro key. You can check in the Windows system settings which Windows version you are using (here using Windows 10 as an example). If you are not sure which Windows version you have, you can find the corresponding information in the following way:

• Click on the button Start button and open the Settings and select the menu
• There select the menu System -> About.
• At Device specifications -> System type you can see if your PC works with a 32-bit or a 64-bit version of Windows. Which edition you are using can be found under Windows specification.

Finally, you should make sure that your hardware meets the requirements of Windows 10. According to Microsoft’s official specifications, these are as follows:

• Display with a resolution of at least 800×600 pixels
• 2.0 GBytes (64-bit) of RAM (we recommend at least 4.0 GBytes)
• 32.0 GByte hard disk space (we recommend installing on an SSD)
• DirectX 9 compatible graphics card

Also note that some very old Intel CPUs no longer support Windows 10. These include second-generation Intel Core CPUs or Pentium and Celeron processors from the Merom, Kentsfield, Sandy Bridge and Clarkdale model ranges. If you are unsure whether your CPU is compatible with Windows 10, you can take a look at the corresponding support website from Intel.

  146 32 More about cleaning Windows 10 properly You can find more Windows guides on GameStar.de:

• Windows 10 Autostart: Find folders and add programs – Here’s how to do it
• Using Windows 10 for free – Does it have disadvantages and is it legal?

AMD CPUs support Windows 10 up to the seventh generation of the A and E series. Athlon 2xx CPUs and Ryzen 3/5/7 4xxx, Opteron and Epyc 7xxx also run Windows 10. You can find a complete list of compatible processors on Microsoft’s support website. Where can I find my Windows key? If you don’t know your operating system’s product key, there are several ways to find it:

• If you own a complete PC or a laptop, there is often a sticker with the product key on the case of the PC or on the bottom of the laptop.
• If you installed your Windows with a physical version, you will find the product key on the packaging of the installation medium.
• If you do not have the product key from the purchase of your computer or Windows license in either printed or digital form, you can extract the key using a free tool such as ProduKey. Simply download the program and extract the file so that it appears in a separate window at Product Key the product key of your operating system.

What happens to my saved files when I upgrade to Windows 10? Normally, you can still access your files as usual after the upgrade. During the installation, you choose whether you want to keep already installed programs and files or just your files. The Media Creation Tool checks the compatibility of installed programs during the upgrade to Windows 10 if you want to keep them. If a software is not compatible with Windows 10, the tool will inform you about it. You can then uninstall the affected programs directly or ignore the error message and continue with the upgrade. Should I back up important files before the upgrade? We generally recommend that you back up important files to a separate storage medium before performing the upgrade. This is because even though the upgrade usually goes smoothly, in rare cases you may experience problems and file loss.

Upgrade to Windows 10 – installation while Windows is running

How do I install the upgrade with the Media Creation Tool? Once you have made the necessary preparations for the upgrade, downloaded the Media Creation Tool, have your key ready and have backed up your files, you can start with the actual installation. To do this, follow these steps:

• Run the Media Creation Tool as administrator (right-click on the .exe file, in the context menu choose Run as administrator in the context menu).
• Accept the license terms and click on the button Continue.
• In the next window choose the option Run upgrade for this PC now and click Next again.
• Now choose which version of Windows 10 you want to install. Use the version that corresponds to your Windows 7 product key (Home -> Home and Pro -> Pro, see above for explanation).
• Next, you need to choose which elements you want to keep during the upgrade. Here you decide according to your needs in the menu Change the elements to keepwhich items you want to keep (personal files and apps, personal files only or nothing).
• Now close all programs that are still open except for the Media Creation Tool and click on Install.
• The upgrade installation will begin and may take some time. Windows will restart your PC several times during the installation.
• Once the installation is complete, you can use your PC normally again and should find your desktop and installed programs as usual, depending on your selection.

What can I do if installed programs no longer work after the upgrade? If you have decided to keep installed apps, it may happen that the respective software no longer works despite a compatibility check. You have two options in this case:

• Try to start the software in the compatibility mode of your previous Windows version. You do this by right-clicking on the .exe file or the corresponding shortcut and selecting the option Fix compatibility problems. Then follow the instructions on the screen.
• Check whether there is a newer version of the corresponding software that is compatible with Windows 10. Some programs also have a built-in update feature that you can use to fix problems from compatibility mode if necessary.

After installing your upgrade, remember to check Windows 10 for updates when you start the new operating system for the first time. 16 2 More about starting in safe mode in Windows 10 If you have problems with drivers, it can also be helpful to switch to safe mode in Windows 10. You can find out what this does in detail and how it works in the article linked above. When Windows 10 was launched in July 2015, Microsoft’s plan looked like this: Until the end of July 2016, limited to one year, users of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 were supposed to be able to switch to Windows 10 for free. The whole free promotion was then carried out with great fanfare and a countdown to the second. Microsoft also lists the question about the free upgrade offer in the official Windows 10 FAQs. The official answer: “The free upgrade to Windows 10 via the Get Windows 10 (GWX) app ended on July 29, 2016.” With that, Microsoft is right, but still misleads users. What users care about is whether they can still get from Windows 7 or 8.1 to Windows 10 for free. Microsoft dodges the question in its answer and only writes that the free upgrade via GWX tool no longer works. But until today you can upgrade from Windows 7 and 8.1 to Windows 10 for free. This does not require hacks or secret tips, Windows 10 simply accepts the activation keys of its predecessors.

Backup is mandatory

Before the update, a backup of the entire system is mandatory. Image: CHIP In this article, we would like to show you that Windows 7 users, for example, can simply leave Windows, which has not been supported since the beginning of 2020, on the left without any problems and upgrade to Windows 10 for free. But before you actually do that, you should create a backup of the existing system. We have tested how current backup programs perform. A completely free backup of your system is possible with tools like Macrium Reflect. Please do not skip this step, otherwise you may be left without a working Windows in case of an error.

Download Macrium Reflect Macrium Reflect Free

• Macrium Reflect Free 8.0.7175

  1 Macrium Reflect Free 8.0.7175 Version 1.2.39 The backup software “Macrium Reflect” creates 1:1 copies of the hard disk and restores them in case of failure.

Free upgrade to Windows 10 via Update Assistant

Update Assistant: For an easy upgrade to Windows 10, the Update Assistant is a good choice. Image: CHIP The easiest way to Windows 10 is via the Windows 10 Update Assistant, an official tool from Microsoft. After the backup described above, install it on your existing version of Windows, whether Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, and click through the wizard. The tool checks if your system is suitable and then downloads Windows 10 in the background. After that, the installation begins, which involves at least a reboot. At the end of this procedure, you will have performed the free upgrade to Windows 10.

Download: Windows 10 Update Assistant

• Windows 10 Update Assistant 1.4.19041.2183

  1 Windows 10 Update Assistant 1.4.19041.2183 Version 1.2.39 Use the Microsoft tool “Windows 10 Update Assistant” to update your computer to the latest Windows 10 version.

Reinstall Windows 10

The Media Creation Tool fetches Windows 10 and writes it to a USB stick. Image: CHIP The Update Assistant lives up to its name and performs an update. But especially when you change the Windows version, this is also a good occasion for a reinstallation. To do this cleanly, you can write the Windows 10 installation files to a USB stick, boot the system from the stick and then install it fresh. However, this sounds more complicated than it is in practice, because the Media Creation Tool, also an official Microsoft software, will help you with this. It fetches the latest Windows 10 version and writes you to a USB stick if you wish.

Download: Media Creation Tool

• Media Creation Tool for Windows 10 22H2 (October 2022 Update) #19045.2006

  1 Media Creation Tool for Windows 10 22H2 (October 2022 Update) #19045.2006 Version 1.2.39 The “Media Creation Tool” from Microsoft allows download and installation of Windows 10 including the latest October 2022 Update. Practical for new Windows installations and also updates.

Read Windows key in advance

Before the changeover, it is recommended to read out the Windows key. Image: CHIP Of course, Windows 10 also needs to be activated. For this, an activation key is necessary. Windows 10 also accepts the keys from Windows 7 and 8.1. Often, the key is already stored in the UEFI firmware on the motherboard. Windows 10 is then smart enough to read this key during installation. You don’t have to type anything anymore, Windows 10 activates itself automatically. Alternatively, you can also read the key from existing license stickers, the keys are also available on paper in retail boxes, and those who have purchased a key online usually receive it by mail. Alternatively, you can also read the Windows key from your existing installation and save it. If Windows 10 then asks for it during the installation, you have to type in the key once. Windows 10 then checks the key and should activate itself. Programs like MyKeyFinder take care of reading out the Windows key.

Download: MyKeyFinder

• MyKeyFinder 2023 v12.01

  1 MyKeyFinder 2023 v12.01 Version 1.2.39 “MyKeyFinder 2023” finds the serial numbers of installed software.

And is the whole thing legal?

Windows 7 is no longer supported since the beginning of 2020. Image: Microsoft Licensing law is complex, and Microsoft isn’t exactly helping to simplify it. The free update was advertised as part of a marketing campaign for one year, years later it still technically works, but officially the campaign has ended. It would be easy for Microsoft to prevent the updates. But they don’t do that, because the goal is to get as many users as possible onto Windows 10. What can be deduced here now? Microsoft at least tolerates the updates, and posts in the Microsoft support forums keep popping up, pointing out that this is a viable option. However, if one calls Microsoft support, the answer is usually “buy a Windows 10 version”. One interesting point is that you can bring your system up to Windows 10 without asking, for example, using the Windows 10 Update Assistant, which is an official Microsoft tool after all. The key is simply taken over and the license is folded over. Since the assistant also checks the hardware suitability, you might expect it to also grumble if the license does not entitle you to the update. However, the assistant does not do that. The bottom line is that this is a nice topic for discussion for lawyers, because it is probably a gray area. Those who don’t want to deal with it theoretically for a long time, just do the update. All others, who might have a guilty conscience, buy a license from Microsoft, because even the discounted third-party licenses are often the subject of lengthy legal discussions.

Download: The current Windows 10

• Windows 10 Update Assistant 1.4.19041.2183

  1 Windows 10 Update Assistant 1.4.19041.2183 Version 1.2.39 Use the Microsoft tool “Windows 10 Update Assistant” to update your computer to the latest Windows 10 version.

• Media Creation Tool for Windows 10 22H2 (October 2022 Update) #19045.2006

  1 Media Creation Tool for Windows 10 22H2 (October 2022 Update) #19045.2006 Version 1.2.39 The “Media Creation Tool” from Microsoft allows download and installation of Windows 10 including the latest October 2022 Update. Practical for new Windows installations and also updates.

Update Windows 7 To Windows 10 Free.

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