If you have a PC running a "genuine" copy of Windows 7/8/8.1 (Windows 7 Home, Pro, or Ultimate edition, or Windows 8.x Home or Business, properly licensed and activated), you can follow the same steps I did to install Windows 10 as an upgrade.īefore getting started, I recommend a few preliminary tasks that can head off potential problems: Whether you're looking for a tablet to stream videos or to replace your laptop, here are some compelling options.
Want your own digital license to the latest Windows 10 version? Follow these instructions.
Here's why - and how to get it." For help decoding setup errors, see "Windows 10: Use setup log files to troubleshoot installation problems."
For details on how to troubleshoot these errors, see "This free Windows 10 upgrade offer still works. I continue to receive email messages regularly from readers offering firsthand reports that their free upgrades were successful, with no purchase or product key required.Ī small number of readers have reported that the upgrade fails because of a Setup error or a compatibility block. Over the next four-plus years, I repeated those steps on test PCs at regular intervals and confirmed that the free upgrade tool still works. One digital license, no product key required. 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. In this post, I'll cover the basics of how to install Windows 10 as an upgrade on older hardware. For those PCs, Windows 10 remains a viable option until at least October 2025.
(For details, see "How to upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Pro without hassles.")Įvery technique I describe in this article works the same for Windows 11 as well, although most older PCs will be blocked from upgrading to Microsoft's newest operating system by the stringent Windows 11 hardware compatibility requirements. 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). In the past two years, millions of people have taken old PCs out of storage and gotten up to speed quickly, thanks to these free upgrades.Īlso: Windows 11 FAQ: Here's everything you need to know And it turned out to be a great relief to household budgets when the pandemic made working from home (or going to school via remote sessions) suddenly popular. That upgrade became more important than ever when support for Windows 7 officially ended in January 2020. Here are ZDNet's top picks for a variety of use cases. Please note that a valid product key is required during Windows 11 deployment.Google Drive alternative: Decentralized and encrypted
With its help, you can create a bootable disk or an ISO image to deploy Windows 11 with ease. Media Creation Tool comes in handy in situations when you want to try or reinstall Windows 11 on your PC and do not own an installation media.
You can then use a disc burner to create a DVD containing the Windows deployment files. Alternatively, the application can generate an ISO image and save it to your PC. Create a bootable USB or an ISO imageĭownloaded files can be sent to a USB flash drive, but note that at least 8 GB of free space are required and that all the information stored on the USB drive is overwritten during the process. As you might imagine, its speed highly depends on the reliability of your Internet connection. In order to use it, your computer must be connected to the Internet, since all the installation files are downloaded from Microsoft. It actually consists of a wizard that guides you through all the necessary steps, making the entire process a matter of pressing a few 'Next' buttons. Wizard-like interface with clear optionsįocusing on ease of use, this application adopts a forthright approach, enabling you to have your Windows 11 deployment package ready in minutes. Created by Microsoft itself, Media Creation Tool can help you easily create a setup file for Windows 11. If your computer is running Windows 10, you need a bootable disk to help you deploy Windows 11.