If you’ve been putting off that upgrade to Windows 10 because of the price tag, Microsoft is giving you the deal of a lifetime. Well, at least your computer’s lifetime.
From now until July 29, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is giving away an upgrade to Windows 10 for FREE. That’s right … zero dollars.
Free Windows 10 Update
And this is a full version of Windows 10, too, not a trial or some limited-capability version of the operating system. If you’re running an older version of Windows, this could be a savings of between $119 and $199, depending on the version of Windows 10 you’ll get for free.
There are some caveats, of course.
This offer is only available for computers running genuine versions of Windows 7 (Service Pack 1) and the Windows 8.1 Update. The version of Windows 10 that you’ll get will be based on the older version of Windows you’re running on the device you’re upgrading.
For instance, if you’re running Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, or Home Premium, you’ll get Windows 10 Home. If you’ve got Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Ultimate, you’ll get Windows 10 Pro.
Windows 8.1 users will get Windows 10 Home. Users of Windows 8.1 Pro and Windows 8.1 Pro for Students will receive a free upgrade to Windows 10 Pro.
Microsoft says that, depending upon the computer you’re upgrading to Windows 10, some features of the new operating system may not be available.
Computers running older versions of Windows, like Vista, XP, or Enterprise, are not eligible for the free upgrade. Windows RT and Windows RT 8.1 devices are also not eligible for the free upgrade to Windows 10.
If your devices running the eligible older systems are ripe for the upgrade, Microsoft says you can get Windows 10 by opening the Get Windows 10 app. That gives you the option to reserve, start or schedule an upgrade to the new operating system.
Wondering what the Get Windows 10 app is? Check for a Windows logo in your notification/status/task bar. That’s it!
Microsoft will take some time to verify that your computer is eligible for the upgrade and then notify you on your PC that the upgrade to Windows 10 is ready.
This is not the first wholesale free upgrade to Windows 10 that Microsoft has offered. When the operating system launched, a lot of computers running Windows 8.1 were eligible for the same upgrade.
Image: Microsoft
Francisco Gaytan
This is good news. I thought they had already ended this promotion.
Aira Bongco
My laptop is in Windows 10 and I am not exactly a fan of it. It seems that Windows 8 is more user friendly or maybe it is just me.
JohnH
Be very careful before deciding to upgrade. One of my computers is not compatible with Windows 10 (luckily the rollback was simple). On my other computers, some software isn’t compatible without about $1,200 in upgrades, so free can be somewhat expensive.
Steve Doner
Microsoft’s trojan horse type tactic which tricked users into downloading caused my wife’s computer to lock up and it was beyond repair when we took it in to undo the damage. Had to buy a new computer, new software, etc.
I went from loving to detesting Microsoft in less than 24 hours. Unfortunately there are no viable alternatives (yet).
Martin Lindeskog
Could you run it on an iPad? If so, then I am interested… 🙂
John
Haven’t upgraded yet, but plan on doing so just before the deadline. I have thoroughly enjoyed using Windows 7 and although I have PC’s in my house with Windows 10 installed, I still love the Win 7 interface. I know many might say that they are similar, but but I’m so comfortable with Win 7.
One idea I am toying with is to create a systems image of Windows 7, upgrade to Windows 10, save the copy for my machine and roll back to the older OS. That way I would still have a copy of the new (free) version of the operating system.
Scriptwriter 1
My attempt at downloading Win 10 took literally several hours using my TW Cable. I got to 92% downloaded and it froze. I had to cancel. Tried again but same slow download problem. I suppose a lot of people are trying to download and Micosoft’s servers are near capacity but this is no way to run a such a huge tech company. I am sticking with Win 7.
Julian Siravo
The move is a big, and probably expensive, bet on Microsoft’s new philosophy for Windows. The company is moving towards seeing its operating system not as a product. But it could also lead to more money for Microsoft.