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How to upgrade to Windows 10 from window 7, 8 or 8.1 for free

If you haven’t upgraded your PC to Windows 10(for whatever reason, genuine or otherwise), you can’t officially do it for free anymore. As of November 2017, Microsoft decided to shutter the Windows 10 free upgrade Program, meaning you can’t get the free version of the Operating System from Microsoft if you haven’t already.

However, this doesn’t mean you can’t get the free version of Windows 10 at all; you can still upgrade to Windows 10 for free, although it’s not as easy as the installation process supported a while back. In this post, we would be highlighting the procedures to follow in order to achieve a free upgrade to Windows 10.

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Step 1: Get a copy of Windows 7, 8 or 8.1

The first step to take in this installation process is to find a copy of the older Windows versions. This is because the product key of any one of them would be needed later on.

You could even use the Windows OS already installed on your system, all you’ve got to do in that case, is to use freeware such as NirSoft ProduKey to pull out the product key of the already installed OS.

Step 2: Back up everything

The next thing to do is to take time out and back up all your important stuff that’s on your current PC into an external storage device. If you’re already in the habit of backing up all your important files somewhere, then you can skip this step.
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Step 3: Create a Windows 10 Installer

The next step is to create and configure a Windows 10 installer; configuring the installer means you are creating an installation media for another PC using your chosen hardware, which could be a USB flash drive or a DVD/CD. If you choose to use DVD storage, then you should save the installation media in .iso files; same applies if you’re planning to use a USB flash drive.

You would be required to select either 32-bit or 64-bit versions of Windows.

Step 4: Start the Installation process

At this point, you can begin the installation process. Restart your PC and press F2 to open the Boot priority menu. The menu gives the connected storage (USB flash drive or DVD) the access to run before the operating system boots up. This then gives you the opportunity to install and boot Windows 10 from the external storage.

Step 5: Enter the Product key

After the successful installation and booting up of the Windows 10, you would be required to input the product key. Input the product key you retrieved in step 1, and click on Next.

These are the steps needed to upgrade your PC to Windows 10 for free. Admittedly, it is more cumbersome and tedious than the free update Microsoft used to push to PCs prior to November 2017.

It is still better than nothing, however; at least, it’s nice to know it is still possible to upgrade one’s PC to Windows 10 for free, with Windows 10 being arguably the best Windows OS there is, and that the phase-out of older Windows OS versions (most especially Windows 7) is almost complete.

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Michelle Paulsen

Michelle, a former author for renowned tech publications TechCrunch and The Verge, has established herself as a prominent figure in technology journalism. With her deep industry knowledge and experience, she excels at breaking down complex tech topics into engaging, reader-friendly articles. Known for her sharp analysis and compelling storytelling, Michelle has a proven track record of enlightening readers about the latest tech trends and innovations.

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