That way, if anything goes wrong, if the activation doesn’t take, or if you just don’t like the results, you can easily and completely revert to where you were when you started. Back upĮven if this wasn’t an unofficial scenario, I’d strongly recommend you take a complete image backup of your computer before starting. When prompted, select Upgrade this PC now. Backup first, then visit the Windows 10 Download page, click on Download tool now, run the downloaded Windows 10 setup tool and follow its instructions. In case you are unable to obtain the license, you can enter your Windows 7/8/8.1 product key and manually activate the operating system.If you have a working, installed, and activated copy of Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, you still can upgrade to Windows 10 for free.Click on the ‘Activate’ button if required and your PC will be activated with a digital license after it establishes a connection to the Microsoft servers. Once the installation completes, connect your device or virtual machine to the internet and open Windows Update > Activation.A summary of available upgrade paths from Windows 7 or a later operating system to Windows 10 can be found here.Doing a fresh install via the Media Creation Tool may not get you Windows 10 for free, so be careful! Accept the terms and conditions and choose the upgrade option where you keep your files and information.Open the Media Creation Tool and select ‘Upgrade this PC now’.Alternatively, you can download the full ISO of Windows 10 from this page (may redirect to the Media Creation Tool download page if opened on Windows).Head over to the Windows 10 download page and download the tool to install the OS.Note that a corporate/volume licensed instance of Windows - even if it's genuine - isn't eligible.

Make sure you are using a genuine copy of Windows 7/8.1 on your device or virtual machine.

During the time Microsoft had also confirmed that there would be no more security updates, or emergency patches unless you’re a business that is willing to pay. This should be good news for Windows 7 users, especially since Microsoft ended support for the operating system in January 2020.

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