How to upgrade to Windows 10 for free

Although Microsoft is letting every Windows 7 and 8 user upgrade to Windows 10 for free, provided they register within one year of Windows 10’s release on 29^th July 2015, the upgrade system is, unfortunately, a little bit more complicated than you may have first thought. So, before we take you through how to claim your upgrade, it's worth going through some of the restrictions first.

Jump straight to how to upgrade to Windows 10 for free

Upgrade restrictions 

The main restriction is that the free upgrade from Window 7 or 8 to Windows 10 is listed as being for  the "supported lifetime of the device". Unfortunately, we don't know what this means and Microsoft hasn't currently elborated, although it has stated that the lifetime will vary by device type, with two to four years being quoted. This may mean that after Microsoft's defined 'lifetime' you may have to pay for upgrades, but we don't know for sure until launch day.

What we do know is that the type of licence you have for your current version of Windows remains after you upgrade to Windows 10. So, if your computer shipped with a copy of Windows, you'll have an OEM licence, which means that you can't transfer the operating system to a new computer. This restriction will stay in place when you upgrade to Windows 10. It also means that if your computer has major components changed, such as the motherboard, Windows 10 will need to be reactivated, which will most likely require you to buy a new licence; it has been possible in the past with OEM versions to talk to Microsoft and have the software reactivated for free, provided there's a good reason for the hardware change, such as a fault requiring the replacement of a component.

If you bought a retail version of Windows 7 or 8 things are different, as this version is transferable to a new computer. This will stay true after you upgrade to Windows 10, so you'll be able to install the new operating system on a new computer, although you will have to delete it from your existing computer. This is great news for anyone that's looking to build a new PC for Windows 10, as it means that they can use their existing retail copy of Windows 7 or 8.

Before you can claim your upgrade, you also need to upgrade to the latest version of your current OS. This will be Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1, both of which are available through Windows Update. Finally, you need to check that your computer is capable of running Windows 10 (see Step 2 of our how to upgrade guide.)

Performing a clean install of Windows 10

Once you’ve upgraded a computer to Windows 10, you’ll be able to perform a clean installation of the operating system, as Microsoft will make an ISO of the operating system available for download. You’ll be able to use our how to install a clean version of Windows 10 instructions to turn this ISO into a bootable DVD or USB flash drive.

Boxed copies

If you're not eligible for the upgrade, or you want another copy of Windows 10, you’ll need to buy a copy of the software. Windows 10 will be available as boxed software and should be available to buy as a download, too. These versions of Windows 10 will work like traditional boxed copies of previous versions of Windows, where you’ll be able to install the OS on a computer of your choice, and reinstall it when you build a new model.

Upgrade versions

If you're upgrading from Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10, the table below shows you the version of Windows 10 that you'll get. Note that it is possible to upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro at a later date, should you want to (see below for more information).

Retail versions

If you can't get the upgrade and need to buy a copy of Windows 10, you'll need to buy the retail version, which will be available as boxed software and as a download. You'll also be able to buy a Windows 10 Pro pack, which will upgrade the Home edition of the operating system to the Pro version.

How to claim your free Windows 10 upgrade

With the complicated bits out of the way, we can get on with how you claim your free upgrade. These steps can be followed from now up until one year after Windows 10 is officially launched on the 29th July.

Step 1 - Make sure you're running the latest version of your OS

First, run Windows Update from the Control Panel and make sure that your computer is up to date and running the latest service packs: you need Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1 installed in order to upgrade to Windows 10.

Step 2 - Register for the upgrade

Once your Windows installation is fully updated, a small flag icon should appear in the Windows Notification area on the Desktop. Click this to launch the Get Windows 10 app. To check that your computer is capable of running the upgrade, click the Menu button (three horizontal lines at the top-left of the screen) and click Check My PC. This will tell you if your computer is ready to upgrade: it needs a 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM (for 32-bit Windows) or 2GB RAM (for 64-bit Windows) and 16GB free disk space. You’ll be told if any aspect of your PC is lacking, giving you a chance to upgrade (if possible) or clear some disk space. Any device or software incompatible with Windows 10 will be flagged, but we haven’t run into any major problems when testing the new OS.

Step 3 - Install when ready

Click the Menu button again and click Reserve your free upgrade. Windows 10 will then be reserved for you. To check this, relaunch the Get Windows 10 app, click the Menu button then click View confirmation. You’ll be told when Windows 10 has downloaded; once it has, you can perform an in-place upgrade of your existing operating system. Once you’ve upgraded your computer, you can create installation media and perform a clean install.