How To Still Use Windows 7

Microsoft'south initial button to get Windows 7 and viii users upgraded to Windows 10 is over. Just you can still get the Bone for complimentary.

Microsoft Concluded support for Windows 7 on Jan 14th, 2020. And while there is not an official channel to upgrade to Windows 10, there is a fob to get it. And this is non illegal. Microsoft is assuasive users to do this. Here's how.

Important: Earlier attempting any major upgrade, make sure all of your important data is backed up offset. If something goes incorrect (and it certainly could with this type of upgrade) yous're not going to be able to recover it.

Upgrade from Windows 7 to 10 for Complimentary

Earlier trying the upgrade make sure to update all hardware drivers and the BIOS or firmware on your PC. Also, remember you're current Windows seven PC needs to accept a valid and activated license.

To attempt it, head to the Windows ten download page. Under the Media Creation section download theDownload tool now push button and run it.

Accept the EULA. Then when it asks you lot what to exercise select "Upgrade this PC Now" and continue with the wizard's on-screen instructions.

Important Notes:

There are several caveats hither that might brand your upgrade attempt error out. There might be hardware block — particularly on machines congenital earlier 2015. Microsoft added system compatibility blocks with Windows 10 1903. So, make certain your BIOS or firmware and all hardware drivers are upwards-to-appointment before trying the upgrade.

And merely note that Microsoft can just plough this "fob" off at any fourth dimension. So, depending on your arrangement or when you try this, your mileage may vary.

Editor Note ane/15/2020: This article was originally written in 2017. Information technology has been updated to reflect the end of back up for Windows vii. Yous can read the original text below:

Windows 10 was first introduced to the market with a one-year free upgrade offer. From July 29th, 2015 to July 29th, 2016, users could upgrade eligible Windows vii and Windows 8 devices to Microsoft's new desktop Bone for free. Many users did take advantage of it, but for one reason or another, many others skipped the offer. No surprise, a day after Microsoft's free offer ended, procrastinating users popped upwardly all over the Internet, including our Windows 10 forums asking for information about how they could still become Windows x for complimentary.

Concluding Baronial, I noticed the free upgrade offer seemed to withal be bachelor and I wrote a short blog post nearly information technology. Throughout the month of August, some users were withal getting notifications to upgrade for free, while others saw them disappear birthday. Eleven months have passed since the free upgrade ended; in fact, we are budgeted the second ceremony of the Windows 10 upgrade.

To those of you who are coming tardily to the political party and still want a costless upgrade: where've you been all this time? Anyhow, whatever your reasons, allow's see how nosotros can get you a free copy of Windows ten now that the free upgrade ship has officially sailed.

How You Tin can Still Become a Costless Upgrade to Windows ten

According to some participants on Microsoft's Community forums, Microsoft might be forgiving to those who skipped on the upgrade. It seems you can go a second chance to upgrade to Windows x by merely contacting support. A Microsoft MVP responded to a participant inquiring nigh getting Windows 10 for free and this is what he said:

Contact MS support to request a gratis upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10. The back up amanuensis will provide y'all with an exception link to allow the gratis upgrade to Windows 10. Source

Aside from that, yous may also still be eligible for a free Windows ten upgrade if you use Assistive Technologies. Assistive Technologies users could be broadly divers as users with a particular impairment or disability using third-political party software or hardware. There is no verification process for users who authorize for the Assistive Technologies upgrade.

Annotation (tenth September, 2021): While this free upgrade promotion has long been scrubbed from Microsoft's website, you lot may find it still works in general. YMMV, nevertheless!

We really mentioned this in a forum weblog post concluding year; the selection remains open and anyone it seems can use it to still snag a free re-create. Of course, we urge yous not to corruption this offer from Microsoft and to only practice this option if you rely on Assistive Technologies.

If you lot are non interested in going through whatever support obstacles or loopholes, I discovered that y'all can upgrade without purchasing a license at all. Yous are probably wondering, "Well, why didn't you just say so from the start?" Well, I could have, but I just wanted to provide all the options for users who wanted to get through official channels.

So, are at that place any legal challenges related to this? Microsoft did say the costless offer ended in July of 2016. It seems that it was more of a formality or possibly marketing mumbo jumbo to create a sense of urgency.

I decided to exam this out by first restoring my HP Elitebooks manufactory Windows vii image. I also tried it out on my HP desktop with Windows 8.0 (you read right, Windows viii.0, not 8.1 or 8.1 with Update 1). During this experiment, the first affair I discovered is your Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.i license must be activated. If it's not, Windows 10 setup is going to prompt you lot for a product central.

You lot can't use a Windows 7 or Windows viii key if y'all are upgrading. What y'all can do though is activate it using a Windows 7 or Windows 8 primal after setup is consummate; if y'all choose to perform a clean install. If it'south activated, then setup doesn't prompt you. That's it, you can upgrade without whatsoever further hindrance. In that location you go, my organisation upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10 in 2017 for free. Check out the video beneath.

Editor'south Note: I've also washed this a ton of times using my Windows eight Pro license key that came with my installation DVD. The way I encounter it: I did take Microsoft up on its offer to upgrade for free when it was available. Merely every now and then, I similar to practise a clean Windows install. Information technology makes sense that I should nonetheless be able to utilise the original license key that I paid for to get dorsum to where I was before my reinstall.

What if my system is not activated?

If your Windows 7 or Windows 8 license is not activated and yous are not interested in purchasing a license, then your options are limited. You do have some options though. Microsoft offers a 90 day trial of its Windows 10 Enterprise edition. Windows 10 Enterprise is normally distributed nether Microsoft's volume license program for large organizations that deploy Windows 10 in majority. It's a full-featured edition of the operating organisation but in this case, information technology's really an evaluation version of the software. Users must register before they can download and install the software. This choice is perfect for those users who are running Windows Vista or never had a genuine license, to brainstorm with.

One workaround users tin apply to extend the usage of the Windows x Enterprise trial is to join the Windows Insider Preview Programme. Exist advised, when you sign up for Windows ten Insider Previews, you are electing to download, install and use pre-release software still under heavy evolution. The risk is indeed high every bit evidenced past a recent unintended delivery of internal rough edge builds not even intended for users interested in bleeding edge.

Users do have the recovery options like rolling back inside ten days of upgrading – that is if yous can boot the system. Regular backups such equally creating arrangement images, or storing files on OneDrive should make it safe enough to use Windows 10 Insider builds while getting a free re-create of the software. But, once again, use it at your own risk.

For users who already have an installed, activated copy of Windows 10, merely would similar a second copy setup possibly for compatibility purposes on a second drive or partition, there is a loophole bachelor. I discovered that if you already installed and activated Windows 10 with a Digital License, you lot can do exactly that. Merely install a second re-create and it will activate without even asking questions. Previously, additional installations even on the same hardware required the purchase of an additional license in lodge to activate. The Stop User License Terms still says you lot exercise, but plainly, it is not enforced – for now.

The costless upgrade situation is a bit ironic, and I mean that the same way Alanis Morisette meant it: not actually ironic, simply rather unfortunate for a few individuals. Microsoft has been pushing a deadline for an entire year and I am sure many users with eligible Windows 7 and Windows 8 licenses concluded up buying a full Windows 10 license – when technically, they already paid.

Anyway, those are the options all the same available if you still desire to upgrade, let us know what you retrieve. We are too interested to hear from the Windows Vista, 7, or 8 holdouts: what changed your heed after then long?