Microsoft has announced the release date of their latest version of Windows – version 10. Using the new version will be much more similar to the beloved desktop OS used in Windows 7 than Windows 8 has been, but it includes the many technical improvements which debuted in Windows 8. This new OS is being released starting on July 29th.
One major difference between the new Windows release and previous ones is that upgrades are free for users of Windows 7 and 8 for the first year. In addition, online upgrades are available for eligible computers. If you’ve been keeping the patches for your current Window 7 or Windows 8.1 system up to date, this means you will see offers to upgrade your existing computers. Opting in to the upgrade will enable your computer to automatically download the new operating system after July 29th, without the use of an install DVD.
- CLASSE will eventually be upgrading to Windows 10, but in a very different method; upgrades will not occur automatically with a reboot. We’ll be rolling it out deliberately and incrementally, as with previous operating system releases.
At home, you’ll have a choice. We recommend not jumping on at the very first opportunity. There are always bugs found on the release date that were not found during testing. You’ll also want to make sure the software and computer hardware you have will run Windows 10. The worst thing that can happen is the upgrade may not completely work on certain computers.
That all said, we would recommend taking advantage of the free upgrade, perhaps in 6 months, in January of 2016. Most of the worst bugs will likely be worked out by then. You’ll be able to find out online if your computer can run the software for this upgrade. One of the benefits of upgrading is the continued security update support from Microsoft. Especially for Windows 7 users, that will be a great time to potentially extend the life of your computer with actively supported Microsoft software at no additional cost!
We’ve collected, excerpted and linked to details on the current preview releases of Windows 10, including additional information on how the upgrade is offered, and how it’s currently worked in testing from Microsoft and other commenters around the web:
Upgrading to Windows 10
Microsoft’s official FAQ for Windows 10 is available at
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-faq
Although some of its descriptions are somewhat glib, it is accurate.
Below is some discussion of the upgrade procedure.
1. Reserve
You can reserve your free upgrade by invoking the “Get Windows 10 App” that a recent update should have installed in your Taskbar. Once you’ve reserved it, the installation kit for Windows 10 will be downloaded in the background when it becomes available. Microsoft will be spreading out the downloads over several months, so it probably won’t be available on your computer right away. You can cancel your reservation at any time.
Some systems have been reported not to have gotten this App. The primary reason seems to be that their hardware is incompatible with Windows 10. However, there have been several modifications to the upgrade App, and some systems which didn’t have it previously show it after the most recent update this past week. See the FAQ above for more information.
2. Install
You’ll get a notification some time after July 29, 2015, once Windows 10 has been downloaded to your device. You can install it right away or pick a time that’s good for you.
Yes, it’s really free. This will be a full version of Windows, not a trial or introductory version. It will be available for free only for a limited time, though: you have one year from the time Windows 10 becomes available to take advantage of this offer. After that, you’ll have to pay for the installation kit and software license, which could be as much as $200 for Windows 10 Professional.
Windows 10 Installs Automatically On Windows 7 And Windows 8.
It preserves as much as possible of your current system software. Your personal directories won’t be disturbed.
After the installation has completed, though, you won’t be able to revert to your previous version of Windows if you find the new version to be unusable. If you want to be able to go back, then you’ll have to do a full backup of your computer before you run the Windows 10 installation procedure. If you decide you can’t live with Windwos 10, you’ll then have to do a full restore from that backup.
Don’t Upgrade to Windows 10 on July 29
We recommend postponing your update for several months so that other people have the fun of finding and reporting its bugs.