Microsoft is offering Windows 10 for free for customers who use “assistive technologies”. All you have to do is visit their Accessibility website and hit the “. As a result, you can still upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7 or Windows and claim a free digital license for the latest Windows
 
 

Can you still download windows 10 free

In this post, I’ll cover the basics of how to install Windows 10 as an upgrade on older hardware. I’ll also talk about the licensing issues involved, which are as always confusing.

I wrote and published the first version of this post in early , several months after Microsoft’s initial free upgrade offer ended. The free upgrade offer had just ended, and when I downloaded the Windows 10 upgrade tool and ran it on an old Windows 7 PC, I fully expected that the upgrade would fail activation and I’d be asked for a product key. Over the next four-plus years, I have repeated those steps on test PCs at regular intervals and confirmed that the free upgrade tool still works.

I continue to receive email messages every day from readers offering firsthand reports that their free upgrades were successful, with no purchase or product key required. A small number of readers have reported that the upgrade fails because of a Setup error or a compatibility block. For details on how to troubleshoot these errors, see “This free Windows 10 upgrade offer still works.

Here’s why – and how to get it. Before getting started, I recommend a few preliminary tasks that can head off potential problems:. With those preliminaries out of the way, go to the Download Windows 10 webpage and click the Download tool now button. After the download completes, double-click the executable file to run the Media Creation Tool. That option installs the most recent version of Windows It typically takes an hour, more or less, depending on your hardware.

Having an SSD as your system drive is the best way to speed up the process. Windows 10 configuration settings can be difficult to locate because they reside deep down the rabbit hole of screens, control panels, and menus. Read More. If you know you’ll want to upgrade to Windows 10 on more than one PC, or if you just want more flexibility in the event that the instant upgrade fails, choose the second option and save the installation files to a USB drive or as an ISO file.

The download takes a little time but when it’s complete, you can run the Windows Setup program manually to install Windows 10 on any PC running any supported Windows 10 version sorry, this won’t work with PCs running Windows Vista or Windows XP.

The exact steps depend on which download option you chose:. Then just follow the prompts to complete the upgrade to Windows All your apps and data files will be available. The digital license is associated with that specific device, which means you can reformat the disk and perform a clean installation of the same edition of Windows 10 anytime. If you’re thinking of upgrading your old system drive to an SSD, perform the upgrade to Windows 10 on the old hardware; after confirming that the new Windows 10 version is properly activated, install the SSD and then either restore from a backup image or boot from the USB flash drive to do a clean install.

You won’t need a product key, and activation is automatic. And now the big question: If you avail yourself of this upgrade to Windows 10, is the resulting license valid? The entire “free upgrade” offer was always accompanied by language that was, to put it politely, a bit squishy. And the language around the end of that offer is similarly vague. That’s very odd language. The free upgrade through the Get Windows 10 app ended on July 29, Likewise, the discussion of product keys says a key will be necessary “for this tool to work” not true but doesn’t say a word about licensing.

And unlike the weaselly “Genuine Windows” label on older upgrades, the activation screens for a Windows 10 upgrade specifically confirm the existence of a “digital license. Anyway, the free upgrade offer was extended, at least for people who use assistive technologies. The FAQ on a separate page even called it a “free upgrade offer extension” and pointedly noted that it was not limited to specific assistive technologies.

I regularly use the Magnifier utility in Windows, which is indisputably an assistive technology. Of course, I’m not a lawyer, and this column isn’t legal advice.

But I will say that I am personally confident in the activation status of any PC upgraded using the tool on that page during the eligibility period. This extension was, I think, a very large nod and a wink, designed to make it easy for those who wanted a Windows 10 upgrade to still get it while placating the OEM partners who were none too happy about the year-long emphasis on upgrades rather than new PC sales.

Alas, I say “was,” because the extension which was itself extended officially ended on Jan. The page that formerly ran an Upgrade Assistant now displays a message about the expiration of the offer. The big question now is whether Microsoft will ever turn off the code on its activation servers that dispenses digital licenses after an upgrade from an earlier Windows version.

I’ve continued to test that scenario, and I can confirm, long after the end of support for Windows 7, that it still works. I continue to hear from readers sharing their experiences. If you’ve used this technique on a PC, click my name at the top of this post and use the contact form to let me know how it went for you.

Note: This article was originally published in January It has been updated multiple times since then to reflect the most current information. And if you’ve found yourself spending more time at home on your computer due to the pandemic , it may be a good time to try it out for yourself. When Windows 10 was first released in July , Microsoft offered an unprecedented free upgrade offer for Windows 7, 8 and 8.

As of the end of April , readers are still emailing me and commenting below, saying that it’s worked for them as well. Read more: Windows 10 tips: How to take screenshots, find the secret Start menu and more. Windows 7 users who don’t upgrade to the new version will no longer be able to get Microsoft’s security updates or fixes, or technical support for any issues, leaving your computer at greater risk from viruses and malware. While Windows 10 users have experienced a number of bugs over the years, upgrading remains the best option for keeping your computer safe , analysts say.

And more people seem to be making the move: Windows 10 now has more than 1 billion active users worldwide, Microsoft reported in March. Here’s how to get Windows 10 for free, if you’re currently running a licensed and activated copy of Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.

Go to the Download Windows 10 website. Under Create Windows 10 installation media , click Download tool now and Run. If you’re upgrading a different machine, choose Create installation media for another PC , and save the installation files.

It should be noted that if you have a Windows 7 or 8 Home license, you can only update to Windows 10 Home, while Windows 7 or 8 Pro can only be updated to Windows 10 Pro. The upgrade is not available for Windows Enterprise. Other users may experience blocks as well , depending on your machine. This upgrade using the media creation tool isn’t meant for the general consumer, but it works for many nonetheless.

To get the best Windows 10 experience and take advantage of features like passwordless sign-on through Windows Hello , you’ll want to purchase a new Windows 10 PC or one released after July with all the hardware upgrades. If you’re a student or university faculty member, you may also be able to download Windows 10 for free search for your school’s software offerings here.

For more, check out the best antivirus protection of for Windows 10 , six security changes all Windows 10 users need to make and everything to know about the Windows 10 spring update , and three new features from the Windows 10 October update and how to use them. You can also get Microsoft Office online free , too.