How you can upgrade to Windows-10 | Technology

New York: Microsoft, which launched Windows 10 on Wednesday, is giving out the upgrade to its latest operating system for free. There are two ways you can get it – by registering on the Windows 10 app or jumping the line and getting it from Windows 10 download page.

The upgrade is available only for PCs and tablets and not for mobile phones. You need to have Windows 7 or 8 to be able to upgrade to Windows 10 either way, else you need a Windows 10 license key that comes for around $119.

Registration on Windows 10 app:

This is the preferred way as the company will ensure hardware compatibility on your system.

1. Download Windows 10 app.
2. Register for free upgrade.
3. Enter you e-mail details if you want a confirmation of the registration.
4. Wait for the upgrade. It is first-come first-serve basis but may take a few days, weeks or months. The reason seen is Microsoft trying to prevent its servers from the pressure of millions of upgrades simultaneously. Another reason is that Microsoft will consider hardware compatibility of your system for the upgrade. If there is some issue with your hardware you may have to wait a little longer.
5. Once the upgrade is ready, you will receive a notification following which you can do it at your convenience and enjoy the free version.

Jump the queue and download:

There is a Windows 10 download page from where you can get a direct upgrade of the operating system by clicking on Download Tool Now.

1. Burn it on a CD or DVD or copy it onto a USB flash drive.
2. Get the back-up of your data before upgrading to Windows 10.
3. Windows 10 does have a rollback feature, which expires after one month, with which you can go back to Windows 7 or 8. You may also install a rollback tool on your own before installing Windows 10.
4. Choose whether your PC has a 32-bit or 64-bit CPU. If you do not know, then avoid downloading.
5. Click on Upgrade this PC and when asked for a product key, choose ‘Skip’.
6. The downside is that there is no guarantee whether your PC’s hardware will fully support Windows 10 upgrade. So to prevent the frustration of going back to Windows 7 or 8, it is preferable you go through the normal route of registration on Windows 10 app.