There are other ways you can get Windows 10 if you need it, including free and low-cost options that may be worth exploring. Buy a copy of Windows 10 from Microsoft. Please read our guide on how to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows Note that if you're a student, or work at a large organization, you might be eligible for free or discounted Windows. Microsoft has more on that in a support page. It turns out this is safer than it sounds because Microsoft is pretty lax about enforcing activation. We want to stress that using an unactivated version of Windows 10 is not permitted by Microsoft.

Better safe than sorry. In the end, if Microsoft wanted to stop people from using these versions, they could do it. You can find third-party vendors who sell Windows 10 manufacturer keys at a bargain. Going through these companies enables you to purchase the keys at half or even lower of the full Microsoft price. While it may sound like a scam, you can find reliable vendors who just happen to have a good price, but you need to stay on your toes. What customers need to do is hunt for trustworthy key vendors who offer incredible bargains. Easier said than done, though. But overall, we still suggest shopping around. As you can guess, it is very much possible to still upgrade and get Windows 10 for free in You just need to follow our methods covered above -- from using your existing Windows 7 or Windows 8.

Our tips and tricks are in line with Microsoft's terms, too. This means you don't have to worry about if it is legal to get Windows 10 for free. For a limited time, Microsoft will continue to offer Windows 10 at no charge for users who rely on the operating system's assistive technologies -- specifically, individuals with significant vision, hearing, dexterity, language or learning needs. If you're lucky enough to have no such needs, well, it'll just be our little secret. Because Microsoft requires no proof that you're a user of assistive-technology products, meaning pretty much anyone who wants Windows 10 can get Windows If you missed the free Windows 10 upgrade, you can still get it -- even if you don't use assistive technologies.

We won't tell if you don't. And the process couldn't be much simpler: Head to the Windows 10 upgrade page and click Upgrade Now. That'll download a small executable you'll run to download Windows 10 in its entirety and perform the upgrade. There's nothing different about this version of Windows or the license that accompanies it. It's pretty much identical to what everyone got prior to July I'm trying to decide if there's some ethical reason not to do this. Because, to be honest, I just did it yesterday -- I'd forgotten to update one of my kids' older laptops and was kicking myself for having missed the cutoff date. First, you'll need to find your product key.

See my article " How to recover your Windows product key " for more information. When you've found your product key, head over to the Download Windows 10 website and click the Download tool now button. When the tool finishes downloading, open it, accept the license terms, and hit Upgrade this PC now. If you prefer, you can also select Create installation media for another PC to download an. iso file and clean install Windows If you choose to create installation media, make sure to download the correct version of Windows Either way, after Windows 10 installs, you can use your Windows 7 or Windows 8. x product key to activate when you are asked. 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 "upgrade now" button. A tool will be downloaded that will help you upgrade your Windows 7 or 8. x machine to Windows The process is the same as last year's free upgrade process. According to the terms, anyone who uses "assistive technologies" qualifies for the upgrade. These technologies can range anywhere from magnifiers and content readers to simply using a high contrast Windows theme or mouse pointer. Despite the terms being clearly laid out, Microsoft is not checking that whomever downloads Windows 10 this way uses assistive technologies.

And despite confusion when this loophole was discovered long ago, Microsoft has not hidden or withdrawn the offer. They also have not specified when it will end. If you took advantage of the free upgrade offer, or you obtained Windows 10 using the methods in this article, you can reinstall Windows 10 on that same machine however many times you'd like without providing a product key. This is because Windows 10 registers your hardware IDs with Microsoft's servers, so that when you reinstall Windows, your hardware is automatically matched with the servers and activated. Windows 10 also allows you to upgrade various hardware components like RAM or storage devices without requiring reactivation. This is also thanks to the ID matching system. Comment people found this helpful Subscribe Subscribe Subscribe to RSS feed. Was this article helpful?

Yes No. Sorry this didn't help. Thanks for your feedback. I let it follow the whole upgrade process as Microsoft designed it by reserving a copy of Windows 10 and waiting for it to prompt me that Windows 10 was ready to install. AS part of this process, the checker tells me. It takes a long time on such a slow machine so I cant be sitting next to it for the whole process. If I am not around, I went o bed last night , I don't even see this message.

Although Microsoft's July 29 deadline has expired, there's an easy way to get Windows 10 gratis -- provided you don't mind a little white internet lie. In case you missed it, July 29 was the last day to get Windows 10 for free. If you planned ahead, you might have taken steps to secure your upgrade even after that deadline. Or maybe not! For a limited time, Microsoft will continue to offer Windows 10 at no charge for users who rely on the operating system's assistive technologies -- specifically, individuals with significant vision, hearing, dexterity, language or learning needs. If you're lucky enough to have no such needs, well, it'll just be our little secret. Because Microsoft requires no proof that you're a user of assistive-technology products, meaning pretty much anyone who wants Windows 10 can get Windows If you missed the free Windows 10 upgrade, you can still get it -- even if you don't use assistive technologies.

We won't tell if you don't. And the process couldn't be much simpler: Head to the Windows 10 upgrade page and click Upgrade Now. That'll download a small executable you'll run to download Windows 10 in its entirety and perform the upgrade. There's nothing different about this version of Windows or the license that accompanies it. It's pretty much identical to what everyone got prior to July I'm trying to decide if there's some ethical reason not to do this. Because, to be honest, I just did it yesterday -- I'd forgotten to update one of my kids' older laptops and was kicking myself for having missed the cutoff date. It's not like I deprived another user of getting something they truly need; Microsoft hasn't indicated a fixed number of licenses available or anything like that.

Indeed, the offer has no termination date, at least for the moment. According to Microsoft's FAQ: " We have not announced an end date of the free upgrade offer for customers using assistive technology. We will make a public announcement prior to ending the offer. Fusion Energy Breakthrough FTX Co-Founder's Fraud Charges 'Avatar 2' Review Amazon Sale 58 Gift Ideas Geminid Meteor Shower Golden Globe Nominations Coyote Attack. Your guide to a better future. Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories? No, thank you Accept. Rick Broida. Rick Broida Senior Editor. Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts.

He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast about the TV show Travelers. He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie". See full bio. Enlarge Image. Get the CNET Cheapskate newsletter. Save money on your tech purchases and gifts with the hottest deals in our newsletter. Delivered on weekdays.

ISO file For the purposes of this exercise, we are gonna use the. Close when complete. Check a few things on the PC where you want to install Windows bit or bit processor CPU. I went through the upgrade 2 weeks ago and it worked. If you choose to create installation media, make sure to download the correct version of Windows This will perform an upgrade of your current operating system to Windows You need to copy the file Wimgapi.

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