In this article I will tell you how to do Windows update 10 to new version operating system in different ways. There are several ways to update the system in Windows 10.

At regular intervals, approximately twice a year, Microsoft releases so-called “major” updates for the operating system. Essentially, we are talking about installing a new Windows versions 10 over the old system, preserving user data, installed programs and system settings.

New versions of Windows 10 add features that were not previously in the operating system, interface changes are made, and system performance that is not visible to the user is improved. Thanks to Windows program 10 Insider Preview (Windows 10 Insider Program), Microsoft has enough information about the operation of certain innovations that can be widely tested before releasing the final version.

There are several ways to update to the latest version of Windows 10:

• Update via Windows Update.
• Using the official update tool - utility Media Creation Tool.
• Updating using the Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant utility.
• New installation of Windows 10 over an old version of Windows 10.
• Clean installation of a new version of Windows 10.

Next we'll look at everything possible options Windows updates. Different ways are necessary in order to update to a new version if the Windows 10 update does not start using one of the methods, or the system update process fails. In this case, you can try another method of updating Windows.

For some users this is not relevant, since they disable updating in Windows 10. You can read more about this.

Updating Windows 10 using Windows Update

Windows 10 is automatically updated through Windows Update. There are two ways to download updates:

• The system update is downloaded to the computer without user intervention. When everything is ready, Windows will prompt the user to install the update.
• The user independently initiates the operating system update process.

In the first case, the update will not be downloaded to your computer immediately after the final release. At this moment, Microsoft servers are heavily loaded, so the OS is delivered to computers one by one. The update files will appear on your PC after some time. After receiving a message from Windows 10 and your consent to update, the system will update automatically.

In the second case, the user can start the update process independently. To do this, go to the Start menu and then follow these steps:

1. Click on “Options”, in the “Options” window select “Update & Security”.
2. In the “Windows Update” section, in the “Update status” option, click on the “Check for updates” button.
3. After checking for updates, a message will appear indicating that a new version of Windows is available.

1. Then the process of downloading and preparing to install updates will begin.
2. Next, Windows will prompt you to restart your computer now or at a specific time to start installing the update to the new version of the system.
3. After this, the process of working with updates will begin, during which the computer will restart several times.
4. Wait until the installation is complete, after which the new version of the operating system will load on your computer. Windows systems

Sometimes it happens that the update process stretches for a very long period of time, because of this the user is forced to interrupt the system update process. Sometimes, an operating system update fails, which Windows informs the user about. In both cases, there is an automatic rollback to the version of Windows 10 from which the system was updated.

Updating Windows 10 Using Media Creation Tool

By using free program Media Creation Tool, the user can independently update the operating system to the final version, or download the latest Windows image 10 to your computer to create bootable flash drive.

There are three options when using the Media Creation Tool:

• Run the system update using the Media Creation Tool utility.
• Create a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 10 using the Media Creation Tool, and then update the OS using the bootable USB flash drive.
• Save Windows 10 to ISO image in order to then burn it to a DVD or create a bootable USB flash drive in another program.

To write to a flash drive or when saving an ISO image, the Media Creation Tool application loads combined or separate Windows images with a bit depth of 64 bit and 32 bit (to choose from) containing several Windows editions 10 (Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Home Single Language, Windows 10 Education).

To obtain the utility, go to the official Myerosoft website: https://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/software-download/windows10, and then click on the “Download Tool Now” button.

Updating using Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant

A special utility, Windows 10 Update Assistant, is designed to update the operating system. The program downloads and installs the latest version of the OS on your computer.

Go to the download site software(link above in the article), click on the “Update Now” button. It will be downloaded to your computer Windows application 10 Update Assistant.

To start the update process until the very current version Windows 10, run Windows 10 Update Assistant. The application will download and install the operating system update on your computer.

See detailed instructions with pictures.

Installing a new version of Windows 10 by updating the system

Next option: the new Windows 10 update is installed on top of the old version of Windows 10. This method resembles reinstalling Windows by updating the system, but in fact, is one of the options for reinstalling the system.

You can perform the update in two ways:

• Loading from DVD disc with a system image, or by booting using a bootable Windows flash drive.
• Mount Windows 10 image to virtual drive, and then run the Windows installation.

A bootable Windows flash drive or DVD will download and then install a new version of Windows 10 on your computer.

The system installation process is standard, but there is one caveat:

• In the installation type selection window, you must select “Update: install Windows while saving files, settings and applications.”

In the second method, the Windows 10 ISO image located on the computer must be mounted in a virtual drive.

Installing a new version of Windows 10 without saving data from the previous version

Another option for updating the system: a “clean” installation of Windows 10 on your computer. Old version the operating system will be removed, and a new version of Windows will be installed on the PC, without saving data from previous version systems.

This method will allow the user to start using the new version of the system from scratch. Essentially this reinstalling Windows 10, only the version of the previous system is replaced by the new version.

When installing Windows 10, please note that you will have to activate the system:

• If Windows was previously updated on this computer, the system will be activated automatically using a digital license.
• If your computer has not yet installed an operating system update to Windows 10, or to a new version of Windows, I recommend logging into your account to link a license to your account. Immediately after the update, log into your account in order to activate without any problems operating system. After this, the user can switch to a local account.

The whole process Windows installations 10 on a computer with pictures is described in detail in this.

Conclusions of the article

The user can update to the new version of Windows 10 in several ways: using automatic update, a Windows update tool, by installing a new version of the system over the old one, with a clean installation of a new version of the operating system instead of the previous version.

For Windows users 7 and 8.1 planned annual period free update Windows 10 officially ended on July 29, 2016.

Immediately after this date Microsoft company launched a website designed for users with disabilities who use assistive technologies for Windows. However, it also stopped working on January 16, 2018. However, with the help Windows utilities 10 Upgrade Assistant, which is still available for download from official servers, anyone can still upgrade to Windows 10 for free.

On this moment A phased update to Windows 10 May 2019 Update (version 1903) is available.

To take advantage of the free update offer, you must follow these steps:

1. For a trouble-free installation, you must install everything Latest updates for your current system.

2. Download a special version of the Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant utility, with which you can check your computer’s compatibility and update your Windows 7 SP1 or 8.1 operating system for free.

3. Launch the utility and follow the onscreen instructions.

4. The update may take from one to several hours depending on your computer configuration and Internet connection speed. Once the update is complete, the OS will be installed Windows 10 (version 1709).

5. Check system activation. Press combination Windows keys+ I to open the application Options, and go to Update & Security > Activation.

You can see other ways to update to the latest version of Windows 10 in the article:

Activating Windows 10 using Windows 7 and 8.1 keys

Windows 10 can be activated using product keys from Windows 7 and 8.1.

If you own a key for an OEM version of Windows 7 or 8.1, then when you perform a clean installation of the system, you will be able to complete the activation procedure in the application Settings > Update & Security > Activation.

Found a typo? Highlight and press Ctrl + Enter

As you know, Microsoft initially stated that Windows 10, released on July 29, 2015, would be a free update for retail and OEM installations of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 for one year – until July 29, 2016. And after 07/29/2016 update via Windows Update will not be offered and will have to be purchased. Windows Update on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 regularly offered to upgrade to Windows 10.

In fact, since July 19, 2016, on all activated systems with installed retail editions of Windows 7/8.1 on which users regularly installed recommended Microsoft updates, the counter turned on countdown remaining time for free update. Of course, this spurred many who postponed the update until the last few days. And, as promised, as of July 29, 2016, offers to update the OS for free via Windows Update disappeared. Are those who did not have time to update left without the opportunity to get the new OS for free? Fortunately, no! The possibility of free OS updates remains. Let's see how you can now upgrade your Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 to Windows 10.

As of July 29, 2016, Microsoft is still offering a free Windows 10 update for users with disabilities. Microsoft invites you to decide for yourself whether this offer applies to you or not. Let's leave this painful moral decision to you and look into the technical side of the issue.
To begin with, I went to the page for this promotion and downloaded the update assistant.

As an example for this post, I installed, fully updated and activated Windows 8.1 Professional in a virtual machine. I tested the method on Windows 7. The result and process are no different, so I’ll tell you below using the example of updating Windows 8.1.

I launch the downloaded assistant to update my OS.

I accept the agreement, and for a short time the OS checks the capabilities of my PC for an update. The main requirement is 2GB of memory (for 64-bit OS, 1GB for 32-bit) and about 20GB (16GB for 32-bit) on the system partition hard drive.

The application immediately begins downloading from the Internet an image of the Windows 10 edition that matches yours. At the time of writing, the version of the Threshold2 branch was being downloaded, but I really hope that in a week or two the same update assistant will immediately install the Windows 10 Anniversary Update of the Redstone1 branch.

After several minutes (hours? days??) of downloading, the system checks the integrity of the downloaded image.

And the update process begins.

For the first 30-40 minutes, everything happens inside the running OS. You can go about your business. Next, the system will warn you that a reboot is required. You will have half an hour to notice this.

After the reboot, the standard Windows 10 installation process will begin:

Depending on the speed hard disk, the process takes 10-40 minutes and ends with a message indicating the successful completion of the update.

We select the OS settings (disable everything that Microsoft suggests enabling), go into the OS and see that our Window 10 is activated!

As I explained above, the OS version I received when writing this note belongs to the Threshold2 branch (better known as Version 1511). All latest cumulative OS updates are included. Details about what Threshold, Redstone and in general are Windows builds 10 can be read in my article “All about Windows 10 versions” - I recommend it.

Now I just have to wait until Windows 10 Anniversary Update - version 1607 of the Redstone1 branch - can be obtained through Windows Update. For those who want to immediately complete this update, I can advise you to select advanced settings in the Settings/Updates panel and enable receiving Insider Preview builds:

Select Start receiving Insider Preview builds. You will need to enter your account Microsoft entry ID that will need to be registered in the Insider Preview program. My entry was registered there a long time ago, so the OS didn’t ask me any unnecessary questions. If at this step you want to link your local account to Microsoft ID, select “Next”, if you only want to receive Insider builds, but continue to use your local account without connection to Microsoft clouds, select the option “Log in to this application only”

Select “Start” again to install Insider builds, accept the agreement and restart your PC.

In the update settings, I indicate that I want to receive assemblies of the RS1_Release branch and the Early Access option. The final version has already been released and is available, preliminary versions will now only go to the RS_Prerelease branch for Redstone2.

Build 14393 - the final version of Windows 10 Anniversary Update - will come to you via Windows Update. True, not immediately, but within a day. This is how the Insider Preview program works.

After about half an hour of updating you get the final Windows version 10 Anniversary Update – 14393 branches of Redstone1. Now, if you wish, you can disable receiving Insider assemblies.

Attention to those who do not like to install one OS on top of another and do not consider such installations to be very stable. Windows 10, updated through the Update Assistant or before July 29 through Windows Update, after installation is not only an activated OS, but also saves on Microsoft servers information about this. What does this mean? If you now reinstall the OS completely on the same PC, even formatting system disk, then do not enter serial number during installation - there is an invisible “do this later” button. Select “do it later”, and the OS itself will contact the activation servers, make sure that Windows 10 has already been activated on this particular PC, and activate the newly installed OS.

If you are interested in the topic of how to bypass official announcements to download Windows 10 from the Microsoft website, you may be interested in the fact that the same thing can be done with Office for a long time. I'm talking about this

The period when you could upgrade your computer to Windows 10 for free is long over. However, there are still some possibilities remaining. Therefore, how to upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 10, as well as version 8, XP or Vista, will be discussed later in this article.

Microsoft, having released version 10, decided to please fans of all previous versions. Taking into account all the disadvantages and advantages of XP, Vista, 7 and 8 versions, Microsoft decided to make a generous gift in the form of a free update. Ten was destined to become latest version famous OS and now only updates will be available, and the version will always be the same.

It is clear that not everyone rushed to update, and not only for some subjective reasons. It is impossible to instantly release an ideal software product, and for some time it takes time to refine it and bring it to a fully operational state. Many manufacturers of computer components and peripherals, even very well-known and serious ones, have still not been able to release fully working drivers for Windows 10 for their equipment.

Of course, this constant discussion on the Internet about version 10 spying on its users also made us think and “sleep through” the free update period.

But don’t be alarmed, some update opportunities still remain in 2018, and we decided to devote this article to such an update. Also discussed here is the issue of difference different configurations. We really hope that this article will be useful to you.

Initially, after release, we received not just a “crude” operating system, but with a really large number of not yet resolved “bugs,” which made it difficult to work on.

Currently, all the main problems have already been solved, and equipment manufacturers have also managed to create new drivers for their hardware. Of course, owners of older PCs and laptops need to be careful and make sure they have everything they need before upgrading. To do this, go to the official websites of the manufacturers. Then you can look for drivers for the top ten on the Internet. As an option, there is a direct request to the manufacturer for e-mail. Often developers agree to a meeting and will be able to release the necessary update for you.

Requirements for installing Windows 10

The new version of Microsoft Windows turned out to be quite demanding.

For Windows 10, your PC needs to have:

• Least 20 GB free hard disk space if you have a 64-bit operating system and 16 GB for a 32-bit operating system. Of course these are the most minimum requirements, and it’s worth having even more space, otherwise, believe me, your computer or laptop will slow down quite often, and some programs will take much longer to open than before.
• CPU: at least one gigahertz. Possible use of SoC.
• RAM: for 64 bit it is 2 GB, for 32 bit 1 GB.
• Video card: DirectX at least 9th generation with support for WDDM 1.0 driver.
• Display resolution: At least 800 x 600 pixels.

You can see that the requirements are almost similar to the requirements of Windows 7 and 8.1, and this was done specifically so that you can update the same Windows 7 and 8 to Windows 10 without requiring changes in hardware.

The update is intended for people who, for some reason, have limited capabilities and therefore use special Windows technologies (narrator, screen magnifier, high contrast, and so on).

To download the update, before you start downloading the 3GB download files, you must confirm that you are using accessibility features:

This Windows 10 Upgrade utility downloads the OS distribution and the upgrade to Windows 10 is ready to launch.

To install you may need bootable media, it can be a flash drive or DVD.

Update with license

If you do not think that your capabilities are limited, you can purchase and install full version Windows 10. Finding a store nowadays is not a trivial task, and if you try to look for some cheaper online store, you will quickly find many offering licenses at strange and surprisingly low prices, up to 1000 rubles.

All such licenses are gray and by purchasing them you, in fact, do not become the real owner, and from Microsoft’s point of view, you will be the person who “spied” someone’s license number and entered it during activation. In fact, this is theft.

Therefore, we provide here a link to the online store where we recommend going to purchase a license. Choose the Windows 10 option that suits you: Home, Professional. The main difference between the Home version and the Professional version is that only the latter can work in a domain. OEM options. They are cheaper, but the license is forever tied to a specific PC or laptop.

Now, if you want to upgrade to Windows 10 using a purchased license, you can do this using the Media Creation Tool. You can download this utility at https://www.microsoft.com/ru-RU/software-download/windows10

After launching the utility, when you see the “What do you want to do?” window, select the first item, which will update your PC or laptop.

Windows XP or Vista

Now let's move on to answering the question of how to update from Windows Vista or upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 10. You won't be able to upgrade directly. In fact, you will have to install Windows 10 again. And for this you need to create bootable media.

Download special program at https://www.microsoft.com/ru-RU/software-download/windows10

After launch software tool, in the “What do you want to do?” window, select the second option and create installation media.

There are many ways and software products, with which you can create, as well as a DVD.

Just run the Windows 10 installation from a flash drive or disk, follow simple actions, which will be described in each window.

What else is important to know about this update?

Remember that Ten does not install quickly. Even a miracle of modern technology will update for at least an hour, and an old laptop will take even longer.

And we repeat once again: if you have an old computer, then before upgrading, be sure to make sure that you have drivers that work under Windows 10 for all computer components. Especially it concerns motherboard, sound card and video adapter. Don't forget to also check for compatible drivers for external devices type of printer and scanner.

Technical support for some laptop manufacturers does not yet advise updating the system due to the ongoing debugging of drivers released for Windows 10. For example, after the update, the sound may not work, the video may not be displayed correctly, and so on.

We sincerely hope that our guide to upgrading to Windows 10 was really useful and interesting for you. Be sure to visit other articles on our website, and also share this information with your friends and acquaintances, and we will try to make even more quality content.

Video on the topic

On a device that has Windows 10, you can reinstall or clean install Windows and get an update to Windows 10 again. You do not need a product key to reactivate Windows 10 on the same hardware. Windows support

Free ways to upgrade to Windows 10

Windows 7 will be supported with security updates until January 14, 2020, and Windows 8.1 will receive security updates until January 10, 2023. You can always find these support dates on the Microsoft Windows Lifecycle website page.

But you have a belated desire to switch to the modern, new Windows 10 operating system for free. How to do this?

There are several ways to get Windows 10 for free, without using a pirated license: you can install Windows 10 with a 7 or 8 key, or install Windows without a key - it will work fine, except for a small watermark reminding you that you need to purchase a license.

How to upgrade for free to Windows 10 using a Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 key

Although you can no longer use the "Windows10Upgrade" tool to upgrade from Windows 7, 8 or 8.1, you can still download Windows 10 installation media from Microsoft and then provide Windows key 7, 8 or 8.1, during installation. We checked this method again on January 5, 2018, and it still works.

Windows will contact Microsoft's activation servers and confirm that the key to the previous version of Windows is real and Windows 10 will be installed and activated on your PC.

Your computer acquires a "digital license" and you can continue to use and reinstall Windows 10 on it in the future.

If after installing Windows you go to Settings ⯮ Update & Security ⯮ Activation, you will see the words "Windows activated with digital license".

Microsoft has not said whether it will block this method in the future. But it's still working. Even if Microsoft blocks this trick, your PC will retain its digital license and Windows 10 will remain enabled.

A way to reinstall Windows 10 after a hardware update

I wonder if it's possible to use the free one? Windows license 10, ?

The free Windows 10 license you received is tied to your PC hardware. You can still use Windows 10 on the same PC even after replacing your hardware. Activating this license is easier than ever.

If you took advantage of the free upgrade to version 10 offer, or legally installed Windows 10, or provided a key for an eligible previous version of Windows, you can continue to "get" Windows 10 upgrades, free of charge, on that computer.

To do this, simply download the Windows 10 installer (Windows10Upgrade. See above.) and activate it on this computer. Do not specify the key during the installation process. It should automatically activate once it is linked to Microsoft servers.

You can only do this if you have already upgraded to Windows 10, and you will be able to continue installing Windows 10 for free on the same computer even if you replace it HDD or other components.

The new Activation Wizard will help you resolve hardware changes and rebind the digital license for this PC.

A way to upgrade to Windows 10 if you skip the key and ignore activation warnings

Here's the real secret: you don't need to provide a product key to install Windows 10. You can download Windows 10 installation media from Microsoft and install it on your PC, in Boot Camp on a Mac or virtual machine without providing a product key. Windows will continue to work normally and you can do almost anything you want.

Windows 10 will continue to attack you to activate the product and will not allow you to change any settings under Settings ⯮ Personalization, but otherwise work just fine. Don't forget the operating system afterwards.

This doesn't necessarily need to be done on your main computer, but it is very convenient way set up quick virtual machine, test Windows 10 on a PC or install Windows 10 in Boot Camp. You can even pay to upgrade to a legitimate, activated version of Windows 10 from your inactive Windows 10 system after installing it.

This is not allowed by Microsoft management, but it actually works. If Microsoft didn't want people to do this, they would have blocked this feature in Windows a long time ago. But Windows has been working this way for many years. This is possible even on Windows 7.

Free 90 day version of Windows 10 Enterprise

You can also go to Microsoft's website and download a 90-day evaluation version of Windows 10 Enterprise. It will work for 90 days - about three months. This version is intended for organizing evaluation of Windows 10 Enterprise.

This evaluation copy comes with additional functions, built into Windows 10 Enterprise, to test them. However, you can upgrade any version of Windows 10 to the Enterprise edition as long as you have the key.

Upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro

You can also upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro using a product key from a previous business edition of Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 (Pro/Ultimate). This could save you $50-$100 in OEM upgrade fees if you buy a new PC with pre-installed Windows 10 Home.

Unfortunately, other free offers, such as Microsoft's Accessibility offer, have now ended. But these methods for free upgrade to Windows 10 should be enough.

Of course, you can also just buy a new PC that comes with Windows 10. If you decide to upgrade from Windows 7, 8 or 8.1, it makes more sense to buy new computer, which comes with Windows 10, rather than spending $120 on a Windows 10 Home license to upgrade an old computer.