Can I still update from Windows 7 to Windows 10 for free? nt

[DURHAM D]

[California_Republic]

1. I haven't seen that offer in a long time.

[EarlG]

2. Possibly...

Here's an article about it.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/heres-how-you-can-still-get-a-free-windows-10-upgrade/

[2naSalit]

3. I asked a

computer tech friend that a few months ago and I was told, probably not. She said I would need a computer with more RAM because the new OS requires more of the hard drive space (I think that's how she put it) and that my older unit would likely crash a lot.

[empedocles]

4. A neighbor of mine, who knows his stuff, as of last year was holding on to windows 7,

and happy to be able to.

I missed 7, but did 'not know enough stuff'', to keep it.

[progree]

7. Microsoft will no longer support it with security upgrades and patches after Jan 14, 2020

That's just 3 months and 4 days from now.

These security upgrades/patches are essential to keep the computer free of malware. Having a good anti-virus program is not enough, and doubt that anti-virus software writers will bother with Windows 7 either after that date -- it would be fraudulent for them to claim your computer is protected. But one can be sure that malware writers will be targeting Windows 7 systems after that date.

Another consideration is that there may be a rush in December and January and February to get Windows 10 and to deal with any problems -- including technical support and having to buy a new machine.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13853/windows-lifecycle-fact-sheet

Scroll down to "Windows 8.1 and 7"

Edited: January 24 -> January 14

[mahatmakanejeeves]

19. I'm at the library upgrading right now.

I'm at the library doing this right now. Thank you.

{some editing to note the increase in progress}

The library has download speeds way beyond what I can muster at home. Even so, after a little more than an hour, I'm only up to 46% -- make that 47% -- on my progress.

The computer is a Dell Inspiron 4040. I didn't check the hardware to see if it had what it took, but so far, so good.

I have another laptop at home with Vista installed. I suspect that's too old for Windows 10. I can't recall what make and model it is, or its vintage.

I must have read about the prospect of the free upgrade somewhere else. The demise of support for Windows 7 has spurred more than a few people to get their act in gear. I haven't viewed he video. I am using the instructions given at c|net. They show up at the top in Google.

Upgrade to Windows 10 free, here's how
Microsoft's free Windows 10 upgrade offer still works for many Windows 7 and 8 users.

Alison DeNisco Rayome
December 17, 2019 9:10 AM PST

I talked to IT at work yesterday about upgrading for free. One of he fellows there shook his head and said that campaign was over. I said I had seen the article on c|net and that I would be giving it a try this weekend.

70% now.

[progree]

21. How did it work out? I haven't upgraded yet, I plan on Tues or Wedn, am very worried

about losing my computer -- sooner, by the upgrade fucking up my computer and not being able to roll it back, or later as I would be impossibly stupid to continue to use the Internet from a computer whose operating system is no longer being patched.

I almost didn't get my computer back to working after a routine simple Windows update a couple of months ago, and restoring to a previous restore point didn't work either -- reboot after reboot after reboot, several of them including turning the computer off and on -- trying to start Windows safe mode, I was about to give up (Windows just wouldn't start), and unexpectedly another reboot worked.

I found some software tool that advised that my computer was not a good candidate for Windows 10 (or words to that effect, I don't remember them exactly). So it will be a gamble. I bought it in April 2011 -- has plenty of memory (8 GB) and hard drive space (1 TB with about 20% used) -- and was about the most powerful desktop processor at the time.

[kimbutgar]

5. Did she say how much Ram would be needed?

My son has a windows 7 that I would like to update to 10. I also have a laptop that I would like to,update since they no longer will support.

[2naSalit]

9. I don't recall but she said my computer

probably wouldn't support it though I don't have much on my hard drive and maintain it regularly. My computer came out just as WIN1o was being released so it came with an anytime upgrade but I have been reluctant to use it because the WIN10 computers I have encountered frustrated the hell out of me.

I am trying to save my pennies for a new one next year.

[mr_lebowski]

11. RAM and hard drive are two totally separate things ...

There's basically zero chance you don't have enough HD space to upgrade unless you're looking at like <20% free space in which case just move some stuff elsewhere or get a new, bigger HD and transfer your OS to it. They're not that much.

RAM is typically even easier to expand, unless you have a REALLY bottom of the barrel laptop you almost surely can expand your RAM to 8GB which is all you need for a fine W10 experience. I don't think there's been a desktop made in the last 10 years that wouldn't support 8GB.

W7 was great for it's time but it's time has past. W10 is perfectly good (better even) and not all that different from W7 in day to day operation. It was W8 that was big change and sucked in general. W10 returned to being more like W7.

[2naSalit]

13. Thanks, I didn't think I had all that right...

My little nomenclature on the computer says it's 4GB. When I look at the drives in this thing, mind you I don't have much going on with this laptop, there's a C drive and a D drive. I never use the D drive because I don't don;t know what to do with it.

If WIN10 is more like 7 then I probably won't hate it with all my might and it probably could have been the WIN8 that I hated, it's been a while since I tried to use any other computers. I hated the look of it, couldn't find anything and, like my cheap-assed flip phone (not LG but ZTE) it had so few screen options and I just hated it. A friend who asks for computer help had it on their computer. I tried to help a couple times and ended up telling them that I would shoot it for them free of charge.

I haven't had to deal with anything more than my simple use of this laptop for so long that I feel like I stepped off a train and there isn't one to catch later. Technology moves so fast. And I was going to get a doctoral degree in a computerized line of study at one time but that was ages ago... note my inability to articulate the difference between HD and RAM!

[mr_lebowski]

12. It'll run fine on 6GB but I'd recommend 8GB unless all he does is browse the web

and check emails and the like.

I got away with 6GB for the first few years of W10 but eventually games started coming out (I game on my PC quite a bit) where it just wasn't enough anymore so I expanded to 12GB.

Cost me $24 on ebay for the additional 3 X 2GB DDR3 (RAM) sticks. This is a desktop running a 1st Gen i7 (circa 2010) 6-core/12-thread Intel Xeon at 3.06GHz ... not that powerful by todays standard but still does fine w/Windows 10, even with 3D gaming which is generally one of the most challenging things you can do w/your PC.

Of course I've updated my video card like 8 times since I got this PC to keep up with the newest games lol ...

If you have a newer processor (last 4-5 years) you will likely need DDR4 which costs a bit more but not THAT much more.

[CountAllVotes]

6. You need more than 4 RAM

I cannot d/l the critical update for Windows 7 anymore.

You can try this link:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

[OhZone]

8. I have WIN10 on one of my laptops -

But I really dig my Win7 on my main desktop. I bought in 2015, it when they were making it hard to get WIN7 machines any more. And I locked it down from updates until the MS WIN10 virus, as I called it, was no longer being forced on people. My girl friend at the time got it forced on her and it really fucked up her machine.

Oh well.

[TygrBright]

10. You can upgrade to Linux at any time for free!

And a lot of high-quality productivity software, excuse me, "apps" that run on Linux are also free, including Open Office, GIMP, etc.

Several Linux distributions have really easy to use GUI shells that will provide a familiar desktop-type environment, too.

There is a learning curve but once you master it, you are free of Microsoft and its exploitation forever.

helpfully,
Bright

[2naSalit]

15. Hmmm..., that sort of thing.

That sounds inviting. I guess I should get my computer brain functioning again so I can handle that shift. I hate Microsoft in general and have not been interested in doing anything with my computer other than come to DU, email and watch news on livestream, I download and edit my photos offline but I archive them on other devices.

I was once all into GIS and other technologies but I haven't messed with any of that in quite a while.

I 'll look into the Linux, a change is on the menu in the not so distant future so I guess I better start researching. Thanks for the info!

[hunter]

16. The last Windows I used on my personal computers was 98SE.

I was using that when I first logged on to Democratic Underground.

Now my desktop machine, and one of my laptops, run Debian. The Debian laptop can also be booted into Windows 10.

Linux installations don't always go smoothly. I wouldn't do it without a full backup on an external drive and a second computer.

With a second computer you'll still have internet access so you can find out what went wrong.

I usually install Linux when I first get a "new" computer.

All my new computers are used. A computer that is sluggish running Windows 10 will be quite nimble running a lighter weight Linux desktop, especially LXDE.

LXDE will run well on a machine with 1 gigabyte of memory. That's the desktop environment the $35 Raspberry Pi uses.

I use LibreOffice which is a fork of Open Office. It handles Microsoft Office documents without any problems.

I'm posting this from a Chromebook. It's actually the machine I use most, and the one that "just works" for internet browsing, email, and writing. It runs eight hours or more on a battery charge and I never have to fuss with it. It's the machine I bring with me when I travel unless I absolutely *must* bring a Windows or Linux machine.

The only things I don't use my Chromebook for are complex photo editing, writing and compiling code, or emulating other machines. I don't play any hardware-intensive computer games so that's not a problem.

Now that the newer Chromebooks run Android apps as well as Chrome OS apps they'll be very familiar to anyone who uses a smartphone.

Honestly, I don't want to hear about anyone's misadventures with Windows anymore. I just want to tell them to buy a Chromebook and quit bothering me.

The IT departments at our local high schools have been totally corrupted by Google. Students and teachers can use their own laptops, but Chromebooks are recommended and that's what the kids who can't afford their own computers are given. There's not a lot of sympathy for people suffering Windows or Apple problems.

[msongs]

14. works much better if u do a clean install. finding its not that different from 7. all thos ugly

tile things just show up at boot time then you get the win 7 style desktop

try tenforums.com for loads of info and help

[toddwv]

17. Yes.

I just updated a computer from Win 7 pro to Win 10 pro a couple weeks ago.
BUT, I did a clean install.

[CountAllVotes]

18. What I did to solve this problem

Cost was $190.00.

I bought a used ThinkPad on ebay.com for $190.00 and it has 32 RAM installed in it (came that way).

It works well.

It is an old machine but what a deal for a W530 ThinkPad.

A lot easier than driving to get the Windows 7 computers going.

I'll keep them for watching DVDs and listening to music.

Worked for me at a minimal cost.

Best of luck.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

20. Yes.

I'm at the library doing this right now. Thank you.

[Duckerington]

22. Yes

Yes it's still possible!