Technology

Things you should know before upgrading to Windows 10

Now that you can download and install Microsoft 10 in you PC or laptop or mobile, here’s the top 10 things you need to know before upgrading to the latest version of Windows

Now that you can download and install Microsoft 10 in you PC or laptop or mobile, here’s the top 10 things you need to know before upgrading to the latest version of Windows:

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1. Windows 10 is not really free: It is free only till July 29, 2016.

“Microsoft is making Windows 10 available as a free upgrade for compatible devices that are running genuine Windows 7 Service Pack 1 or Windows 8.1 Update. The free upgrade is a full version of Windows (not a trial or introductory version) and is available until July 29, 2016. Once you upgrade, you’ll have Windows 10 for free on that device,” said Microsoft on its official website.

2. It is not available for every device:

Microsoft is not offering the free upgrade for devices running Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Enterprise editions of Windows. Besides, Microsoft said: “Not every device eligible for upgrade will run every feature of Windows 10.”

3. There are some system requirements: You need to have the following if you are planning to upgrade to Windows 10:

i) OS: Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1 Update
ii) Processor: 1GHz or faster
iii) RAM: 1GB RAM for a 32-bit system or 2GB RAM for a 64-bit system
iv) Hard drive space: 16GB for a 32-bit system or 20GB for a 64-bit system
v) Graphics card: DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
vi) Display: 1024 x 600 resolution

4. The upgraded editions:

You get what you upgrade from. That is, an user of Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic or Home, will be upgraded to Windows 10 Home; Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Ultimate to Windows 10 Pro; Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 Home and Windows 8.1 Pro or Windows 8.1 Pro for Students to Windows 10 Pro.

The multiple configurations include Home, Pro, Enterprise, Education, Mobile, Mobile Enterprise.

5. The Get Windows 10 app:

Microsoft suggests Get Windows 10 app as the easiest way to get the free upgrade.

“If you have an eligible device running genuine Windows 7 SP 1 or Windows 8.1 Update with automatic updates from Windows Update turned on, the Get Windows 8.1 Update app shows up automatically as a Windows icon in the notification area at the right end of the taskbar. Click or tap the icon to open the Get Windows 10 app and get started,” says Microsoft.

“After you reserve your upgrade, you’ll get a notification when Windows 10 is ready for your device, and you can choose to start the upgrade right away or select a time that’s more convenient to you,” it adds.

6. The wait for the upgrade:

The time for upgradation to Windows 10 is dependent on multiple factors, the most important being age of the device and how it’s configured.
“Most devices will take about an hour to upgrade once the download is complete. While older devices could take longer, some newer, high performance devices might upgrade faster,” says Microsoft.

7. Compatibility with existing apps and devices:

The makers of Windows 10 claim that it is compatible with majority of currently available devices and apps.

8. Reinstalling Windows 10:

Post upgrade, the user can reinstall or perform a clean installation of Windows 10 on the same device sans a product key.

9. Going back to old operating system:

In order to go back to the previous version of Windows, Microsoft suggests the following ways:

i) If it’s been less than a month since you’ve upgraded to Windows 10, you’ll be able to go back to your previous version of Windows from Settings > Update & security > Recovery.

ii) If your PC manufacturer provided the option, you might be able to restore your device to factory settings.

iii) If options to go back and restore factory settings aren’t available, you can use installation media and a product key to install a previous version of Windows.

10. No Windows Media Center:

There is Windows Media Center with Windows 10.

“We’re providing a free DVD playback app that will be installed after the first Windows Update after upgrading to Windows 10,” says Microsoft.

Big Wire

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