--- title: "Is Microsoft offering Windows 10 a free upgrade?" description: "Is Microsoft offering Windows 10 a free upgrade?" author: "Sanjay Goenka" published: 2022-04-01 canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/96664/is-microsoft-offering-windows-10-a-free-upgrade category: "troubleshooting" tags: ["troubleshooting", "operating systems", "windows-10"] reading_time: 2 minutes --- # Is Microsoft offering Windows 10 a free upgrade? Is [Microsoft](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/85718/microsoft-accelerates-modern-bi-adoption-with-power-bi-premium) [offering](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/story/4953/the-spiritual-significance-of-offering-water-to-the-sun-surya-arghya) Windows 10 a [free upgrade](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/96666/can-i-do-a-clean-install-of-windows-10-with-the-free-upgrade)? ## Answers ### Answer by Hitesh Vohra - Make sure you're running **Windows 7 or later** on a legitimate computer. Anything older will not work (if you're running Windows XP or Vista, please consider purchasing a new PC). Write down the activation key if you're running Windows 7. (you may need this later). You can find it with a [free](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/85717/the-best-free-reading-apps-for-book-lovers) programme like NirSoft's ProduKey. - Before continuing, here is an excellent place to pause and back up anything you'd like to save on your current PC. To do so, follow our **[Windows](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/50895/how-to-fix-apple-iphone-7-plus-that-won-t-backup-to-itunes-on-a-windows-pc-or-mac-computer) 10 backup instructions.** - Go to the **Windows 10 download page** for further information. This is an official Microsoft page where you may be able to get a free [upgrade](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/167406/how-to-upgrade-your-freelance-designer-job). Open the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool (click 'download tool now') and select **'Upgrade this PC now'** once you've arrived. - Agree to the terms and select an upgrade option that allows you to maintain your files and settings. Again, having a backup is critical at this stage, so save everything to the cloud, an SSD, or a USB. - Connect your computer to the internet after rebooting it. Select **'Update & Security'** from the Settings menu, then 'Activation.' You may check if the Windows 10 upgrade was successful from here. If there isn't one, press the 'Activate' button to generate a digital Windows 10 product key. Use your Windows 7 or Windows 8 licence key to get started. \ **Read More: [How much does Windows 10 cost per edition?](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/96665/how-much-does-windows-10-cost-per-edition)** --- Original Source: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/96664/is-microsoft-offering-windows-10-a-free-upgrade Copyright © MindStick Software Pvt. Ltd. This Markdown version is provided for developers, AI systems, and offline reading.