When Microsoft released Windows 10, the company allowed users of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 to upgrade to Windows 10 for free. This free upgrade program officially ended in December 2017, but savvy Windows users identified a loophole.
This loophole is a method that still works and allows you to upgrade an older version of Windows to Windows 10 for free.
Microsoft doesn’t talk about that Windows 10 free upgrade offer anymore, but devices with legitimate Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 licenses can still be upgraded to Windows 10 for free using the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool.
To get Windows 10, all you have to do is download and run Media Creation Tool on Windows 7/8/8.1 and upgrade the PC to Windows 10.
After the upgrade, connect to the internet and your older Windows license will be converted to a Windows 10 license.
Here are the specific steps:
How to upgrade to your Windows 7 PC to Windows 10
Windows Download Page
- First of all head to the Windows 10 OS download page and click on the ‘Download Tool now’ button to download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool.
- Open the Media Creation Tool and accept the license terms.
- Select the ‘Upgrade this PC now’ option and click Next.
Media Creation Tool
- You’ll be asked whether you wish keep everything or start from scratch. Select Keep all apps and files and continue.
Keep all files and apps
- Once you click on the Install button, Windows 10 will begin to be installed.
- This process will take a while and the computer will restart numerous times.
Windows 10 Install
- After Windows 10 is finished installing, connect to the internet and open Settings > Windows Update > Activation and the PC will be activated with a digital license.
- Then you can also enter your Windows 7 or Windows 8.x product key and activate Windows 10 if the device is not already activated.
- Remember that the offer works only if you are using a genuine license of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.
- By following this guide, you will receive a digital license valid for the life of the hardware.
- During the upgrade process, Windows will connect to Microsoft’s activation servers and your PC acquires a digital license or entitlement of Windows 10.
- You’ll see “Windows is activated with a digital license” message on Windows activation page (Settings > Update & security > Activation).
- The digital license is associated with the device and unless the hardware is changed, you can perform a clean installation of the same edition of Windows 10 with Media Creation Tool or the ISO files, and activation is automatic.
