The first rule for safe surfing on the Internet is to keep your operating system up to date: luckily there’s a way to do it without spending anything.
Windows users have a love/hate relationship with Windows Update updates, which often bring more problems than benefits.
But keeping your computer up to date is essential to increase its security and protect it from viruses and hacker attacks, so you can surf the Internet safely.
Not all Windows PCs can be updated constantly, however: those with Windows 7, for example, will no longer enjoy Microsoft’s official support from January 14, 2020. From that date, anyone who has a computer, desktop or laptop, equipped with this operating system can become an excellent target for attacks by malware and cyber criminals. It goes better for Windows 8.0 and 8.1 users, who will be supported by Microsoft with monthly security updates until January 10, 2023, but this operating system still remains obsolete.
How to update Windows for free
It is in Microsoft’s interest that most of its users use the latest available version of the operating system, in this case Windows 10. The reason is simple: it costs money to keep support for older versions active, and the older the operating system, the more likely it is to give problems with new apps and services.
That’s why, back in 2016, Microsoft launched a program that allowed users to upgrade from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 for free, without paying for the relevant user license. This program, in theory, was supposed to last a few months but, in practice, it is still active even if it is hidden in a way.
Microsoft does not advertise it, but it has kept online the web page from which you can download Windows 10 for free. The page can be found on Microsoft’s official website at this address.
To install Windows 10 for free, you need to click on “Download Tool Now” and follow the on-screen instructions. A free and official copy of Windows 10 will be downloaded (it might take quite a while, if your connection is not fast) and immediately after that the installation process will start, at the end of which we’ll have upgraded your PC to Windows 10 for free.
Which PCs can be upgraded for free
Microsoft is generous, but it’s not stupid: to complete this process and download Windows 10 for free your PC must have a legitimate copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8. Those who have installed a pirated or non-activated copy, therefore, will find themselves with a nice error message at some point in the process just described.
Note, finally, that it is not enough to have a legitimate copy of Microsoft’s old operating system: it is necessary that this copy has been activated through the standard procedure that involves entering the 25-character “Product Key” found on the packaging of the operating system (if we bought it on physical media) or in the Certificate of Authenticity (i.e. a sticker, usually attached to the side or back of the PC) issued by those who sold us the computer.