Did you know that Microsoft is still allowing free upgrades for Windows 10? The Get Windows 10 utility (GWX) started phasing out after July 29, 2016, but apparently Microsoft’s activation servers are still allowing upgrades from licensed versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. This method works for both Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro. That means you can get a free Windows 10 upgrade for either of these versions by following the process described below.
If you are still on either of these Windows versions with your license activated, you can get a free Windows 10 upgrade by downloading the ISO file (disk image) and installing Win10. Once upgraded, you’ll notice that the license for the effectively free Windows 10 upgrade has been activated automatically by Microsoft’s activation servers. Surprisingly, Microsoft has failed to close this particular Windows 10 free upgrade window.
How to Upgrade to Windows 10 Free Using the ISO File
Step 1: Get the ISO File from Microsoft here.
Step 2: In Explorer, right-click on the ISO file to view the contents. You need to select ‘Open with…’ >> Windows Explorer.
Step 3: Look for the ‘setup’ file, which will be of the file type ‘Application.’ Click on that file.
Step 4: In the window that pops up, select ‘Download and install updates (recommended)’ and click on ‘Next’ to proceed.
Step 5: Accept the Terms and Conditions when prompted.
Step 6: Choose to ‘Keep personal files, apps and Windows settings’ when asked.
Step 7: Go through any additional steps by click on ‘Next.’ Finally, you’ll be shown a ‘Ready to Install’ page. Click on ‘Install’ and the Windows 10 upgrade will begin.
Step 8: After the upgrade, if you go to Settings >> Update & Security >> Activation, you should be able to see this screen:
As you can see, the digital license has been automatically applied to Windows 10, and you are now in possession of a free Windows 10 upgrade. That’s all there is to it.
One point to note is that you can’t do a clean install of Windows 10 right away because it will ask you for a new activation key. You will need to upgrade from a licensed older Windows version. Once the digital license has been activated, a clean install of Windows 10 on the same machine will not require an activation key.
