Windows 10 is the latest entrant in the Windows operating system. So how do you go about installing it? The steps you will take are much like the steps you would take while installing any other version of Windows. You can either upgrade from an older Windows operating system or you can perform a clean install or install a completely fresh system. When you decide to go with a Windows 10 upgrade what will happen during the process is that old files, programs and settings from your previous Windows system will be brought into your new one.
In case you wish to completely install a fresh Windows 10 operating system on the other hand, after installing a new hard drive you will need to perform a clean install. The most frequented method is the clean-install. Bear in mind however that in the event that you have not installed Windows 10 on your system before, you will have to perform an upgrade first before you can proceed with the clean install. The upgrade is essential for Microsoft to associate your unique hardware ID with a given activated Windows 10 license. Before performing an upgrade however, you need to ensure that you back up your data.
Remember to check if your computer is compatible for a Windows 10 upgrade before continuing. There are different versions for different system requirements. In case you are upgrading from an eligible version of Windows 7 or 8.1 then you will have no worries with the Windows 10 upgrade since you will not be required to have an activation key for the installation.
- Upgrading to Windows 10
Step 1:
In case you have Windows 7 or 8.1 already installed on your machine then you will have to back up your data before heading to the official Microsoft Window 10 download page. Upgrades to Windows 10 are free of charge. When you arrive at the page, you will need to select the ‘Download too now’ button. You will then need to select the Run option as there is no need to save the file.
Step 2:
You will be presented with two options: Create installation media or Upgrade now. The option you have to go with is the Upgrade now option since you wish to upgrade your operating system. The reason for this is that Microsoft doesn’t provide for a clean install straight away with the free update. Of course if you don’t want to follow through with this step that requires you to upgrade first then you may look for a clean install workaround to work with.
Step 3:
At this stage, Windows 10 will download from scratch and it will take approximately 20 minutes to an hour to complete the download. The download time will depend on your broadband speed.
The other alternative is to burn a DVD or make use of a bootable USB flash drive to install Windows 10 on another machine or computer. In case you have virtual machine software then you can simply attach the ISO image using the software (this is assuming that your virtual machine is already installed with Windows 7 or 8).
Step 4:
You will get a prompt with the license terms which you have to accept if you want the installation to proceed. Once the license terms stage is done, the installer will then check for your PC’s compatibility with the Windows 10 installation. It will also check that there is enough space available to complete the installation. In addition, updates will also be downloaded.
Step 5:
You will have to select the install Windows 10 option when prompted and wait as your machine reboots. Once done, you will be presented with the Windows logo followed by a language selection Window. Once you have selected the language of choice, Windows 10 will be automatically installed. Once done, you need to allow for Windows 10 to search for drivers for your hardware before you can comfortably utilize the operating system.
- Installing from Scratch
This method is somewhat simple and easy. All you have to do is get a genuine Windows 10 DVD from shop near you and install the Windows from scratch. While installing the new Windows, make sure that you format the previously installed version of the operating system and then install a new copy of Windows 10. Otherwise you will get option to boot your system in one of the installed operating system. This will not only take up a lot of your hard disk space but will eventually make your system slow.