How To Upgrade Windows 7 To Windows 10 (The Easy Way)

If you are still using Windows 7, now is a good time to upgrade to the latest version of the Windows 10 operating system for enhanced security and data privacy reasons. Though Windows 11 is already available, still there are Win 7 users out there who prefer Win 10 over the newly released Windows firmware. So in this step by step guide, you’ll discover an easy way to upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 10 on your desktop or laptop.

Since the Redmond tech company no longer supports older Windows OS versions or pushes firmware updates. To keep your device safe from the latest online and offline threats, upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10 is important if you value your data.

Thankfully, Microsoft has made the process simple to help users perform an upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7 on their devices without having to seek assistance from a professional expert.

You can easily upgrade Windows 10 from Windows 7 using the official Media Creation Tool (MCT) as described in a simple tutorial below.

Why Use Media Creation Tool To Upgrade From Windows 7 To Windows 10?

Although there are multiple solutions to walk users through Windows 7 upgrade to Windows 10, the Media Creation Tool is relatively convenient and easier to follow. Many would find the following Windows 10 upgrade from Win 7 rather straightforward as it doesn’t require technical knowledge usually involved in the fresh install process.

Unlike clean installation, Media Creation Tool keeps your files and apps on the hard disk during the migration. This saves you the time required to restore Windows 7 files, folders, and applications after the system upgrade.

Luckily, the Media Creation Tool is available for older operating systems such as Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1. If your computer is running on firmware older than the latest Windows 10 and Windows 10s, keep reading the instructions to upgrade your PC to Windows 10 for free.

Minimum System Requirements To Upgrade To Windows 10 From 7:

Here are the minimum hardware requirements to upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 10 OS:

  • CPU: 1GHz or faster SoC (processor)
  • RAM: 1GB (32-bit systems) / 2Gb (64-bit systems)
  • Hard Drive: 16GB on 32-bit OS or 20GB on 64-bit OS
  • Graphics card: DirectX 9 or newer with WDDM 1.0 driver
  • Display resolution: 800 x 600 or higher
  • Networking: Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter

Note: To use the in-place upgrade option, your current operating system must be on its latest version. So if you are migrating from Windows 7, make sure it is Service Pack 1. Otherwise, you need to first download Windows 7 Service Pack 1 from this link here and install it before proceeding further.

Helpful Tip: You can quickly check the current version of Windows running on your device by typing winver in the Run dialogue box and hit the OK button.

Also, make sure that you have a valid Windows 10 product key to activate an officially licensed version. Previous Windows 7 keys won’t work. If you try to enter invalid product keys, it will show this error message: This product key didn’t work. Please check it and try again, or try a different key.

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Steps To Backup Windows 7:

Although the upgrade process to Windows 10 is safe when it comes to preserving user data, you should still back up files and folders beforehand to avoid accidental loss.

To prevent data loss due to unexpected issues, it is considered a better practice to create a full backup of your system files, apps, folders, and media. This allows you to restore the backup if things take a downward turn during the upgrade.

Here are the steps to create a backup on Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1:

  1. First, launch Control Panel.
  2. In the search box, type Windows 7 File Recovery and hit the enter key.
  3. Now, click the link to open Windows 7 File Recovery window.
  4. Next, hit the Create a System Image button on the left pane.
  5. To create a system image, choose where you want to save the backup. You can choose from saving the backup on a hard drive, on an external DVD or hard disk, or on a network location. Pick your option and hit the Next button.
  6. On the next window, confirm your backup settings, and click the Start backup button.
  7. Once the backup process is complete, you will get a prompt asking you to create a system image repair disk. Click Yes to continue. (This is helpful if your computer runs into trouble and does not boot. The repair disk enables booting the PC into recovery mode and restores the most recent system backup.)
  8. When finished, create a system repair disk to protect your files in a safe location.
  9. That’s it.

Get Officially Licensed Windows 10:

You can get the fully licensed Windows 10 at the official Microsoft link below.

Win 10 License

How To Upgrade PC from Windows 7 To Windows 10:

Before you begin, uninstall any antivirus, security software, and other third-party apps that may block attempts to upgrade to Windows 10 firmware.

Moreover, disconnect external hardware devices, such as the mouse, camera, external hard drive, USB, phone, printer, or other peripherals. Sometimes these devices can forestall the execution of upgrade tasks.

Now let’s take a look at the steps to upgrade a computer from an older Windows version to Windows 10:

Step 1 – Download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool from Microsoft. Internet Explorer users can access the official site link on Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or other latest browsers because it won’t be accessible otherwise.

windows_10_download_microsoft_source

Step 2 – Click the Download tool now button to save the setup wizard on your device.

Step 3 – Now double-click MediaCreationTool.exe to launch the Windows 10 installer.

Step 4 – Hit Accept button to agree to the terms and conditions of the license agreement.

Step 5 – Choose the Upgrade this PC now option to initiate the download of the file and initiate the upgrade.

Step 6 – Once done, click the Next button.

media_creation_tool_windows_10

Step 7 – Enter a valid Windows 10 product key in the required field and hit the Next button to continue the upgrade.

enter_product_key_windows_10

Step 8 – Click on the Accept button to agree to the license agreement again.

Step 9 – Now select the Keep personal files and apps option. Otherwise, to upgrade without previous files and apps, click the Change what to keep option.

Step 10 – In the end, hit the Install button and wait for the setup wizard to perform its tasks.

That’s all. Once the process is complete, finish the Windows 10 setup by following on-screen instructions in the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE). You will now see your desktop screen with an all-new Windows 10 interface and features.

Furthermore, don’t forget to head over to the Device Manager to ensure that all hardware drivers are properly carried over to the new operating system. Afterward, you can reinstall your antivirus or any third-party software you uninstalled before the upgrade.

Please note that support for Windows 7 ended on January 14, 2020. Extended Security Updates for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Professional for Embedded Systems editions under designated volume licensing schemes will end on January 10, 2023. If you plan on transitioning to Windows 10, please keep in mind that it will be supported until October 14, 2025. If your hardware allows it, upgrading to Windows 11 would be wise.