In the first part of a new series preparing you for the launch of Windows 10, Jonathan Parkyn reveals how to find out if your PC is ready for the big upgrade
Will you qualify to get Windows 10 for free?
Microsoft has stated that it will offer a free upgrade to Windows 10 for “qualified” new or existing Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 PCs that upgrade during the first year after the 29 July launch. Moreover, the upgrade will remain free for those who carry it out, meaning there won’t be any hidden costs down the line.
It doesn’t matter whether Windows 7 or 8/8.1 came pre-installed on your PC or you upgraded to these versions of Windows from an older version.
Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 7 Home Basic and Home Premium PCs are likely to upgrade to Windows 10 Home, and Windows 8/8.1 Pro and Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate PCs to Windows 10 Pro (www.snipca.com/16722).
Bear in mind. Windows 7 users will need to have updated their system to Service Pack 1 (SP1) and, if you’re running Windows 8, you’ll need to update to 8.1 before you’ll be eligible to download and install the upgrade. Both the SP1 and 8.1 updates are free. Unfortunately, some versions of Windows 7 and 8.1 are excluded from the Windows 10 offer. If you’re running the Enterprise edition of either, or the RT version of Windows 8.1, then you’re out of luck.
If you’re running Windows XP or Vista, or if you’re considering building a PC from scratch, then you’ll need to pay for a copy of Windows 10. Microsoft hasn’t released any pricing information yet, but leaks suggest it will cost $109 (about £72) for the Home version and $149 (about £98) for Pro.
Will your PC be able to run Windows 10?
If your computer is already running Windows 7 or 8/8.1, then it will almost certainly be able to run Windows 10. Users of older machines should note, however, that Windows 10 will require a 1GHz (or faster) processor, 1GB of RAM for the 32bit version (2GB for the 64bit version), 16GB free hard-drive space and a DirectX 9-capable graphics card that supports display resolutions of at least 800x600 pixels.
You’ll also need an internet connection and a Microsoft account. If you don’t have the latter you can sign up for free (https://login.live.com).
If you’re in any doubt about whether your current PC meets Windows 10’s hardware requirements, download and run Microsoft’s free Upgrade Assistant tool (Windows 7 www.snipca.com/16653; XP and Vista www.snipca.com/16654 – these automatically download to your PC). The Assistant is designed for upgrading to Windows 8, so ignore the advice about programs and apps. But if the tool gives your PC’s hardware the all-clear for Windows 8, then you’ll be fine for Windows 10 as well.
Can you upgrade your PC to meet the requirements?
If you’ve got less than 1GB of RAM, it’s relatively simple and cheap to add more. You’ll need to find out how much your PC can take and what type of memory modules it’s compatible with – the easiest way to do this is to run the Crucial System Scanner (http://uk.crucial.com). Click ‘scan your system’ and follow the prompts. You don’t have to actually buy the memory from Crucial, so feel free to shop around for the best prices once you know what you need – 2GB of DDR2 memory shouldn’t cost more than about £15.
It’s also fairly easy to upgrade your hard drive if you’re short on space. A brand-name 500GB hard drive will cost you less than £30 online, though you may want to switch to an SSD for a massive speed boost.
The one exception here is the processor. It’s technically possible to upgrade this, but there are so many potential pitfalls that it’s usually not worth considering.
Can you upgrade for free from the Windows 10 Preview?
If you have been trying the Windows 10 Technical Preview, hopefully you’ve followed our advice and installed it on a virtual PC or a separate partition of your hard drive, rather than installing it over your existing version of Windows. If not, things could end up being a lot more complicated when it comes to installing the final version. The free upgrade won’t be offered via Windows Update if it can find no trace of a qualifying Windows 7 or 8/8.1 licence on your PC, so you may have to wipe the Windows 10 Preview, reinstall the previous OS, update it, then upgrade it.
Will you need anything else?
Windows 10 brings with it a number of great new features, but some of these require additional hardware. For example, to get the most out of Cortana (Microsoft’s voice activated personal assistant), you’ll need a microphone and speakers in order to talk with her. Many PCs come with these, but if yours came without, you could use a Skype headset instead, if you have one. An external USB webcam will also add a mic.
Microphones and speakers are cheap and easy to add separately. You can buy a basic Trust PC microphone for a couple of pounds on Amazon (www.snipca.com/16651), while simple speakers start at around £12.
Windows 10’s new Edge browser (www.snipca.com/16657) has a brilliant feature called Web Note, which lets you write notes or highlight items directly on any web page. Unsurprisingly, this works best on touchscreen devices, using your fingers. It’s possible to make web notes using a mouse too, but a pen and tablet input device (such as Wacom Intuos, £60 from www.snipca.com/16655) might be better if you’re planning to use this feature regularly on a desktop PC. Some features of Windows Hello (www.snipca.com/16658), a new biometric (face, iris or fingerprint) recognition security feature, will require special hardware too.
When and how can you upgrade?
Currently, Microsoft is saying that Windows 10 will be released at some point “this summer” across 190 countries. We still don’t have a specific UK launch date, but late July would seem a good bet.
We also know that Windows 10’s release will be staggered. The Desktop (PC and tablet) version will be the first to launch, with other platforms (including Windows Phone and Xbox One) following later in 2015.
For Windows 7 or 8/8.1 owners qualifying for the free upgrade, Windows 10 will be offered directly via Windows Update. For everyone else, it’s likely that Windows 10 will be widely available in physical (disc) formats, as well as digitally as a download from the Microsoft Store (www.snipca.com/16652). We’ll be explaining how to prepare for and carry out the upgrade process in much more detail closer to Windows 10’s launch.
SHOULD YOU BUY A NEW PC NOW OR WAIT?
It’s entirely up to you. If you buy a Windows 8.1 PC now, you’ll qualify for the free upgrade when Windows 10 is finally launched. Thanks to the Windows Update delivery system, carrying out the upgrade yourself when the time comes should be fairly painless.
It’s highly likely that some manufacturers and retailers will begin heavily discounting their current Windows 8.1 devices to encourage buyers, so they can shift existing stock before the new generation of Windows 10 PCs hit the shelves. So, from a financial perspective, now could be a very wise time to buy. But as we explain in our post, your existing PC may be all you need – and it might last much longer than you realise.