Want to upgrade from windows 7 (64)

[Squatch97401]

I want to upgrade from windows 7.  Will I have to reload all my programs.  Trying not to do that.  Takes a long time to load all the programs.  Desk top

Thanks

Mike

[Bill_To]

Hi @Squatch97401 

Welcome back.

Microsoft may have recently discontinued the free W7 and W8 update to W10. You may have to purchase a W10 product key.

I can only suggest trying the W10 update.

Download and run the W10 installation media creation tool available at this Site. Make a USB W10 installation drive.

Back up data before trying the W10 update.

Run the W10 executable on the W10 USB drive while in W7 to see how it goes. It may update but you will need a product key to activate W10. Or the W10 update may abort unless you have a W10 product key, I don't know what will happen.

You may have to boot to the W10 USB drive to do a custom install. This may mean starting from scratch.

I haven't done a W7 to W10 update since about 2016.

Regards

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi, @Squatch97401 

Using Bill_To's instructions to do an in-place upgrade, W10 should activate.

This link confirms that.

Can you still get a Windows 10 upgrade for free? | ZDNET

However, there has been a change in running the W10 media creation tool over the years.

If you have a W10/W11 PC to use the media creation tool on, that will be the easiest way to run it.

If not, you have to make some registry changes in W7.

See the link below...

Update to enable TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2 as default secure protocols in WinHTTP in Windows - Microsoft S...