The death bells have rung for Windows 7. On January 14, 2020, Microsoft stopped support for its operating system. Here’s how to upgrade to Windows 10 for free or cheap and get rid of hardware incompatibility issues.
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Windows 7 shut down. Microsoft hasn’t extended its agony. The old system has 32.7% of users, compared to 47.6% of Windows 10 (source- Netsharemarket). It’s still very strong, but the actual end of updates to this system should inevitably push users to switch to Windows 10, which Microsoft has been working on since 2015.
From 14 January 2020, therefore, there is no longer any “extended support” for Windows 7. Behind these terms are in fact hidden the updates made by the editor to the operating system, updates concerning vulnerabilities and security patches for Windows 7. Clearly, without this broad support, the system is helpless in the face of attacks from viruses, malware, etc.
Microsoft specifies on its site, that companies can benefit from an extension of this support and therefore have the option to use Windows 7 beyond January 14, 2020. But they have to get their hands in their pockets, because for Windows 7, patch development Security requires Microsoft to create specially dedicated development teams.
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WINDOWS 7 IS DEAD- HOW TO MIGRATE TO WINDOWS 10 FOR FREE?
1. A BACKUP IS REQUIRED BEFORE UPGRADING TO WINDOWS 10
First of all, it’s imperative to save all your data you care about, just in case things don’t go as planned.
WHERE TO SAVE YOUR PRECIOUS PERSONAL DATA?
It goes without saying that there is no point in saving files to the same hard drive and partition where your data is already stored. Clearly, don’t specifically save to C and avoid doing so on another primary hard drive partition as much as possible:
- If you have more than one internal hard drive, choose a secondary drive.
- Otherwise, buy an external hard drive and connect it to your computer via USB.
- It is also possible to save the files to DVD or Blu-Ray, although this takes more time.
- Another possibility- cloud backup. You will then be able to access all your data from anywhere in the house or even from the outside.
2. WHAT METHOD SHOULD I USE TO PROTECT MY DATA?
To save your data you have two methods:
- If you only want to save your documents, videos, photos and music, a simple copy and paste from Windows Explorer to another medium is enough. Select all the folders, subfolders and files you want to back up, save them to another drive or to the Cloud and that’s it. Note that in this case, you are not backing up your Windows 7 configuration.
- Another option- back up your entire system, as well as personal data. For this, you need to use comprehensive backup software. Certainly, during the migration to Windows 10, the Microsoft tool performs a Windows 7 backup “on the fly”. It is therefore theoretically possible to return to the initial state in case of concern or dissatisfaction with the new operating system. But backup or even restore can go wrong. You risk losing all or part of your data or even restoring an unusable system. It is therefore more advantageous to save the entire configuration, including personal documents. In case of serious problems, you can find all your data in minutes and try a Windows 10 migration again. If there are dozens of full- featured backup software, we recommend that you test Macrium Reflect, which allows you to back up your system and personal data and restore them in case of difficulty. The program also allows you to create a bootable disk or USB key, which you can boot onto and which will allow you to restore a backup.
3. HOW TO SWITCH FROM WINDOWS 7 TO WINDOWS 10 WITHOUT PROBLEMS?
The easiest way to migrate from Windows 7 to Windows 10 is to use the small utility provided by Microsoft. By the way, a year ago Microsoft had to stop the free migration from the old version of the operating system to the new one. Yet it is still possible to do so. Hurry before it’s too late, because Microsoft can at any time realize your mistake and put an end to this free service… Unless it’s voluntary, who knows?
DOWNLOAD THE FREE WINDOWS 10 UPGRADE TOOL
Download the small Windows 10 update utility available at this address:
Download the Windows 10 Update Tool
Start the small program in question. In the first window that appears, which corresponds to the license agreement, click Accept. The software then verifies that your configuration can support the update, then preparation will begin automatically. You can stop this operation at any time by clicking on the Cancel Update function, located in the lower left part of the window. You can also continue working as if nothing had happened by clicking the Minimize button. The process will not stop and you can take care of your Windows 7 business while the software downloads and prepares the Windows 10 installation. This takes about twenty minutes. The first phase ends and the second can begin.
Installing the Windows 10 update is generally the longest. It takes at least between 30 and 40 minutes and will require at least two PC restarts. The good news is that we don’t have to do anything during this process other than answer a few questions. Don’t shut down your computer, let Windows run, it takes care of almost everything.
WHAT IF THE UPDATER DOESN’T WORK?
If the little free migration tool no longer works, you will have to acquire an official license of Windows 10, you just have to go to the Microsoft online store.
4. HOW TO PROPERLY INSTALL WINDOWS 10 AND ITS APPLICATIONS?
While installing Windows 10 and regardless of the method used, the system offers to configure a few things. One of the first screens that appears offers you to activate or deactivate the data protection parameters. If you do not want the system to learn anything about your habits, disable all the options offered. Please note that disabling the “Relevant Ads” feature will not prevent you from receiving ads from time to time. They will still be there, but those that appear will be less targeted, that’s all.
CORTANA, DO WE REALLY NEED THIS?
Windows 10 asks you whether to activate Cortana or not. For the record, this is the assistant that you can ask all kinds of questions, orally or by typing them in the search bar. Kind of like Google Assistant or Alexa in plain language, but for PC. If you want to use it, click the “Use Cortana” button. You can do without it and deactivate the assistant the moment you install Windows 10. To do this, click on “Not now”.
During the installation of the operating system, Windows will also ask you which applications should be associated with the stored media files (photos, music, movies, etc.). By selecting the “Let me choose default applications” function, you can prevent Microsoft Edge, for example, from being the browser that always opens. You can change this setting even after system installation.
THE FINAL STEP- UPDATING THE UPDATE
The migration from Windows 7 to Windows 10 is complete… Or almost. At this point, you should find the famous desktop operating system, as well as all the applications and documents you used in Windows 7. But since a Windows 10 installation is never really finished, you will need to go to the Windows Update center to download and apply the latest operating system patches. This should also allow you to install drivers for hardware that was not recognized during the Windows 10 installation. To access Windows Update, click the Start button, then the small gear. Then open the Settings menu, which almost completely replaces the Control Panel.
5. DRIVER PROBLEM WHEN MIGRATING TO WINDOWS 10?
When migrating to Windows 10, it’s not uncommon to have driver issues. Manufacturers after a few years give up on supporting all their hardware and sometimes it takes a lot of effort to get your hands on drivers that can work with the latest version of Windows. Here’s how to deal with (almost) all evils.
START A WINDOWS DATABASE UPDATE
By default, Windows stores several thousand drivers in its installer. When migrating from Windows 7 to Windows 10, the installation tool then references this base to find and install the correct drivers. If a problem occurs and the hardware was not installed correctly, go to Device Manager or Computer Management and confirm. In the window that opens, select the Action function, then Add legacy hardware. Click Next and select the Automatically search and install new hardware function (recommended). If Windows is unable to install the drivers, press the Next button. Try to find the references of your devices in the list that appears and validate with the Next button. The drivers should install.
INSTALL THE DRIVERS MANUALLY
If the drivers aren’t installed correctly, it’s probably because Windows 10 doesn’t have them in its database. In some cases, the operating system may also install incorrect drivers, making the hardware non-functional. You will then need to find the drivers on the manufacturer’s website and install them manually. Also from Device Manager, locate your hardware and right click on it. Select the Browse my computer function to find driver software. In the Search for drivers on my computer field, click Browse and select the directory where the drivers retrieved from the manufacturer’s site are located. The drivers should then install without problems. Note that this will be required with every Windows 10 update if the system has the wrong drivers during the automatic installation.
