# Upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 10 **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 1, 2019, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875 "2019-06-01T14:43:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/1 "2019-06-01T14:43:43Z")
I’m sure everyone knows that support for Windows 7 will end in January 2020. Has anyone recently upgraded their computer from Windows 7 to Windows 10? Tell me how it went. Did you pay anything for Windows 10? Any problems with program or driver compatibility? How long did it take? Any tips, tricks or gotchas to be aware of? ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/2 "2019-06-01T14:57:30Z")
I did the free upgrade a few years ago. Went perfectly seamless. The only issue is the Edge browser that came with it, it’s not compatible with some websites. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/3 "2019-06-01T15:05:36Z")
I did it about two months ago through the upgrade option and it worked fine. I needed the Windows 7 key printed on the bottom of my laptop. Keep in mind, you can only upgrade to a similar flavor of Windows (e.g., you can upgrade from a Home version to whatever MS now calls their non-professional version). ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/4 "2019-06-01T15:51:52Z")
I did it when Windows 10 first came out. It was free then, but I don’t know if it still is. The process was painless and seamless. I think it took something like an hour. On the other hand, there is not much wrong with an “unsupported” OS. I still have a Windows XP machine running. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/5 "2019-06-01T16:49:52Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > On the other hand, there is not much wrong with an “unsupported” OS. I still have a Windows XP machine running. Connected to the net? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/6 "2019-06-01T17:03:09Z")
> [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > Any tips, tricks or gotchas to be aware of? While it should work fine, I would suggest making a [system image](https://www.raymond.cc/blog/create-windows-7-system-image-for-full-backup-and-restoration/) on an external hard drive beforehand, just in case, if you haven’t done that already. As mentioned above, it’s [still possible to upgrade for free](https://www.zdnet.com/article/heres-how-you-can-still-get-a-free-windows-10-upgrade/), too. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/7 "2019-06-01T17:07:44Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > While it should work fine, I would suggest making a [system image](https://www.raymond.cc/blog/create-windows-7-system-image-for-full-backup-and-restoration/) on an external hard drive beforehand, just in case, if you haven’t done that already. Good advice. I’m doing that now. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/8 "2019-06-01T18:40:52Z")
I have a Windows 7 computer that I am intentionally not upgrading. The software I use on it doesn’t work properly on Windows 10, so I don’t really have any choice in the matter. There aren’t any Windows 10 patches available for the software. The way some people talk you’d think that your antivirus will stop working and your machine will completely open up its hard drive to the world on Jan 1, 2020. In my experience, keeping your anti-virus up to date is significantly more important that Microsoft security updates for keeping your computer clean and healthy. Back in the days of Windows XP, Microsoft did put out security updates when something particularly nasty started floating around the net, even after their official support for XP ended. I suspect that they’ll do the same for Windows 7. Right now, Microsoft just wants everyone on their “Windows is a service!” and “Windows it the same on tablets and desktops!” bullshit so they are trying to push all of the Windows 7 (last of the real desktop) users to Windows 10. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/9 "2019-06-01T21:04:23Z")
Note that there’s a [bad hole](https://it.slashdot.org/story/19/05/31/211202/microsoft-warns-1-million-computers-are-still-vulnerable-to-major-windows-security-exploit) in Windows that MS is fixing even for XP. It’s not dead yet. I did a 7-\>10 move last year with a new MB, etc. I wanted to go to 64-bit so it was a major pain. Used a software migration package that sort of worked but there was a lot of fixing afterwards. (Still a lot less than re-installing a ton of stuff.) Bought a real license. (I miss the old days as a CS prof. where I’d get all sorts of free stuff.) Got a lot of older software I still want to run. Took a good while to get an XP VM up and running. It’s so easy to trash a VM and have to start over. Revert to checkpoint? Hah! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/10 "2019-06-02T03:22:43Z")
I upgraded during the time period but cloned my drive so I could go back to Windows 7 if I didn’t like it. But, since I upgraded once, my license for this computer remains free. That said, I have heard that, if you just download a copy of the Windows 10 ISO files, do an install and put in your Windows 7 license code, it will still upgrade you and activate you. [Here’s a guide](https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/upgrade-to-windows-10-free) saying it still worked as of April. It even tells you how to get the lastest copy of Windows 10 from Microsoft. The main issue I hear about anymore are driver downgrades, particularly if you have an older Intel GPU that no longer has a proper Windows 10 driver. You could lose some 3D acceleration. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/11 "2019-06-02T11:09:52Z")
We’ve still got 7 at work. I’ve got 10 at home, transitioned from XP (hard disc died). I found the transition fairly easy. Don’t like the photo handling software, XP’s was much better. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/12 "2019-06-02T13:36:48Z")
Update: I did upgrade to Windows 10 yesterday, and it was pretty easy and free. Took a long time, and I had one issue that was quickly fixed, but overall not too bad. Thanks to everyone for their input. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/13 "2019-06-02T13:57:05Z")
I never got the notification to upgrade back when it first came up, I think because my C drive is too small to fit it on. It’s a small SSD, the largest I could afford at the time, but not big enough for the transition. At least, that was my best guess. I don’t have any intention to upgrade to Win10. Every time I’ve had to use it elsewhere it has annoyed the everloving crap out of me, so I am avoiding it as long as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/14 "2019-06-02T14:02:53Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > I did the free upgrade a few years ago. Went perfectly seamless. The only issue is the Edge browser that came with it, it’s not compatible with some websites. Internet Explorer 11 is still on the system. You just need to find the executable. I’ve got a shortcut for it (pointing to “C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe”) on the desktop for those sites that don’t work right in Chrome (my usual browser). And actually the next version of Microsoft Edge will be based on Chromium, which is an open source engine related to Chrome. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/15 "2019-06-02T14:56:21Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Internet Explorer 11 is still on the system. You just need to find the executable. I’ve got a shortcut for it (pointing to “C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe”) on the desktop for those sites that don’t work right in Chrome (my usual browser). And actually the next version of Microsoft Edge will be based on Chromium, which is an open source engine related to Chrome. You don’t have to find the executable. IE11 is in the start menu under Windows Accessories. ---
**Author:** ![fedman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/278dde/32.png) [@fedman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2019, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/16 "2019-06-03T00:56:50Z")
> [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > I’m sure everyone knows that support for Windows 7 will end in January 2020. > > Has anyone recently upgraded their computer from Windows 7 to Windows 10? Tell me how it went. Did you pay anything for Windows 10? Any problems with program or driver compatibility? How long did it take? > > Any tips, tricks or gotchas to be aware of? seeing your later posts, apparently you didn’t have problems; both my daughter and I found that some virus/malware protections were not compatible with 10 ---
**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2019, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/17 "2019-06-03T03:39:22Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I never got the notification to upgrade back when it first came up, I think because my C drive is too small to fit it on. It’s a small SSD, the largest I could afford at the time, but not big enough for the transition. At least, that was my best guess. > > I don’t have any intention to upgrade to Win10. Every time I’ve had to use it elsewhere it has annoyed the everloving crap out of me, so I am avoiding it as long as possible. After Win 7, I’m going to Chrome. Trying to do anything on 10 gives me 600 new gray hairs. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2019, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/18 "2019-06-03T22:46:13Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > … Microsoft just wants everyone on their “Windows is a service!” and “Windows it the same on tablets and desktops!” bullshit… The other side is tech support. With Win 10 it is designed to be more uniform in the updates so everyone is pretty much on the same version of Windows, thus in theory lowering the cost of tech support as they only have to service the latest edition. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2019, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/19 "2019-06-04T01:34:46Z")
> [@Wolf333](#): > > You don’t have to find the executable. IE11 is in the start menu under Windows Accessories. Also in Edge if you click the button with the three dots there is an option to open the site in IE. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2019, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875/20 "2019-06-04T08:16:58Z")
I upgraded from Windows 7 to 10 3 days ago via this Microsoft site: [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10) Click on the tool to Create Windows 10 installation media. It may have worked seamlessly for me because several months ago I had to reset my device to factory setting to correct some corrupt files. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/upgrade-windows-7-to-windows-10/834875.md?page=2)