More than 14 million people have already upgraded to Windows 10, but you might not be one of them. You’re probably scared that things will go wrong, that your data might be lost, or that Microsoft will soon have you searching for drivers. Don’t worry — that last one won’t happen.
The entire process is much simpler than you think, and below you’ll find everything you need to know before and after the install.
DON’T MISS: Windows 10: The first 5 things you need to do immediately after you install it
Before you upgrade
If you haven’t registered for the upgrade yet, do so from the upgrade tool available in the lower-right corner of your screen — click the Windows icon and perform the necessary steps. During the procedure, you’ll also be told whether your computer can handle the upgrade.
Alternatively, you can check that manually by following this guide. Once you’re done with that, make sure you backup your data, just to be on the safe side.
How to install
Microsoft will notify you when it’s time to upgrade (see the pop-up message in the image below). But just in case you don’t want to wait, you can bypass the queue by following this guide. In either case, make sure you have enough storage space on your PC to download the massive installation file, and connect laptops and tablets to a power source once the installation starts.
The hassles after the install
The actual install procedure is as simple as it gets. You just have to click a few buttons and Windows 10 will be installed on your machine. But that doesn’t mean you’re done setting up your computer. In fact, there are plenty of things you still have to consider after you log into Windows 10 for the first time:
- Windows 10: The first 5 things you need to do immediately after you install it
- Windows 10: How to disable automatic system software updates
- Microsoft has already released its first big Windows 10 update – here’s how to get it
- Windows 10 is spying on almost everything you do – here’s how to opt out
- Windows 10 brings back the Start Menu – here’s how to customize it
- Windows 10: How to remove all the tiles from your Start Menu and pretend Windows 8 never existed
- 5 common problems people are having with Windows 10 – and how to fix them
- Forget the blue screen of death, Windows 10 has the silliest error message yet
- Windows 10 privacy issues you should be aware of
- Windows 10 shares your Wi-Fi password with all your friends – Here’s how to stop it
- An insane person’s guide to ditching Windows 10 and going back to Windows 8.1
More tips and tricks
In case you’re looking for more information about Windows 10 features, including tips and tricks, we’ve got you covered. Read about our own experience with Windows 10 so far, and check out the following posts for more tips, tricks and opinions on Microsoft’s major update:
- Windows 10: The 5 best new features
- These tricks will make your Windows 10 experience even better
- Windows 10: The 5 most important tips for newbies
- I can’t believe this, but I’m really excited for Windows 10
- 5 awful Windows 8 problems that are fixed in Windows 10
- Edge: The story of how Microsoft’s Windows 10 Chrome browser killer came to be
- As Windows 10 rolls out, take a step back in time through the evolution of Windows
