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Last Orders Called On Free Windows 10 Upgrade.

Microsoft officially ended Windows 10 as a free upgrade to users of Windows 7 and Windows 8 on July 29th, 2016. You will recall the annoying pop ups and nag screens which you so diligently avoided. We get it, you were concerned that Windows 10 would be like Windows 8 and possibly you were swayed by the opinion of well meaning friends to give it a wide birth. Besides which, you were very happy (and maybe still are) with Windows 7.

If you are still running a computer with Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 on, it isn’t too late to change your mind – but it nearly is! Microsoft haven’t been vocal about this, but they have continued to provide Windows 10 as a free upgrade via their website under their assistive technologies program. This program still enables users of Windows 7 and Windows 8 to upgrade to Windows 10 for free but they have now announced a closing date for the scheme – December 31st 2017.

Why Should I Upgrade To Windows 10?

Windows 8 was a very different beast to Windows 7 and as a result users weren’t happy. In contrast, Windows 10 is based on the results of a huge testing programme called the Windows Insider Program, where users gave feedback on the features they liked and disliked. As a result, it’s more user friendly and familiar to anybody who is used to Windows XP or Windows 7.

Some of the Benefits of Windows 10

You might not have to buy Windows ever again

Windows 10 has been advertised by Microsoft as the “last version of Windows”, meaning Microsoft has no intention of releasing future version of Windows on the familiar 3 year (or so) lifecycle that has taken us from Windows 95, through 98, XP, Vista, 7 and 8.

Microsoft have stated that all future updates and enhancements to Windows 10 will be offered as free updates to users of Windows 10, without the need to buy and install the next latest and greatest version in a few years. Microsoft may well decide in the future to change the name of Windows to reflect their marketing at the time, but the official stance is that once you have Windows 10, all other versions are “updates” and will be free. This means you may never have to pay for Windows again.

Windows 10 is faster

Windows 10 has a host of performance improvements that make your PC better in many ways.

  • It starts up a lot quicker than previous versions of Windows.
  • It’s more energy efficient, so your laptop or other mobile Windows device will last longer between charging.
  • It wakes up faster from sleep mode, so you can get back to where you left off much quicker.
  • You will need it for new hardware such as printers, scanners, cameras, graphics cards etc.

Windows 10 is more secure than Windows 7 and Windows 8

Although nothing is ever 100% secure, Windows 10 is the best yet. The recent global ransomware attacks proved this. It was largely Windows 7 PCs that were affected.

Windows Defender has had a big update and as of the Creators Update and is much better than any previous Windows antivirus offering. Independent tests will tell you that Windows Defender does a lesser job compared to paid security suites such as McAfee and Norton. But that’s not the full story. These tests generally throw viruses at it that haven’t been seen in the wild for years and aren’t a fair reflection of how well Windows Defender handles the clear and present danger. For most users it’s perfectly adequate, it runs quickly and is unobtrusive.

Windows 10 offers you the latest and greatest features

This is less likely to get you excited, or you’d be on Windows 10 already. OK, so we have 3D painting, Cortana (a virtual assistant you can talk to) and plenty of other stuff you may never even notice. But in its core functionality and general layout, its the easiest & most convenient to use Windows to date.

How The Free Upgrade Offer Works

Microsoft has announced that it wants people who use assistive technologies to be able to upgrade to use the accessibility features introduced in Windows 10 Anniversary Update. These include improvements to the Narrator screen reader and applications such as the Edge browser, Cortana, and Mail all offering improved accessibility features. Windows users who use assistive technologies (like the narrator, on-screen keyboard, or high contrast desktop theme) may not have wanted to upgrade before these improvements were made.

The upgrade, available only until 31st December 2017, can be initiated from the page linked below.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/accessibility/windows10upgrade

Simply click the “Upgrade Now” button to download a small program which will check your computers compatibility with Windows 10. All being well, Windows will then progress to download and upgrade your present version of Windows.

We should be clear. This offer is intended for people who require assistive technologies. However, this is the full Windows 10 release, not a special version which forces assistive technologies onto you. Microsoft doesn’t ask for any evidence that you actually use such tools.

Warning for Users on Slow or Download Limited Connections

If you have a download limit, or use a 4G mobile device for your Internet connection, this is a large download and may take some time. If you have a limited download capacity or are charged for the amount of data you download, you should carefully consider the implications of initiating this upgrade. Perhaps you could take it to a friend’s house and connect it to their Internet connection if this is the case. Alternatively, if you are within our call-out area we can collect it and take care of the upgrade (and subsequent setup) process for you. Please give us a call or send us a message to arrange.