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Windows 10 is here!
The latest and greatest of Microsoft's operating systems, now for computers of all form factors.
And yes, there is a free upgrade for everyone running Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 right now. You just need to grab it before June 29th 2016.
Should I upgrade right now?
If you're okay with having to fight some potential problems, do it! Windows 10 is a good upgrade.
However if you'd rather avoid trouble, wait until September-October, where things should be running smoother.
What happens after June 29th 2016? Do I have to pay to keep using it?
No. The free upgrade offer is "grab it now and it's yours forever".
I'm running Windows XP/Windows Vista. Can I upgrade?
No. You'll have to buy Windows 10, or a Windows 7 or 8 version to upgrade from.
You might be able to find 7 and 8 on sale, just beware of super cheap keys, they might not be entirely kosher.
What edition of Windows 10 will I get?
Windows 10 comes in four editions, but only two are relevant to the free upgrade: Home and Pro.
If you have a Professional or Ultimate edition of Windows 7 or 8, you get the Pro edition of Windows 10. Otherwise you get the Home edition.
If you're using an Enterprise version, there is no free upgrade for you.
Windows says my upgrade is reserved, but it isn't my turn yet. I want it now!
You can do that.
Use the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool to install right away, make a bootable USB thumb drive to install from, or even get a full DVD ISO.
I did the upgrade. Where's my product key?
There is none.
You don't get a product key from the free upgrade.
Repeating this: You do not get a product key from the free upgrade.
When you do the upgrade, the installer sends a "fingerprint" of your computer (motherboard+CPU, mainly) to Microsoft, and that marks your computer as eligible for free Windows 10.
I don't want to upgrade. I want to do a clean install!
You have to upgrade. Otherwise your system doesn't get registered as eligible for the free upgrade.
However, if you use the media creation tool, and start the setup from inside your existing install, you get to choose to "keep nothing", which is effectively a clean install.
But I had to replace my hard drive and do a clean install. I need a product key to do that!
If you've already had the Windows 10 upgrade done on your system, just press Skip when the setup asks you for a key. When the install is done, it will then activate through the hardware fingerprint that got registered during your original upgrade.
If you haven't ever installed Windows 10, and don't have a retail key for it, you have to first install Windows 7 or 8/8.1, then perform an upgrade.
Wait, so if I upgrade now, then replace my motherboard in 2 months, will my license be invalid?
Most likely yes. If you're planning any major hardware upgrades, wait with Windows 10.
Something happened!
Yes, that's an actual error message some have had while trying to do the upgrade. No-one's reported it for a while, so it's probably solved, but if you get it, the fix seems to involve changing your regional/language settings.
More upgrade/install troubleshooting tips below.
What's new in Windows 10
The Start screen from Windows 8 has been melded into the olden Start menu, to create a new Start menu with tiles on the right half.
The Action Center control panel from Vista and charms bar from 8 have been replaced with a Notification Center that holds notifications from all sorts of apps, as well as lots of buttons and toggles for various things.
One of those toggles is tablet mode. This basically disables access to the Desktop, and makes all apps run in full screen. It does make touch-only usage easier. You can switch it on and off quickly, useful if you have a convertible.
Cortana is Microsoft's personal assistant. Cortana can search for things, create calendar appointments, and send all kinds of commands to apps. The apps just have to be made for it. However... it's only available for some combinations of language and regional settings.
The app store has been enhanced, and can now offer regular old desktop software as well. Microsoft figured out a way to package regular Win32 software so it can be installed and uninstalled safely, and run in an isolated manner without affecting the entire system.
Internet Explorer is being replaced with Edge, a new browser. Despite the "e" icon, it has little to do with the old IE, and is generally much more sensible. Definitely give it a chance.
(You can still also use IE 11 if you need to.)
Rolling upgrades — Microsoft is promising to continually update Windows 10 with new features and general improvements over time.
Virtual desktops, almost like multi-monitor but without the need for more hardware.
Editions
There are four edition of Windows 10:
Home: Does most things, but is missing several power user features. Is sold retail and preloaded.
Pro: Can join domains, act as Hyper-V host, and load of other fancy things. Is sold retail and preloaded.
Enterprise: Mostly the same as Pro, but with some more management features. Only sold through volume licensing agreements.
Education: Mostly the same as Enterprise, but targeted at students. Sold through volume licensing agreements to educational institutions.
...how about Windows RT?
It's gone. However, phones will be able to get Windows 10 Mobile, when that is finished. There are also talks of small tablets getting the Mobile edition.
Privacy woes?
You might have read various pieces attacking Windows 10 for ruining your privacy and control of your computer in various ways. How much of that is true?
Forced updates: Yes, the Home edition will download and install updates without asking, and you can't turn that off. This can be an actual problem when a broken update goes out once in a while.
However, this is generally a good thing, because it will most likely cut down on support calls from grandma getting hits by exploits due to not getting fixes in time.
Although there is a tool to disable specific updates, but you still have to run it before the update in question begins installing.
If you want to control your updates, you are a power user and should consider running the Pro edition.
Peer-to-peer updates: Yes, by default updates will get downloaded not just from Microsoft's servers, but also from other users and systems on the Internet and local network. You can choose to only let P2P act over the local network. However, this is not a security risk. You cannot get viruses/malware pushed through updates like this. All packages are cryptographically verified before they get installed.
Getting updates from other machines on the local network can definitely help save bandwidth, great if you have several computers at home, and a metered connection. FAQ
Wi-Fi Sense/Network key sharing: This is a feature that lets you share wireless network keys with contacts/friends on Outlook.com, Skype, and/or Facebook. The claim is that this happens entirely automatically and your network key will eventually be spread to everyone across the world.
The truth is, you have to actively choose which services you want to share network keys on, and you have to actively select a network and click a "Share" button for it to happen. If someone then connects to the network you shared, they won't be able to share it further.
If you don't want your network key shared, just tell your friends to not click Share. FAQ
Predictive loading/search suggestions in Edge: Like every other browser (particularly Chrome), Edge has some features to pre-cache pages before you visit them, show suggested search terms, and more. Some of the settings' descriptions could be misunderstood out of context. You can turn off the predictive features if you don't like it. FAQ
Forced anti-malware: Yes, Windows 10 forces Windows Defender to be enabled if you aren't running any other antivirus software. If you don't like Windows Defender, install some other AV on your system.
Telemetry: Collecting some basic usage statistics, like how often you launch applications from desktop shortcuts versus task bar pinned icons versus Start menu search, has been common for a good while. If you really don't like it, the Basic settings will basically only report what sort of hardware you use (already done by activation) and send basic crash reports.
None of this is used for generating advertising or otherwise identifying anyone, but only for statistics to direct bug fixing and feature improvement to the most important areas. FAQ
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