Most here have probably already taken care of this - one way or another. However, I’m also thinking that at least some (a) are not aware or (b) have, for whatever reason, NOT upgraded to Windows 10 yet. This is important because in 2 weeks, (Jan 14, 2020), Microsoft will cease support of Windows 7. Of course, if you are on a Mac, or have already upgraded, this news is moot to you.
I was among the stragglers, but I recently found out that I could still upgrade to Windows 10 for FREE - and I did so 2 days ago without any hiccups. Simply as a “public service” to those here who have not yet upgraded, I’m providing some links for you to look at and then do whatever you want. Just so we’re clear, this is NOT something I am making anything from. You can probably use google and find some other similar articles if you prefer.
If you are still running Windows 7, you should have a Product Key saved in your computer from when it was originally installed - either by you or the manufacturer. You should be able to find it by using Produkey - which you can download here.
Once you have that information, just follow the instructions in these two articles (pretty much say the same thing), and - hopefully - you will have clear sailing, as I did. OF course, you will want to back up any important personal files (documents, pictures, songs, video, etc.) to some external source (thumb drive, portable hard drive, the cloud) BEFORE you upgrade, “just in case”. But the upgrade should take you from Windows 7 to Windows 10 and leave those file intact (did for me). Still - never a bad idea to have a back-up in case you ever need one.
Note that, depending on your computer specs and internet connection, the upgrade will probably take 1 to 3 hours in total. Most of this will happen without the need for “operator intervention” (i.e., it will process without you having to sit by it all of the time - just check in every 10-15 minutes to make sure it’s not waiting for you to hit “enter” about something).
Good luck, and Happy New Year!
