What you need to do to upgrade to Windows 10 today

Windows 10 is available now and it’s a simple and free upgrade for customers running Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 who want to enjoy the new features of the latest operating system.

Microsoft says this update is so big and packed with so many capabilities it had to skip from Windows 8 all the way up to Windows 10.

That’s why there is no Windows 9 in case you were wondering.

So what do you need to do to upgrade to Windows 10?

IS YOUR COMPUTER COMPATIBLE

First check to see if your computer is suitable for the upgrade. If you’re already running Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 you’re good to go because Windows 10 has the same requirements.

The minimum specs are: 1Ghz processor, 1GB RAM for 32-bit and 2GB for 64-bit computers, DirectX 9 graphics processor or later with WDDM 1.0 driver.

IS THERE A WINDOWS 10 ICON IN YOUR TASKBAR

If you’re computer is compatible and up to date you should see a Get Windows 10 icon in the taskbar. This will allow users to sign up for the download with an email address.

If you haven’t reserved your place with Windows 10 before today you may have to wait for the upgrade. How long that wait is will be determined by Microsoft.

Microsoft obviously wants this rollout to go as smoothly as possible and want the product to be bug free. That’s why it ran the Windows 10 Insider program to allow customers to help them iron out any issues before today’s official release.

If you can’t see the Get Windows 10 icon in your taskbar it means your computer is not up to date. Run your updates (you might have Updates turned off) and the icon should then appear.

WHEN WILL I KNOW WHEN I’M UPGRADING TO WINDOWS 10

When you’re ready to go you’ll receive an update notification when you’re Windows 10 upgrade is ready.

Then you can schedule the install for a time that suitable for you.

For the actual installation you’ll be steered through some steps. All you need to do is hit Next a few times and it will take care of itself.

The whole process should take between 20 minutes to an hour before it is completed.

BACKUP YOUR SYSTEM BEFORE UPGRADING

It’s a good rule of thumb to always back up your computer on a regular basis especially before attempting to upgrade your operating system.

Windows 10 is no exception so be sure to a back up of your computer in its current operating system before upgrading.