-
To upgrade Windows 7 to 10, download the
“Media Creation Tool”
and launch the setup, choose
“Upgrade this PC now”
to upgrade to Windows 10, select the
“Keep personal files and apps”
option, and click
“Install.”
- You should also create a full backup before proceeding as part of the process.
UPDATED 6/6/2024:
Using the in-place upgrade option, you can upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 10 without losing your files and erasing everything on the hard drive. You can quickly perform this task with the Microsoft Media Creation Tool, available for Windows 7 and 8.1.
However, before proceeding with these instructions, you must confirm the hardware is compatible, purchase a Windows 10 license, and create a backup to roll back if something goes wrong. In addition, as a prerequisite, the
“Windows 7 Service Pack 1”
has to be already installed on the device.
Although it’s not a requirement, it’s a good idea to uninstall any security software (such as antivirus, security tools, and old third-party programs) that may conflict with the upgrade to
Windows 10
. Furthermore, it’s recommended to disconnect any hardware connected to the computer to avoid compatibility problems, including printers, phones, cameras, external hard drives, and other USB peripherals.
In this
guide
, I will teach you how to upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7, ensuring you do not encounter issues during the installation. You can also upgrade using a
clean installation
of the operating system.
-
Upgrade requirements
-
Create backup before upgrade
-
Upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10
Upgrade requirements
If you want to upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7, the computer must meet the minimum system requirements:
-
Processor:
1GHz or faster CPU or System on a Chip (SoC). -
RAM:
1GB requirement for 32-bit or 2GB for 64-bit. -
Hard drive:
32GB clean install or new PC (16 GB for 32-bit or 20 GB for 64-bit existing installation). -
Graphics:
DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver. -
Display resolution:
800×600 minimum requirement. -
Networking:
Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter.
You will also need to have the latest version of the operating system, in this case, “Windows 7 Service Pack 1.” If you do not have this update installed,
download it here
. Once you download the package, you only have to double-click the file to begin the installation.
You can confirm the version of Windows by opening the
Run
command using the
“Windows key + R”
keyboard shortcut, typing
“winver,”
and clicking the
“OK”
button.
Microsoft has
closed the loophole
to activate Windows 10 with a Windows 7 product key. As a result, you will have to provide a Windows 10 product key to activate the new installation. In addition, the company no longer provides licenses for Windows 10. If you need an activation key, you may be able to buy them from a third-party website like Amazon, or you could also try using a
Windows 11
key.
Windows 7 support officially ended on January 14, 2020. The
January 10, 2023 date
marks the end of the Extended Security Updates (ESU) available through specific volume licensing programs for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Professional for Embedded Systems editions of this product. If you plan to upgrade to Windows 10, remember that this version will have
support until October 14, 2025
.
You should consider
upgrading to Windows 11
if the hardware supports it. However,
Microsoft has plans to offer
a paid subscription to extend the security updates (only) for up to three years after the official support of Windows 10 ends.
Create backup before upgrade
Although the upgrade process to Windows 10 is usually safe, there are always chances of problems, and to avoid any issues, you should make sure to have a full backup, which you can use to roll back if anything unexpected happens.
To create a full backup on Windows 7, connect an external hard drive and use these steps:
Open
Control Panel
.
Click on
System and Security
.
Click on
Backup and Restore
.
Click the
“Create a system image”
option from the left pane.
Select the
“On a hard disk”
option.
Click the
Next
button.
Click the
Start backup
button.
Click the
No
button to confirm you do not want to create a system repair disc. (You can also use the Windows 10 or 7 bootable media.)
Click the
Close
button.
Once you complete the steps, the backup files will be saved on the external storage, which you can use if something goes wrong during the upgrade.
In
addition to the system backup, you also want to create a backup of your files and web browser settings (favorites, passwords, and personal settings) to
OneDrive
or another cloud service or external drive if you need to restore them manually if the unexpected happens.
You can use my previous guide with the complete process to create a
backup and restore Windows 7 and files
.
Upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10
To upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10, use these steps:
Download
Media Creation Tool
.
Click the
Download now
button and save the installer on the computer.
Double-click the
MediaCreationTooxxxx.exe
file to launch the Windows 10 setup wizard.
Click the
Accept
button for the licensing agreement.
Select the
“Upgrade this PC now”
option to download the files and begin the upgrade to Windows 10.
Click the
Next
button.
Type a valid Windows 10 product key for the edition you are trying to upgrade. (The Windows 7 product key won’t work.)
Click the
Next
button.
Click the
Accept
button to agree to the licensing agreement again.
Select the
“Keep personal files and apps”
option.
Click the
Install
button to upgrade to Windows 10 from 7.
After the installation, you must go through the out-of-box experience (OOBE) to finish setting up Windows 10.
You can also watch my
YouTube video tutorial
to perform the upgrade:
Once on the desktop, you want to use
“Device Manager”
to check that every piece of hardware is installed correctly on your system, and then reinstall your preferred antivirus (if applicable) and any other software you uninstall before the upgrade.
Update June 6, 2024:
This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.