According to Microsoft, more than 350 million devices are now running some version of Windows 10. Do you have a compatible device that has not yet been upgraded? If so, why not? I do understand people have an aversion to change. But, as they say, the only constant in the technology industry is change!

You might want to investigate your options this month. The free upgrade period is coming to an end on 29 July 2016. That means if you have computer hardware that can take advantage of Windows 10, and want to do so, you will pay for the option to use it should you miss that deadline. More details here:

https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/06/29/windows-10-anniversary-update-available-august-2/#m7BzyZCIuf2M7SBv.99

You might already have an icon on the bottom right of your screen that looks like a white window pane. That is Microsoft letting you know that your device might be ready for the Windows 10 upgrade. Click on it and follow the prompts to start the process. If you have compatible hardware, the process should finish in a few hours. If there is something you need to do before the upgrade can proceed, you will be given instructions about resolving any issue(s). After the upgrade completes you have 30 days in which to try out the new operating system. Should it not be to your liking, you can revert to whatever operating system you were using before the process. No harm, no foul.

For consumers, should you not have that icon, you may have taken action to hide it, or have not applied updates to your computer. (The icon comes as a result of a Windows Update.) Do a Windows Update check from your control panel, and apply all the important and security updates. If the icon still does not appear, use this link to start the process:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Just click on the big ‘Upgrade now’ button.

As always, it is prudent to have a complete backup of your system before you make major changes. I suggest an image based backup, as opposed to a data only backup. Image backups are easy to create with Windows 7 or 8.1, and there really is no reason not to make one regularly, whether or not you are going to upgrade to Windows 10. Hard drives have been known to fail unexpectedly, be damaged by a virus; or the computer system itself can get stolen. Having a good backup that will allow you to recreate your system is a definite plus.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. I am happy to help!