Upgrading from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10

Apparently 8.1 will stop getting security updates by next January so thinking about upgrading my laptop to W10 (too old for W11). The other option is to get a new W11 laptop but I thought I would try the cost-free option first.

Thing is, I have been all round the houses on the Microsoft web site and cannot find out how to get the W10 upgrade, Anyone able to point me in the right direction.

Thinking about it the one function I still need the laptop for that that I cannot do on my phone or tablet is use get_iplayer which is why I am hesitant about spending hundreds just for that though I find the larger screen and physical keyboard a lot easier for general email and browsing etc. apart from keeping my lap warm in these colder months.

Edited by gomezz (Sun 20-Nov-22 14:34:37)

https://www.zdnet.com/article/heres-how-you-can-stil... may help.

It was the first result from three pages worth of answers when I googled for "windows 8 to windows 10 free upgrade".

Download Media creation tool.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-i...

To upgrade from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10, open Media Creation Tool, select “Upgrade this PC now,” and click Install. Yes, you can still upgrade for free since the Windows 8.1 product key will activate Windows 10. Although files and apps will be preserved, you still want to create a backup of your computer.

https://pureinfotech.com/upgrade-to-windows-10-from-...

In reply to a post by zaggie:

Download Media creation tool.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-i...

To upgrade from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10, open Media Creation Tool, select “Upgrade this PC now,” and click Install. Yes, you can still upgrade for free since the Windows 8.1 product key will activate Windows 10. Although files and apps will be preserved, you still want to create a backup of your computer.

https://pureinfotech.com/upgrade-to-windows-10-from-...

Yep, this is the best way,

Thanks for the answers to show me the way.

Got an external hard drive to backup my previous laptop before I decided to get this current one instead. Just got to find the USB data lead that fits it as it is USB3 which was a short-lived format as I understand it.

Prior task is to swap in the new AV subwoofer I picked up today as the old one seems to have blown its cone and is rumbling in discontent at anything above the lowest of volumes. I wonder if that was a result of upgrading to a new AV receiver earlier this year which is a bit haphazard in its volume levels when switching between sources?

In reply to a post by gomezz:

Just got to find the USB data lead that fits it as it is USB3 which was a short-lived format

USB3 is a protocol, but in terms of connector perhaps you mean the extended USB3_Micro_B connector?
https://luckyretail.com/Uploadfile/201812112/191438/...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_hardware#Host_and_...

Edited by jchamier (Mon 21-Nov-22 14:29:40)

That is possibly the fellah.

In reply to a post by gomezz:

Thanks for the answers to show me the way.

Got an external hard drive to backup my previous laptop before I decided to get this current one instead. Just got to find the USB data lead that fits it as it is USB3 which was a short-lived format as I understand it.

Prior task is to swap in the new AV subwoofer I picked up today as the old one seems to have blown its cone and is rumbling in discontent at anything above the lowest of volumes. I wonder if that was a result of upgrading to a new AV receiver earlier this year which is a bit haphazard in its volume levels when switching between sources?

Oh yeah, always make a backup, use Macrium reflect to make a image.
As been said above, USB 3 is a protocol and there are different connections. I got an external hard drive about 3 months ago, and it had the extended version as you call it.Granted some are now going for USB C.

I have to get some new speakers for this computer, my old 30 year old hi-fi I have used for the last 10 years have gone belly up, it turns itself off after about 10 minutes and won't turn back on untill it is unplugged and left alone for 30 mins or so.
I am using some old speakers that I used years ago thatlooks like this, What sounded ok then, sounds awful now. using them while playing Left for Dead, make me realise why I started to use the old hi-fi all those years ago.

i spent too much money this week, got myself a now Logitech Mini MX key keyboard, it was cheap, well cheaper, then I got a couple of hue dimmer switches and another Switch bot, bot. i still need to look at a Dell wyse.

Oh well, it is only money

If I am not too late and if you have a few bob to spare, while you are putting a new copy of windows on the laptop why not change the hard disk to a SSD one. I did this recently and it made a huge difference to the speed of the machine, particularly at boot time. It cost me about £70 for a 1 TB disk.

I actually have a USB disk docking station as well so was able to transfer all the files I wanted after upgrading the disk. Re-installing all the software was a bit of a pain though.

In reply to a post by philippercival:

If I am not too late and if you have a few bob to spare, while you are putting a new copy of windows on the laptop why not change the hard disk to a SSD one.

More of an improvement with Win10 than you'll see with Win8 or Win7, as Win10 and later don't expect to be on a mechanical disk.

I would clone the existing OS to the SSD, and then upgrade.