- How To Install Windows 10 Free On Windows 7
- How To Install Windows 10 Free On Windows 7 Laptop
- Download Windows 10 Free
Back when Windows 10 was first released, Microsoft allowed users of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 to upgrade to Windows 10 for free. Microsoft officially ended the free upgrade offer in December 2017. If you already have a Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 a software/product key, you can upgrade to Windows 10 for free. You activate it by using the key from one of those older OSes.But note that you can only.
Windows 7 is definitely the most famous OS in the World right now, so it’s not a surprise if people want to get their hands on it. There can be many reasons why you may wish to download a Windows 7 copy for free (legally). May be you lost the DVD that came with your PC or damaged it, and now you don’t want to spend money on a new copy (it’s not that cheap either).
You can easily download Windows 7 ISO image for free and legally right from the Microsoft website. However, you will need to provide the Product key of the Windows that came with your PC or your purchased.
If you are looking to get Windows 7 and its Product key for FREE, then we are sorry to say, it is impossible to get it Legally. Although, we do have a tiny trick that should help fulfill your appetite temporarily (will discuss later in the article).
Advertising
Method #1: Download Windows 7 Legally from Microsoft Software Recovery
You can find Windows 7 for free everywhere on the internet and it can be downloaded without any hassle or special requirements. However, these sources are completely illegal and not reliable. There can be many issues with these copies of Windows 7, they might even have malware built right inside!
When you purchase Windows, you don’t actually pay for the Windows itself. You are actually paying for the Product Key which is used to activate the Windows. If you don’t activate your copy of Windows then after the trial period it will not work properly, making it almost impossible to benefit from it. This is why Microsoft doesn’t mind people downloading its Windows 7 operating system for free, as it is almost useless after the trial period without the product key.
So, if you still have the product key, then downloading Windows 7 for free is not really an issue. You can download your Windows 7 ISO image from the Microsoft Software Recovery site by providing your valid product key.
Just visit the Microsoft Software Recovery website and follow three simple instructions to download the Windows 7 ISO image. You will have to provide the Product key that came with your original Windows 7. If you have lost your Product key, then don’t worry, there are still many ways to recover it.
Once the ISO image is downloaded, you will need to burn it to an external drive, such as CD, DVD or USB drive. You will also require an ISO Burning software to burn the ISO image to an external drive.
Here is a Video as well, showing how you can Burn a ISO image to a DVD:
Now, you can just use the external drive on which you burned the ISO image and boot your PC with it to install Windows 7.
Get a Replacement Disc
If for some reason the above mentioned method didn’t work for you, then you can also get a replacement disc (in most cases for Free). This is another legal way of getting your hands on Windows 7, but it might not be as simple as the above process.
If your Windows 7 came with your PC, then you will have to contact the Manufacturer of your PC to send the replacement disc. They might charge a tiny fee for the replacement, but it is definitely worth it instead of getting into illegal methods or buying a new one.
If you bought Windows 7 separately, then you will have to contact Microsoft Supplemental Parts team to get the replacement disc. The customer representative will let you know if there are any fees or charges in the process of replacement.
Extend the Free Trial for 360 days
If you have never purchased Windows 7 and are looking to get your hands on Windows 7 and its product key for free and legally, then you can’t do that. However, as we promised above, we do know a trick that should help you use Windows 7 for almost a year without paying a penny.
How To Install Windows 10 Free On Windows 7
When you install Windows 7 by any means, you are prompted to provide a valid product key to activate the Windows. But you also have the option to skip the prompt and access Windows 7 30 day Trial version.
The trial version will come with all the features, but when it will expire your Windows will not work properly (although it will still turn on). However, there is a way to extend the trial period by 30 more days using slmgr -rearm command, which has been added by Microsoft to extend the trial period. You can use the slmgr -rearm command up to 3 times, which means you effectively get total 120 days out of your Windows 7 trial.
Now, you can also make another tweak that will let you use the slmgr -rearm command up to 8 times. This means you get to use Windows 7 Trial for up to 240 more days and 240+120 = 360 days, that is almost a year. If you are okay with using slmgr -rearm command after every 30 days, then you can easily use Windows 7 for free with all the features for almost a year.
Unfortunately, Microsoft doesn’t offer a Windows 7 trial anymore, so you will have to get Windows 7 by any other mean, such as from a friend’s DVD.
How to Use slmgr -rearm Command
Just press Windows+R buttons to open “Run”, you can also open it from the Start menu. In the “Run” window type “cmd” and click on “OK”.
This will open “Command Prompt”, just type slmgr -rearm or copy paste it in the Command Prompt (Ctrl+V shortcut for “Paste” will not work in Command prompt, you will have to right click and select “Paste” from the context menu).
Acrobat reader dc installer free. Now press enter and after a short delay you will be prompted to restart your computer (nothing will happen during the delay, so don’t be disappointed). Once restarted the trial period will reset to 30 days.
Note: To take full advantage, make sure you go through the process when there is only 1 day left before the trial expires. If you do it before, the trial period will reset and you will not receive the remaining days of previous 30 day trial period.
Use slmgr -rearm Command up to 8 times
For this Trick, you will have to tweak the Windows registry. Press Windows+R button to open “Run” just like we did above. This time type “regedit” in the blank field and click on “OK”.
This will open Windows Registry Editor, in there you will have to reach this directory:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows NT > CurrentVersion > SoftwareProtectionPlatform
In “SoftwareProtectionPlatform”, you will see an option of “SkipRearm”, double click on it.
Another window will pop up where the value will be set to “0”. Set it to “1” and hit “OK”.
Now, you will be able to use the slmgr -rearm command for up to 8 times.
Note: Use this trick when you have used all the three attempts of slmgr -rearm command i.e. used Windows 7 trial for 120 days.
If you have any questions or would like to add more information, let us know in the comments below.
Filed in . Read more about Download, Free and Windows.
Updated, July 31 @ 15:55 BST (10:55 EDT): This story has been updated with a few more details, and some other (quicker) ways of achieving an almost-clean installation of Windows 10.
Original story
Windows 10 is an unusual release for Microsoft: if you have a licensed version of Windows 7 or 8/8.1, it will very easily upgrade to Windows 10—you don't even need to enter a licence key. Clean installations, however, are a bit trickier: you do need to enter a licence key, and your Windows 7/8 key probably won't work.
Fortunately, if you're running Windows 7 or 8, and you really want to use your free Windows 10 licence key to perform a clean installation rather than upgrade, there is a solution. It's pretty convoluted, but it works.
First, you need to do an in-place upgrade to Windows 10. Install sims 3 expansion packs free. You can do this via Windows Update, or if Windows Update isn't playing ball you can use the direct download tool: English/American/German/French/Italian/Dutch. If you use the download tool, make sure you select 'Upgrade this PC now.' It goes without saying that, before you install any new operating system, you should back up any important data beforehand.
Once the upgrade has completed, make sure you've been activated by Microsoft. Open up the new Settings app, then head to Update & Security, Activation. It will say on the right whether you're activated or not (see image). Also note down what version of Windows 10 you have (Home, Pro).
Advertisement If you haven't yet been activated, you can try forcing it via command prompt: run
cmd.exe
as an administrator, then type slmgr.vbs /ato
. You may need to try a few times, as the activation servers were being hit quite hard.This first step will convert your current Windows 7/8 key into a Windows 10 key.
Now you need to install Windows 10 again! Grab the Windows 10 download tool and run it. This time, select 'Create installation media for another PC.' Select the appropriate version (Home, Pro) and the tool will generate an ISO for you. Let the tool help you burn the ISO to a DVD or USB memory stick.
Now, proceed with a clean installation of Windows 10 (select 'Custom: Install Windows only' when prompted.) When it asks you for a product key, click Skip. If it asks you multiple times, just keep hitting Skip.
Once you've installed Windows 10, it should activate normally. Again, you might need to manually slam the servers using
slmgr.vbs /ato
. Voilà: a clean installation of Windows 10.In theory, you should be able to reinstall Windows 10 again in the future on the same PC, but if you make significant hardware changes you might need to use the manual telephone activation process. Currently, it isn't clear if you can take your freebie Windows 10 licence key and use it to install Windows 10 on another machine. Some users are reporting that ProduKey, Magic Jelly Bean, and other key-viewing tools have enabled them to get a new Windows 10 licence key that can be used on another machine, but some users are just getting a generic licence key that isn't transferable. Your mileage may vary.
How To Install Windows 10 Free On Windows 7 Laptop
AdvertisementCaveats and other gotchas
Obviously, it's crazy that you have to go through a full OS installation just to upgrade a licence key. It would be a lot easier and faster if Microsoft provided some kind of tool that converted Windows 7/8 keys to Windows 10.
If you bought a retail copy of Windows 10, this guide doesn't apply to you at all: you'll have a Windows 10 licence key that can be used directly during the installation process.
Another option, rather than installing Windows 10 twice, is to click the small 'change what to keep' button during installation, and then select 'nothing' from the following screen. This will delete all of your files, apps, and settings. This will be functionally the same as performing a clean installation, but there may be small underlying differences.
Download Windows 10 Free
Another method is to upgrade to Windows 10, head into the new Settings app, and go to 'Update and recovery.' From there, you can click 'Reset this PC,' which gives you the option of reinstalling Windows 10 and either a) keeping your apps and files, or b) wiping everything clean. Again, this isn't quite the same as a clean installation, but it's very similar.
If you do opt for the upgrade-then-install method, one slightly faster route is to download and burn an ISO the first time you run the tool, and then upgrade from that ISO. You can then use the same installation media to do a clean installation, rather than downloading Windows 10 again using the tool.
If you get the following error when trying to activate Windows 10, don't panic: 'Error code: 0xC004C003. Activation server determined that the key has been blocked.' Some users are reporting that they are seeing that error, even with a legitimate key, perhaps due to the activation servers being overloaded. Of course, if you're not actually using a legitimate licence key, then.. well.. do panic.