The Windows 10 “Upgrade” – should I do it?

On the 29th July 2015 Microsoft released its new operating system, Windows 10

All new computers that are currently sold and run the Microsoft operating system will come with Windows 10

Microsoft would like everyone who uses Microsoft “Windows” operating systems (especially Windows 7 or 8) to upgrade their computer to the new Windows 10 operating system.

Windows 10 was a free upgrade for Windows 7 and Windows 8 users…but only until July 29 2016. If you hadn’t taken advantage of the free upgrade by then you will have to pay for Windows 10

For the full story look here:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/upgrade-to-windows-10-faq

Windows 10 shouldn’t be thought of as “just another upgrade”. More than that, it is a new operating system. Think carefully before you upgrade and do your research. It’s important that your decision is based on the way you use your PC now, and how that might be affected by the changes made for Windows 10.

If you are still using older versions of Windows then there will be a financial cost to upgrading. You will need to purchase Windows 10 as a DVD or download it onto a USB stick. The question is should you? What are the benefits? More importantly, what are the risks?

Most users will enjoy and benefit from the new features and functionality that Windows 10 has to offer but, take the time to consider your options before you take the plunge, and you’ll be less likely to regret your decision afterwards.

The windows 10 upgrade will remove most of the programs you have installed which aren’t compatible with Windows 10 upgrade including, depending upon the specific installation, your anti-virus program. These will need to be re-installed after the upgrade so you must have your software licence numbers to hand. Windows 10 will not delete your data but you should back up all of your data (Documents, Pictures, Videos etc.) before the upgrade as good practice anyway.

In short, here is my advice

1. Windows 10 is a good operating system, better than the previous Windows 8. It is a “modern” operating system and it runs best on modern computers with fast processors, good graphics capability and plenty of internal (RAM) memory – at least 8Gb. Check to see if your computer meets the minimum requirements
   https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/windows-10-specificationsIf you do decide to upgrade … Good Luck
   Note: After 29 July 2016 you will need to purchase Windows 10 upgrade
   
2. If your computer is 6 years old or more and/or if you are using Windows XP or Windows Vista, your computer is, more than likely, too old to upgrade to Windows 10. These two operating systems are end of life and no longer supported by Microsoft. More importantly, your computer may be on the edge of failing, hard disk drives may be at the end of their life. Better to buy, at the earliest opportunity, a new computer with Windows 10 installed . The average life of a PC is about 6 years.
3. If your computer is more than 3 years old, even if you are running Windows 7 or 8, then it is probably not worth the the hassle of upgrading. You can upgrade if you wish (but you have to purchase the upgrade) or carry on with what you have and when the time comes, certainly within the next 3 years, buy a new computer with Windows 10.
4. If you took advantage of the free upgrade offer from Microsoft (or your computer “accidentally ” upgraded itself!) then look forward to the “Brave New World”. Don’t try to go back to the previous operating system as you will not have a good experience. With Windows 10, you may find that some things may not work as previously but they may just need some program updates or minor “tweaks”. If your computer has some older peripheral equipment such as printers or scanners then the manufacturer may have made the decision that they will not support these peripherals in Windows 10. Call a computer technician if you run into major difficulty.