Do I want to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10?

[RatOnnaStick]

Its popped up on my laptop today. Better to ignore it or do it?

I'd say a lot depends on what you use your laptop for, and how regular you are at backing up your data, whether you use any 'special' software or hardware (which might need a driver to run on Win 10, and might not yet be available)...

I knew that people could "opt in" to upgrade and that the update would be released in phases (probably so the Microsoft server farm won't go into meltdown), but didn't know anyone would get this update option "out of the blue" - unless they've decided that Windows 7 users are in most need of getting updated to an OS they will support, whereas support for Win 7 is either going or gone (except perhaps for big enterprises paying a large fee).

I'd say - if you have all your data and applications, then probably worth giving it a go, and as Windows 10 is due out at the end of July, there's a good chance there will be fewer problems with upgrading now, than if you'd been testing a really early test version months and months ago.

Hurrah! I was hoping you'd be around NetworkGuy

I use it for browsing the internet, uni coursework and some photo storage, increasingly that is being saved somewhere online. I have no special hardware or software. I am not generally one to have the latest or best or fastest or whatever. Indeed, this laptop is being held together by sellotape as it is.

I just noticed a little windows icon this morning on my taskbar which says Get Windows 10 when I hover over it so I guess if I click it I can download it. I know zero about windows 10 so I have no clue whether I will recognise anything once it downloads or if I might as well just hang on to Windows 7 until I get a new computer sometime in the next decade

I would, of course, back up everything before I start.

Of course, the other possibility is that it is some MALWARE purporting to be Microsoft offering this update - it would get a lot of possible users... so do a check

Trend Micro www.trendmicro.co.uk (I think) has a (free) download called HouseCall (rather like a doctor, coming to check for a virus)... Be sure you are safe before upgrading. Please. So sorry I didn't think of it 20 minutes ago !

Here's the article I read yesterday about "Reserve a copy of Windows 10": *>
LINK

All the drivers will be backwards compatible in the new windows10 and I would expect windows 8.1 drivers will work with windows 10 - it's what Ms have done in previous so releases. Support for windows 7 will continue until July 2020, yes you may need to pay for support but it's still available, vulnerability updates will be released until 2020 too.

I would go for the upgrade to windows 10, the beta is actually quite stable and works fine, I've not had any real issues with it.

Thanks both of you. I'm off to download Housecall now. Nice to know windows 10 seems ok.

I have a "get windows 10" icon in my icon tray and have windows 8.

Microsoft are currently allowing you to reserve a copy of windows 10 if you're eligible for the free upgrade hence the pop ups it just means come July 29th your pc will automatically download Windows 10 and then probably bug you every 5 minutes to install.

news.softpedia.com/news/windows-7-and-8-users-can-reserve-their-free-windows-10-upgrade-482870.shtml

The CNET link also gives an explanation about reserving (and even cancelling) that 'free upgrade'

I don't have Windows Update on by default (and anyway, while I have several Windows laptops, I'm primarily using iMac systems and linux at present), so don't know if everyone is getting that "invitation" to upgrade, and it struck me that if something caused a pop-up, it could have been to install malware, even if the examples above are completely legit.

Thanks LD for the info about support for Win 7. I've not been upgrading (or even frequently using) Windows for the past 30 months or so since coming out of hospital...