Everything You Need to Know About Windows 10

Since Windows 10 for PCs launched on July 29, 2015, adoption has been going at a pretty good clip. August set the one-month record for new users for any operating system. The fact that Windows 10 is a free upgrade for many users may account for much of the adoption. It is also a very good version of Windows by most accounts.

More than 90 percent of laptop and desktop PCs are running some version of Windows. If you're part of that 90 percent, here is a roundup of resources to help you learn about, install, and use Windows 10.

To Upgrade or Not To Upgrade — That Is the (First) Question

TechAnger's 7 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade to Windows 10 or CNET's Here's Why You Should Upgrade to Windows 10 present the oft-cited reasons to upgrade to Windows 10. Computerworld offers a differing perspective on upgrading.

If you think you want to upgrade, be sure to check whether your PCs can run Windows 10. The minimum system requirements for Windows 10 are very similar to Windows 7 (very modest indeed):

• Processor: 1 GHz or faster
• RAM: 1 GB (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)
• Free hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
• Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver
• A Microsoft account and Internet access

See the full system requirements on Microsoft's Windows 10 Specifications page.

How to Get Windows 10

TechSoup's blog post on getting Windows 10 has a comprehensive summary of Windows 10 upgrade options for nonprofits, including how to upgrade Starter, Home, Standard, Pro, and Enterprise version of Windows.

Also, if you have devices running authentic Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, you may well have a "Get Windows 10 App" notification icon in your taskbar and a notification in Windows Update. Clicking on this app checks to make sure your device and applications are compatible and begins the free upgrade to Windows 10.

If you don't have the Get Windows 10 App notification, the Microsoft community has a good discussion on what to do about it.

TechSoup's Windows 10 article covers new features of Windows 10 Enterprise, which is not available through any of Microsoft's free upgrade offers, but is available through TechSoup.

If you don't have an operating system that is eligible for an upgrade license, you might be eligible to request a Windows Pro full operating system through TechSoup.

How to Install Windows 10

For installation advice, Microsoft Citizenship's how to upgrade to Windows 10 for nonprofits is a great place to start.

How-To-Geek's How to Install Windows 10 on Your PC is a step-by-step written tutorial on upgrading from a previous version of Windows. The tutorial goes from downloading the ISO file to doing the installation steps, with good screenshots of the process.

How-To-Geek also explains How to Clean Install Windows 10 for those who prefer to not upgrade from a previously installed version of Windows but rather to get an entirely fresh version of the operating system.

Looking to revert to an earlier version? How-To-Geek and a discussion in our forums take you through the process.

Learn to Use New Windows 10 Features

The Windows 10 beginners guide video tutorial is a 38-minute plain language video tutorial that covers how to use the primary new features of Windows 10, including

• the Windows 10 start menu
• System settings
• Universal apps
• Taskbar
• Cortana digital assistant
• Task view (multiple desktops)
• File explorer
• Notification area
• Action center
• Show desktop
• Snap assist

Learn Windows 10 New Features, Tips, and Tricks by LearnIT! Training is another comprehensive video tutorial on how to use the primary new features of Windows 10.

Microsoft’s Windows 10 also has several privacy settings that are enabled by default. Learn about the default settings and how to manage your privacy settings.

Still Have Questions?

Microsoft's Windows 10 Q&A is the place to go first.

BGR also has a useful article on troubleshooting common Windows 10 issues.

Check out TechSoup's forum discussion on Windows 10 — just sign in and ask questions or share your experience.

Image by Microsoft

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