Is Windows 10 Home Free

Windows 10 will come up in Abode and Pro editions. Which version will you get for costless? Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET

Microsoft is doling out Windows 10 as a gratuitous upgrade to users running Windows 7 or eight.ane. But the edition of Windows ten that yous receive will depend on which edition of Windows you're running now.

Microsoft is counting heavily on Windows x to erase the bad retention of Windows 8. Equally such, the visitor has made the unprecedented move of offering it as a free upgrade for the offset twelvemonth in hopes of drawing in as many users as possible. Windows x too provides a more unified environs amongst PCs and mobile devices, and then Microsoft is hoping the new Bone will trigger greater demand for Windows PCs, tablets and mobile phones.

Windows x will exist available in Domicile and Professional editions, equally well as an Enterprise version for big businesses. And then which edition of Windows x will you get every bit part of your gratuitous upgrade? A reader asked me this question the other day, so I thought information technology'd be worth a wait.

On its Windows 10 Q&A folio, Microsoft tried to address many of the common questions nearly Windows ten and the free upgrade. One section in item called "What edition of Windows volition I get as part of this complimentary upgrade?" responds to that very question. Microsoft'southward Windows 10 Specifications page also answers this question. But basically, the edition yous receive will exist comparable to the edition you already run.

Windows 7

Those of you who currently run Windows 7 Starter, Windows vii Dwelling house Bones or Windows 7 Home Premium will be upgraded to Windows 10 Dwelling house.
Those of you running Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Ultimate will be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro.

Windows 8.1

Those of you running Windows eight.1 (the standard edition) volition receive Windows ten Home. And those of you running Windows 8.i Pro or Windows viii.1 Pro for Students will receive Windows ten Pro.
On the mobile phone side, if you're running Windows Telephone eight.1, yous'll get Windows 10 Mobile as your free upgrade.

So what are the differences between Windows 10 Habitation and Windows 10 Pro?

A Microsoft blog post from May 13 described each edition. Windows 10 Home is the "consumer-focused" desktop edition aimed at PCs, tablets and 2-in-1 devices. Windows 10 Pro is also geared for PCs, tablets and ii-in-1 devices but throws in extra features for small businesses, such as the ability to manage your users' devices and use the remote desktop tool to log onto and control another PC.

There are some caveats and atmospheric condition with the free upgrade.

At present playing: Watch this: Windows ten to toll $119 subsequently July 29

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If you're using Windows vii, you lot must exist running Service Pack 1 in order to receive the free upgrade. Windows 7 Service Pack 1, or SP1, has been available equally an update since 2011, so you should already take it installed. To check, click the Start button in Windows 7, right-click the setting for Computer. Click Backdrop from the popup menu. The screen to View basic data nearly your computer should list Service Pack ane. If non, you tin can download it directly from Microsoft's Download Heart.

If you're notwithstanding running Windows 8.0, you lot'll have to upgrade to Windows 8.1 to get Windows 10 for complimentary. To check this, open the Apps screen, scroll or swipe to the correct of the screen until you see a tile for "This PC." Right-click that tile and click Backdrop from the popup menu. The screen to View basic data nigh your computer should list Windows 8.1. If non, you can upgrade to eight.i past launching the Windows Shop app where the 8.1 update should still be waiting for you.

Some Windows editions are not eligible for the free Windows 10 upgrade. These include Windows RT/RT 8.1, Windows 7 Enterprise and Windows 8/viii.1 Enterprise. The Enterprise editions are geared toward large organizations, which typically have their ain licensing agreements with Microsoft.

Windows 10 volition be available as a costless upgrade starting July 29. But that complimentary upgrade is expert only for one yr every bit of that date. Once that first twelvemonth is over, a copy of Windows 10 Abode will run you $119, while Windows 10 Pro volition price $199. And for those who want to upgrade from the Home edition to the Pro edition, a Windows 10 Pro Pack will cost $99.

Microsoft has already been pushing the new Bone to Windows 7 and eight.ane users through a Get Windows 10 system tray icon that prompts yous to reserve your gratuitous copy of Windows 10 and so it's automatically downloaded come launch date. You don't have to reserve your copy now but if you lot desire Windows 10 for free, just call up to download and install information technology before that commencement year is upwards.