The previous version was version 1903, which was released on May 21, 2019. That version was released to the general public on November 12, 2019.
This major update succeeds version 1909 (also known as the Windows 10 November 2019 Update). Microsoft made Windows 10 version 2004 (also known as the Windows Update) available to the Release Preview ring of the Windows Insider Program on April 16, 2020, and plans to begin making it widely available to consumers via Windows Update at the end of May. What's the most recent Windows 10 version? A free 90-day trial edition is also available from the Microsoft Evaluation Center. Windows 10 Enterprise editions are available through the Volume Licensing Service Center. This free download allows you to create a bootable USB flash drive directly. If you already have a Windows 10 product key or you are planning to reinstall Windows 10 on a machine that already has a digital license (more on that later), visit the Download Windows 10page and download the Media Creation Tool. Windows 10 tips: Setup and configuration: Don't settle for default settings | Performance and troubleshooting | Productivity | Networking and security Depending on how you purchase, you'll receive installation media (DVD or USB key) or a product key and instructions for downloading installation media. Prices from third-party sellers, including Amazon, are typically lower.
Windows 10 Home costs $120 from Microsoft, and Windows 10 Pro costs $200. If you've built a new PC or you're installing Windows 10 in a virtual machine on a Mac, you can purchase a license from third-party sellers or from Microsoft itself, via the Microsoft Store.
Where can I get installation files for Windows 10?
PCs that have a license to run Windows XP or Windows Vista are not eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10. For details, see "Here's how you can still get a free Windows 10 upgrade."Īs of late May 2020, readers have confirmed to me that this procedure still works. You'll need to download the installation files and run the Setup program from within Windows or use the Upgrade Assistant available from Microsoft's accessibility page. The good news is that you can still upgrade to Windows 10 on a device that has a license for Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. With the end of the free upgrade offer, the Get Windows 10 app is no longer available, and you cannot upgrade from an older Windows version using Windows Update. Is it still possible to upgrade a PC to Windows 10 from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1?įor the first year after the release of Windows 10, Microsoft offered free upgrades using the Get Windows 10 app, which appeared in the taskbar as a notification icon and in Windows Update. This article, updated to reflect Windows 10 version 2004 (aka May 2020 Update), covers the most common scenarios you're likely to encounter when installing, reinstalling, and activating Windows 10. Here's how you can still get a free Windows 10 upgrade
Microsoft enters the final test phase for Windows 10 22H2 before it rolls out
You can use slmgr to install your key once you have it, and activate on line hopefully.How to recover deleted files in Windows 10 or 11 Suggest you get the OS installed and let it complain and update and see what you can do with the licensing once activation is its only issue. (Coincidence or could those updates have had an impact on older activation systems somehow? TBH I haven’t installed since then.) Though if you need to get Windows installed (for example to retrieve your BIOS key with wmic path SoftwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey) you can use a staging key (artile at bottom) to do that – Windows 8 keys will activate Windows 8.1 though you might actually need to phone Microsoft as a series of updates changed the way signing is handled – I had a battle to stay attentive long enough through the endless service announcements to get the right key to press to end up at the right place on Microsoft’s switchboard to activate Windows 7 last time. You might need to update Windows 8 a fair bit before it activates:
Mainly enterprise licensing has download rights, so starting with Windows 10 (probably your best option – have you tried that while you can, just to see?) and going backwards isn’t going to be cheap or easy either: If it never had Windows 8 perhaps consider trying Windows 10 before that option closes? Even re-using a key stripped from another machine could be problematic. Your prospect of a genuine license seem slim unless you can recover a key the system previously used and get Windows installed to a near condition it was when it was first activated. Sorry I don’t have the “recent” on this, but should it help.