How to Upgrade to Windows 10 for Free Without Waiting

Microsoft has finally launched the much-anticipated Windows 10 operating system for consumers, and free upgrades for Windows 7/8/8.1 users have begun to be rolled out in 190 countries. The company has opened a pre-order system, and users who pre-ordered the upgrade will receive it through Windows Update starting Wednesday. However, there may be a way to force the upgrade to download.

For those who don’t want to wait, a way to manually force an update to Windows 10 on PCs, laptops, and eligible tablets is now circulating the web.

(See also: How to upgrade, download and install Windows 10)

A Reddit forum post (via VentureBeat ) first highlights that the six-step process is available for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1 Update (Windows 8 users will need to upgrade to Windows 8.1 Update to be eligible to upgrade) users and does not require any high technical skills. The steps are as follows:

• Navigate to the “C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download” folder (you may need to replace C drive letter (same as the drive where Windows is installed) and delete all files.

(See also: Eight reasons why you should upgrade to Windows 10

• Press the Windows key to open search and type “Windows Update” which will open Windows Update. Users can also navigate to specific settings from the system’s control panel.

• Press the Windows key again to open the search bar and type “cmd”. This will give a drop down list command prompt and other related options. Don’t choose command prompt option, instead select Run as administrator by right-clicking on the option.

(See also: Five ways Windows 10 solves its predecessor’s annoyances)

• once Administrator: Command Prompt Once the box opens, type “wuauclt.exe /updatenow” but do not press Enter.

• Return to the Windows Update menu that you opened earlier and click Check for updates The options are on the right side of the screen. Once clicked, Windows Update should display “Checking for updates…”

(See also: Windows 10 is a free upgrade, but new users will have to pay up to $199)

• At the same time, return to the Command Prompt box and press Enter on the command you typed earlier. You will then see Windows Update saying that Windows 10 is downloading.

Note that the update size is approximately 6GB, so users will need to check their data caps before downloading. Before installing updates, it is recommended to back up all important files and folders that already exist on your system.