Microsoft is offering a free upgrade to Windows 10, but it will be only available for a limited period. If reports are to be believed, the deadline for this free upgrade is 29^th July 2016. So if you really want to get the free Windows 10 upgrade, now is the time to do so.

Before running the Windows 10 free upgrade, it is important to ensure your device meets the minimum requirements for Windows 10. The minimum requirements are 1GHz processor, 1GB RAM for 32-bit and 2GB RAM for 64-bit Windows 10 OS, and 20 GB free hard drive space.

If you haven’t reserved your Windows 10 upgrade, here are few things you need to do.

1. Go to system tray and look for get Windows 10 icon.
2. Click on Windows icon
3. Click Reserve your free upgrade
4. Enter your email address to receive confirmation
5. You will now see a message that says your Windows 10 upgrade is reserved.

If you have already reserved your upgrade to Windows 10, you can skip the above steps and proceed to install Windows 10.

Sometimes, the upgrade files are automatically downloaded to your PC and you might get a message that says your upgrade is ready, and all you need to do is click the installer. The total time for Windows 10 upgrade depends on the configuration of your system. But it is generally anything between 20-60 minutes.

If you want to go ahead with upgrading to Windows 10, you can go to the link Windows 10 upgrade and click on Upgrade Now, and then click Run to initiate the process.

1. The Windows 10 upgrade app is launched, select Upgrade this PC now
2. Click Next
3. On the media creation tool page, select the proper version, language and right architecture
4. Click Next
5. The installer will begin the upgrade process and download the necessary Drivers and files. During the upgrading process, you need to agree to a license agreement, after which the installation process will begin.
6. In most cases, the upgrading process runs smoothly and once the upgrading process is finished, you will have brand new Windows 10 operating system running on your system.

Windows 10 is a huge improvement over its predecessors, but its installation process, much like that of the earlier versions, can be vulnerable to hardware errors and glitches.

We are going to take a look at some common problems that users have faced while upgrading to Windows 10 and also look at some solutions to these problems.

Note: A genuine license is an important element for Windows 10 free upgrade. To ensure you do not face problems during the free Windows 10 upgrade, ensure your Windows 8.1 license is activated and recognized as genuine.

Prompted for a product key during installation

If you are upgrading from a genuine Windows 7 or Windows 8 Operating System, there is nothing to worry about.  You can just click on Skip, Next, or Do it later when you encounter an error message. Chances are that the Windows 10 installer will recognize the error and not bother you again.

Installer hangs or reboots continuously

If you are experiencing this problem, the first thing you need to do is unplug all external devices such as portable drives, second monitor or any additional peripherals that are not needed. If you are using a Wi-Fi connection, try changing to a LAN cable connection and try again.

If the problem persists, ensure you are upgrading to a right version of Windows, that is, if you have a 32-bit Windows 8.1 system, you should upgrade to 32-bit Windows 10 and if you have a 64-bit Windows 8.1 system, to 64-bit Windows 10.

Error: “Something Happened 0x80070005-0x90002”

The 0x80070005 error is one of the classic errors thrown up by Windows installer and it means the setup file can’t work as it cannot find a file it needs. Here is a general solution to resolve the error

1. Disable all firewalls and Antivirus programs
2. Reset the Windows update process by going to KB 971058 and running the Fixit
3. Run the Windows 10 installer again
4. If that doesn’t work, follow the instructions given at KB 947821 to run DISM
5. Run the Windows 10 installer again

Activation problems

 If you are using Windows 10 (Version 1511 or higher), you might be able to use a Windows 7 or Windows 8 license key to activate Windows 10. Microsoft has mentioned on its website that some Windows 7/ Windows 8 keys might work for activation.  In most cases this solution seems to work.

To see the version of Windows 10 installed on your system

1. Click on Start button
2. Select Settings-> System-> About to see the version of Windows 10

Microsoft is still rolling out updates for Windows 10 to fix bugs and errors. If none of the solutions above work to resolve your issues, you may need to wait until Microsoft offers a fix or post a comment below to see if any other users can help!