Is Windows 10 still on my hard drive?
QJust before last year’s deadline for the free Windows 10 upgrade, I installed it. However, after experiencing problems I decided it wasn’t for me and took advantage of the option to revert to Windows 7. I understand that Microsoft has since overcome the early problems in Windows 10 and I have renewed interest in updating. So, is Windows 10 still on my computer somewhere, or would it have been deleted? If so, how do I restore it now? Bernard Collins
ARemnants of your Windows 10 adventure might exist on your PC’S hard drive, in a folder called ‘Windows.old’, but the contents to resurrect Windows 10 aren’t there. Microsoft’s free upgrade offer was a time-limited deal that expired on 29th July 2016: if you hadn’t upgraded (and stuck with it) by then, you missed your chance.
However, Microsoft still has a free-upgrade option for those who use its ‘assistive technologies’, such as screen readers and magnifiers. You’re asked to confirm this, but the only authentication is a button click. We expect Microsoft will one day close this loophole but it’s still open at the time of writing.
So, if you are happy to agree that you use assistive technologies, visit www.snipca.com/25285, click the Upgrade Now button to download the Windows 10 Update Assistant and then just double-click the downloaded file to begin the upgrade to Windows 10.