Yes, you can STILL get Windows 10 for FREE

This week I got an old HP Mini 210 from my granddaughter. It is a small portable PC with 1 GB of memory and a 256 GB hard drive.  It worked but hadn't been used in a few years.  It took a couple of hours but when it was done, Windows 10  ran very well.

Before I get to how to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 for free, I want to remind you to back up everything and make sure you have copies of the programs and product codes for the applications you use, like Microsoft Office.

Reserve at least 1 hour of your time to do this upgrade.  Or. you can start it and go out to Timmys and have a double double while it is doing the update - it will take a while.

OK, let's get started.  You can download the Media Creation Tools from this website:

Windows 10 Media Creation Tool

Select "Download Tool Now."

When you run it you will get this menu.

Select "Upgrade this PC now."

You will get the option to keep your files and programs.  If later you decide you don't want Windows 10, you will have the option to return to Windows 7.

Now follow the Media Creation Tool instructions until the upgrade is complete.

Windows 10 is running very well.  However, now that Windows 10 was on the HP Mini, I decided to upgrade the PC.  So, I went to Amazon and purchased a Kingston 240 GB SSD (Solid State Drive), for $60 to replace the 5400 RPM hard drive and a 2 GB Crucial memory card for $25 to replace the 1 GB card that came with the HP Mini.  This little beast is now so SCREAMING FAST that my granddaughter wanted it back.

Computer Scam - You can loose thousands

I have posted about these computer fake viruses before.  The scammers help you make it really easy to take your money.  Here is a news story by CTV News that shows you how easy it can be:

CTV News Story

If you can avoid it this easily by reading the "Fake Virus" post I wrote earlier.

Microsoft Removes Homegroup

For years now I have used homegroup to transfer and backup file on my five Windows laptops.  With the new 2018 spring update (1803) Microsoft has terminated homegroup and replaced it with "Nearby sharing."  As it turns out, that for me, this a bigger issue then you might expect. 

Of the 5 laptops I have only 4 will work with "Nearby sharing", the fifth will not run it at all.  Even with the 4 that do run it it is more awkward then homegroup. 

Nearby sharing will only allow you to transfer files to another computer.  And then they have to be accepted by the operator of the other computer.  Let me give you and example:

My wife has an Excel file that she created and would like to share it with me.  I know, there are a dozen different ways to do it.  But with homegroup she simply puts it on her desktop and I click on homegroup and her computer, and transfer the file locally to my computer.  As long as her computer is on, she doesn't even have to be there.  As well if she is in the middle of something I don't have to interrupt her to transfer a file to her.  We can be in different rooms as long are we are on the same network.  Simple and Easy.

With "Nearby sharing"  we go to the file we want to transfer right click on it and click share. You then see a list of computers that are close (it uses bluetooth to do the transfer) , select one then send.  The other person has to immediately interrupt what they are doing and accept the file and then transfer it appropriate directory.

As I said, it onlyworks on 4 of my 5 laptops   For the other one I have to go back to sneaker net (USB Drive) or transfer the file using a cloud drive.  Inconvenient!