Then, are y'all one of those long-time Windows users who lived through the Vista fiasco and then upgraded to Windows 7 as soon as it was apparent that it was far superior to the previous version? And then, when you saw Windows 8 coming, you vowed to never again get caught with an experimental operating system and decided to stick it out with Windows 7? If so, chances are you're glad that you did so. Windows 7 has served you lot well, and you continued to be productive, while all those who upgraded to Windows viii struggled with the Metro UI and its touch-based implementation on a desktop PC.

Over the last several years, I've received email from lots of Windows 7 users who echo the higher up sentiments.

Now that Windows 10 is on the horizon, and Microsoft has announced that the new operating organisation will be offered equally a complimentary upgrade to Windows 7 users (in addition to Windows 8.ten users), I've been receiving email from a lot of those same users. They've been reading about Windows 10 since September xxx, 2014, and are intrigued. And now, they're wondering if their existing Windows seven PC be able to run Windows 10. Volition information technology meet the hardware requirements? Fortunately, the answer appears to exist yeah. Let'south take a closer look.

The organisation requirements

To begin with, I don't believe that Microsoft wouldn't brand the claim that Windows 7 users could upgrade to Windows 10 on existing hardware if that wasn't the case. Imagine the backlash, if it proved non to exist possible. Furthermore, Windows 10 is existence architected to run on a wide diversity of platforms, from desktops and laptops down to phones and tablets. Surely, Windows 7 PCs from 2009 (when Windows vii was released) were at to the lowest degree as powerful as today's phones and tablets… right?

When Windows 7 was released, the minimum organization requirements, as specified past Microsoft, were as follows:

  • ane GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-scrap (x64) processor
  • 1 GB RAM (32-chip) or two GB RAM (64-bit)
  • 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-chip)
  • DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

Of course, a lot of PCs from that era had more powerful specs. So, chances are that your Windows vii system has equivalent or better hardware.

At present, according to the "Before you install" folio on Microsoft's Windows Insider site, the minimum organisation requirements for Windows x are as follows:

  • Processor: 1 GHz or faster
  • RAM: i GB (32-fleck) or 2 GB (64-bit)
  • Free hard disk infinite: xvi GB
  • Graphics carte du jour: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver

As yous can see, they're identical.

Every bit such, it appears that Windows 7 users will indeed be able to but upgrade from Windows 7 on their existing hardware to Windows x — for complimentary!

What's your take?

Are y'all running Windows 7? Now that you know the system requirements are the aforementioned, will you upgrade your system from Windows vii to Windows ten? Share your opinion in the discussion thread below.