How to Install Windows 10 Anniversary Update

On August 2, Microsoft fulfilled a promise it made to users before releasing Windows 10 in 2015. The company has committed to delivering frequent updates to Windows 10, faster than any operating system before. These updates would not only come faster than before, but would also include features that Windows 10 laptop, tablet and desktop PC owners should have expected years ago. The Windows 10 Anniversary Update is available just one year after Windows 10 first arrived. Moreover, it includes features and minor improvements that many people care about.

Anyone can download the Windows 10 Anniversary Update now, as it is completely free. It can be used for laptops, desktops, and 2-in-1s.

Here’s how to get the Windows 10 Anniversary Update if you must have it right now.

Get Windows 10 Anniversary Update Via Windows Update

If you upgraded your computer from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1, you may remember the complicated process of visiting the Windows Store and allowing your computer to download the upgrade. Fortunately, that’s not the case with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.

Microsoft adds minor updates to Windows 10 all the time. To make the process of adding major upgrades to Windows 10 more seamless, Microsoft stopped requiring users to trigger a download via the Windows Store. Instead, Windows Update, the same tool that keeps your Microsoft-made apps and Windows running year-round, is how you get the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.

Press the Windows key on your keyboard to open the Start Screen/Start Menu.

Tap or click the option in the lower left corner of Start. Note that if you are using a device with Tablet Mode turned on, you will need to tap or click the menu button in the upper left corner before you see the Settings option.

In settings, .

Click or tap the button in the middle pane of the Settings app. Your computer will reach Microsoft’s Windows Update servers to check if the version of Windows 10 you have is available. If the app returns no updates, Windows 10 Anniversary Update has silently installed on your PC.

If the Windows Settings app says it should download the Feature Update to Windows 10 version 1607, you haven’t downloaded the Windows 10 Anniversary Update yet. The 1607 is what Microsoft internally calls a software upgrade. Because you’ve downloaded the entire Windows update, you’ll notice that the Windows 10 Anniversary Update takes longer to download than your average fix set. If you have a metered connection with a limited bandwidth internet connection, your computer will automatically wait to download the upgrade until you access an unlimited connection. Starbucks Wi-Fi and mobile hotspots are examples of metered connections where the update doesn’t download.

You can continue to work while downloading the Windows 10 Anniversary Update in the background. Your PC will notify you when it’s time to stop working. Under no circumstances should your computer restart or start installing the software update on its own.

You’ll want to take some time for the update to install. If you plan on starting the upgrade manually, take an hour or so to be safe. If you allow the upgrade to install automatically, Windows 10 will wait until you are least likely to use your computer. For most people, this is early in the morning.

A notification will inform you that your PC has been successfully upgraded. You have chosen to manually download the update now or wait a few days.

Get Windows 10 Anniversary Update Via a Download

If you don’t want to upgrade via Windows Update, or if you find yourself in a situation where you need to install a fresh copy of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, you can get an image file or ISO directly from Microsoft. here.

Note that if your computer does not have Windows 10 before, you will need a valid license key for the upgrade. Microsoft recently ended the Free Windows 10 Upgrade Offer. Now the OS update costs at least $119.99.

Get Windows 10 Anniversary Update by Getting a New PC

Any laptop, desktop, or tablet you purchase from a retail store running Windows 10 will receive the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. It is not yet clear when the PCs will arrive on store shelves with the operating system installed.

Good luck installing the Windows 10 Anniversary Update on your device. Since this is a feature only release, the upgrade should go pretty well. Microsoft hasn’t made major changes to Windows 10’s hardware requirements; and all your apps and programs should survive the update unaffected.