Do you have two personal computers and would like to remotely access one from the other? Looking for an effortless way to do it? You can do just that for free with the personal version of TeamViewer.

Remotely accessing a computer is pretty commonplace nowadays. It used to be pretty technically involved to set up remote connections between two computers. But with software like TeamViewer, setting up remote access between computers is pretty straightforward.

So what would be the main reason for using remote access software? First, it would be to access the software installed on another computer. Second, it would be to use that software to access files on that computer or the network it is on. It comes down to being able to work on your computer without having to be sitting in front of it.

We here at Geeks in Phoenix have been using commercial, pay-per-seat remote access software for years now. In researching this article, I wanted to find remote access software that could be used for personal use for free.

I have worked with TeamViewer over the years, as some of our customers use it regularly. For personal use, the free version works quite well. Sure, it doesn't have all of the bells and whistles of the paid version, like remote printing or tech support, but for remote access and file sharing, it works well.

Setting up TeamViewer on two computers for personal use is pretty simple. The installation process involves installing the software on both systems and creating a TeamViewer account that links the computers together.

The first thing you do is download and install the TeamViewer software on one of the two computers you want to link together. During the installation, you will come to a screen that asks you how you would like to set up TeamViewer.

When prompted for the type of installation, I recommend using the default setup. When you get prompted for how you want to use TeamViewer, select Personal / Non-commercial use since you are just using it to connect two of your personal computers.

Once the installation is done on the first computer, the TeamViewer program will appear. In the left-hand column, you will see a menu with several categories: Remote Control, Remote Management, Meeting, Computer & Contacts, Chat, and Augmented Reality.

The Remote Control category should be highlighted, and in the center column, you will find a section labeled Unattended Access.

Select Start TeamViewer with Windows and Grant easy access.

When you select Grant easy access, the Assign to account form will pop-up asking you for an e-mail address and password.

This is where you are going to create a TeamViewer account.

Click on Create Account, and then the Create TeamViewer account form will appear.

Just fill in the required information and go through the steps to verify your e-mail address.

You now have a TeamViewer account. Go back to the TeamViewer screen and make sure that Grant easy access is selected under Remote Control. If it is not, then select it and put in your TeamViewer account details.

Now download and install TeamViewer on your second computer. Use the same options you used for the installation on your first computer. When the installation is complete, the TeamViewer's main screen will appear.

Just like with the first computer you installed TeamViewer on, the Remote Control category should be highlighted. Under Unattended access, select Start TeamViewer with Windows and Grant easy access. When the Assign to account form appears, just type in your e-mail address and password associated with your TeamViewer account.

Once you have both of your computers linked to your TeamViewer account, you should see both of them listed under the Computers & Contacts category on both computers.

You can double-click on the name of the computer you want to access remotely, and a separate screen for that computer will appear. For more options, you can also right-click on the computer name

and a context menu will appear with all of the options available. For more information on TeamViewer, just click on the link to their website below.

TeamViewer

Microsoft developers have always liked to create handy system utilities that add more functionality to the Windows operating system. They call them PowerToys and are released as a stand-alone program with File Explorer add-ons. And as always, these programs are entirely free.

It is kind of like Déjà vu for me with the PowerToys for Windows 10 / Windows 11. I hate to admit it, and I'm going to show my age here, but I have used the two (2) previous versions of PowerToys. The first version was PowerToys for Windows 95. The second version was PowerToys for Windows XP. TweakUI (Windows 95 / Windows XP) and Command Prompt Here (Windows 95) / Open Command Windows Here (Windows XP) were two (2) of my favorites.

PowerToys have always been a cool collection of handy utilities that you wonder why they were not part of Windows to begin with. In fact, some of the functionality of the PowerToys do get built into later releases of Windows.

The latest version, PowerToys for Windows 10 / Windows 11, currently has twenty-five (25) utilities (as of 3/4/24) included, and there are plans to add even more. As more features are added, I will update this article.

Note: Microsoft PowerToys requires Windows 11 or Windows 10 20H1 (version 2004).

And since the Windows 10 / Windows 11 PowerToys are all inside one program, updates, and new features will be easy to install. There is even an update button that takes you to the website so you can check for new releases.

The PowerToys General Settings includes all the options for all the actual PowerToys. This means there is only one place to enable/disable and configure the settings for the various programs.

Now you have to keep in mind that the PowerToys is an open-source project, and the code is freely available. That is why the installer is over on the developer website GitHub, which, by the way, Microsoft owns.

The following is a list of the PowerToys for Windows 10 versions, the date released, and the utilities included. They are:

v0.12 - Released on 10/29/19

FancyZones - This is a utility that allows you to create zones (predefined areas for program windows) on your desktop for the various programs you run.

For example, you can create a layout that has a separate zone for your e-mail program, word processor, and spreadsheet, all neatly arranged on your desktop. This program is beneficial if you have multiple monitors and want to keep all of your running programs organized.

PowerRename - This utility does just what its name implies; it renames files. But it has so many options that it can be used in so many different ways.

You change just the file names or only the file extensions. You can exclude files, folders, and sub-folders. It is the swiss army knife of file renaming.

Shortcut Guide - This cool little utility shows you what Windows logo key shortcuts you can use at any given time.

You just hold down the Windows logo key for a preset amount of time, and the screen appears with the available shortcuts you can use. If you find these shortcuts handy, we have a complete list of Windows logo key shortcuts for Windows 10.

v0.16 - Released 3/31/20 - Revised 12/4/23

File Explorer add-ons - This is a collection of valuable add-ons for File Explorer that extends the functionally of the Preview Pane and Icon Preview. There are currently six (6) Preview Pane and five (5) Icon Preview File Explorer add-ons.

The current file types that can be rendered in the Preview Pane are: Markdown (.md), SVG (.svg), Developer files (.cpp, .py. etc.), PDF (.pdf), G-code (.gcode) and QOI (.qoi).

The current file types that can have Icon thumb previews are: SVG (.svg), PDF (.pdf), G-code (.gcode), STL (.stl) and QOI (.qoi).

Image Resizer - This utility is similar to the one for Windows XP, but this version has way more features. Right-click on one or more images, and you will get a context menu. Left-click on Resize pictures, and you get the Image Resizer screen.

There are several picture sizes to choose from, or you can create a custom size. Left-click on the Settings link, and you get even more options for resizing your images. A must-have for anybody that does photo editing.

v0.18 - Released 5/19/20

Keyboard Manager - This utility allows you to remap a single key on your keyboard to another. You can also map current keyboard shortcuts to different key combinations.

Keep in mind that when remapping keyboard shortcuts, you are limited to a combination of two keys.

PowerToys Run - This utility can perform all sorts of different functions. Type a couple of letters, and PowerToys Run will display a list of programs, folders, and files with the letter(s) in their name(s).

It can also search for running processes, run shell commands, and do simple math calculations.

v0.20 - Released 7/31/20

Color Picker - This utility will display the color of anything you place your mouse cursor over in both HEX and RGB values. You can copy the color value to the clipboard by left-clicking on the object.

You can change the hotkey shortcut used to bring up Color Picker, and the values (HEX or RGB) copied to the clipboard. And if you have a scroll wheel on your mouse, you can use it to bring up a magnifier window to get an even more detailed color pick.

v0.41.2 - Released 6/28/21

Awake - This utility will keep your Windows 10 computer from going asleep. This is really handy when you are doing updates and upgrades. No more do you have to create a special power plan to keep your computer awake.

Remember that if your computer goes to sleep, anything it was doing, like performing a Windows 10 Feature update, will be paused. So when you need to prevent your computer from going asleep, Awake can be the perfect solution.

v0.49.0 - Released 10/28/21

Video Conference Mute - This utility lets you turn off your camera and mute your microphone with a single keystroke. This utility has finally made it to the stable release of PowerToys, as it was previously categorized as experimental in previous releases.

There are three (3) keyboard shortcuts that the Video Conference Mute utility uses. The first one will mute the camera and microphone, the second will mute just the microphone, and the third will mute just the camera. And these shortcuts can be customized to a user's preference.

Mouse utilities - This is a collection of useful apps that extends and enhance the functionality of the mouse and cursor in Windows 10 / Windows 11. Currently, there are two (2) utilities in the collection: Find My Mouse and Mouse Highlighter.

Find My Mouse is a simple utility that displays a spotlight on the mouse cursor when the left control key is pressed twice. Quite handy when you are using multiple screens.

Mouse Highlighter is another simple utility that highlights the mouse cursor when clicking either mouse button. You can choose which color is displayed for each mouse button (left or right), the opacity, radius, fade delay, and fade duration.

Mouse Pointer Crosshairs is another simple utility that, when activated, shows crosshairs across the entire screen to indicate the mouse pointer's location.

v0.53.1 - Released 1/6/22

Always on Top - This utility will keep a program that is running on top of all of the rest of the open program windows. This PowerToy can be helpful if you have a program that you want to always be in front of all other app windows.

Along with putting a particular app window in front of the others, you can also have a border around that window. You can select the color and thickness of the border. You can also have Always on Top play a sound when you activate it.

v0.62.0 - Released 9/6/22

Quick Accent - This utility makes inserting accented characters simple. Once you activate this PowerToy, you must press the character key to which you want to add an accent and the Activation Key (either the space key, left/right arrow, or both).

If you hold down the keys for more than 200 milliseconds, an overlay appears that allows you to scroll through all of the available accents. You can select which keys you want to use for Activation Keys and the default input delay that triggers the accent overlay.

Screen Ruler - This utility allows you to measure any place on your screen in pixels. Just activate Screen Ruler with the shortcut keys, and you can measure anything you can display on your screen.

Some advanced features include changing the color of the measured lines, changing the edge detection tolerance, and customizing the activation shortcut. If you do any graphic design, this is a must-have app!

Text Extractor- This utility can extract text from any legible text on your screen. Similar to the Snipping Tool, this program captures a selected area on your screen, uses OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to convert any text it recognizes, and then puts the output to the Clipboard.

From there, you paste the output from the Clipboard into a word processor, spreadsheet, email, etc. This utility is so handy that you will wonder how you were ever able to work without it.

v0.64.0 - Released 11/2/22

File Locksmith - This utility is a shell extension that allows you quickly find out what process is using a particular file. This can be useful when you want to close a file, and get a warning about it being used by another program.

Once you enable File Locksmith, all you have to do is right-click on the file in question in File Explorer and left-click on What's using this file? from the context menu that appears. File Locksmith then appears with a list of programs that are currently accessing the file. It gives you the option of ending that particular task.

Hosts File Editor - This utility allows for easy editing of Hosts file inside of Windows. The Hosts file is the first place Windows goes to resolve domain names, like geeksinphoenix.com, to IP (Internet Protocol) addresses.

The Hosts File Editor can come in handy when you want to test out a new website. All you have to know is the Host (domain) name and the IP address, and you can redirect your network traffic to specific locations.

v0.68.0 - Released 3/1/23

Paste as Plain Text - This utility will take off the format of text placed in the Clipboard and paste just plain text. Nothing worse than pasting unwanted formatting into a document.

Paste as Plain Text can be convenient if you copy and paste text from emails or websites formatted in HTML. You will no longer have to paste text into Notepad to strip off the formatting.

Mouse jump (one of the Mouse utilities) - This utility allows you to move or jump your mouse cursor over long distances on a single or multiple screens.

This utility can be handy if you use a large or multiple monitors and want to get your cursor across the screen(s) quickly.

v0.69.0 - Released 4/6/23

Registry Preview - This utility allows you to edit and preview Windows Registry files (.reg). It is a great way to visualize the contents of Registry files.

And when you are done editing your Registry file, you can save them to file or write them to the Registry.

v0.70.0 - Released 5/23/23

Mouse Without Borders - This utility allows you to use a single mouse across multiple devices. This can come in handy if you have a couple of devices next to each other.

If this utility sounds familiar, it has been a project at the Microsoft Garage for some time. Glad to see it made its way into the PowerToys.

Peek - This utility lets you preview a file inside File Explorer. That way, you do not have to have the preview pane on for all file types.

Once open, you can pin the Peek window to its current location or open the file with the program associated with the file type.

v0.72.0 - Released 8/1/23

Value Generator - This handy plug-in for the PowerToys Run utility can generate a GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) for a URL namespace.

It can also generate SHA1 (Secure Hash Algorithm 1) hash strings and encode text strings to Base64.

v0.73.0 - Released 8/31/23

Crop And Lock - This handy utility allows you to crop a running app into a smaller window or thumbnail. This can be helpful if you run multiple programs at the same time.

You can control an app inside a window but not with a thumbnail. Some apps will not work correctly with Crop And Lock, so I recommended testing a program before trying to use Crop And Lock with it.

v0.75.0 - Released 10/30/23

Environment Variables - This handy utility allows you to manage user and system environmental variables easily. You no longer have to go through multiple screens to get to the environmental variables.

With the Environment Variables utility, you can also create profiles so that you can quickly apply a set of preconfigured variables. But remember that you can only use one profile at a time.

v0.77.0 - Released 1/9/24

Command Not Found - This handy PowerShell module detects an error thrown by a command-line and suggests relevent available WinGet package(s) to install.

This utility requires PowerShell 7.4 or greater and WinGet Client PowerShell Client module to be installed. If they are not installed, you can easily install them using the buttons on the Command Not Found page of the PowerToys settings.

v0.79.0 - Released 3/4/24

Keyboard Manager - This handy utility allows you to customize your keyboard by remapping the keys. You can also create your own keyboard shortcuts too.

For example, you can remap the letter A key so that when you press it, it inserts the letter Z. But there are a few system key combinations you cannot modify, like the Ctrl + Alt + Del.

If you would like to give the PowerToys a try, I include two (2) links at the bottom of this article. The PowerToys are only available for the 64-bit versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11. As I told you before, the PowerToys download is on GitHub, and for an average Windows user may be kind of hard to find.

The first link is to the PowerToys project description page. It has an overview of all of the programs included in the PowerToys.

The second link is to the PowerToys releases page. The link to download PowerToys is in the Assets section at the bottom of each release.

Windows 10 / Windows 11 PowerToys on GitHub - Description page

Windows 10 / Windows 11 PowerToys on GitHub - Download page

Working remotely, like teleworking or telecommuting, is becoming more popular nowadays. Being able to access files on another computer that is miles away from you can be a real lifesaver. So here is how to set up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) on Windows 10 or Windows 11 using LogMeIn Hamachi.

Hamachi is a hosted VPN service that allows you to access files on another computer remotely. It works well for home users or small businesses that just need to open and save data on a computer outside of their network.

And pricing for Hamachi is pretty reasonable. If you have five (5) or fewer computers than need VPN service, it's free. I have set up Hamachi several times for customers that just wanted to access files while they were on vacation.

Setting up Hamachi is pretty simple. The first thing you will need to do is create an account over at VPN.net. Once you have created an account, you will log into your account, set up your network, and deploy the Hamachi software to your computers.

Note: When you log in to VPN.net, you will be taken to the LogMeIn website. Hamachi is one of LogMeIn's products. Everything you will need for configuring and deploying Hamachi will be under the Networks menu in the left-side column. Completely ignore the rest of the sub-menus in the left-side column, as they are for other LogMeIn products.

Under the Networks tab, you will find three sub-menus: My Networks, Deployment, and Network Settings. The majority of configuration for your Hamachi VPN can be done under My Networks. Here you can Add Client or Add Network. You can add clients or networks in whatever order you want, but for this article, we are going to start with setting up a network first.

Now there are three (3) types of networks you can create in Hamachi: Mesh, Hub-and-spoke, and Gateway. For the free version (under five clients), a mesh network is recommended. Keep in mind that once you create a network, you cannot change the type of network it is. If you want to change the network type, you will need to create a new network.

And since you can have multiple types of networks, all you have to do is give them different names. And you can quickly reassign a client to a different network if you want. For this article, we will create three (3) various networks based on their type.

The following is a list of the different types of networks.

• Mesh - With this type of network, every device is directly connected to each other. This is a simple, no-frills, peer-to-peer type network and a good choice when each device needs access to all of the other devices on the network.
• Hub and spoke - This type of network is more restrictive and is more like a standard corporate network. With this type of network, you have servers (hubs) that have access to all of the devices (spokes), but the devices only have access to the resources on the servers, not each other.
• Gateway - This type of network is a standard point-to-point VPN. The gateway device controls IP addressing and allows remote devices to access the entire network. There can be only one gateway in this network, and it cannot be a workstation that is a member of a domain.

Once you have decided on the type of network you want, you need to configure some of the details of it. How you will the devices join the network, is a network password required to join, and the subscription associated with the network. Just go to My Networks in the left-hand column and left-click on the Add Network button.

Remember that you can easily change any of the settings for your network(s) from the website interface. You can add or remove devices with a click of the mouse. It comes in handy if you find a device that is having trouble connecting to a specific network.

Once you have a network setup, it's time to get deploying the Hamachi installer to the clients. Now you might have noticed that I have been referring to the Hamachi members as devices. That's because you can have computers and mobile devices connecting to your Hamachi VPN.

Computers have software that you install to connect to your network, and mobile devices do not. Mobile devices use web browsers to access resources on your network. And since there is no app to install on mobile devices, you cannot share any resources on them. For this reason, I am going to focus on setting up Windows 10 computers on the VPN. I have included links at the bottom for how to connect Android and iOS devices.

There are a couple of ways to deploy the Hamachi software to your computers. You can either directly download it from the LogMeIn website when you are logged into your account (preferred) or send an installation link via e-mail. I like to directly install it from the site, as I can check the status of the installation as soon as it is done.

When you directly download the software from the website, you do not have to option of predefining a network to attach it to. When you send a link via e-mail, you can decide what network to add it to. But changing the network that a Hamachi client is attached to is easy on the website. Like I said before, you can do all sorts of modifications to your network(s) on the site.

The Hamachi software will work on various operating systems, including Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 and Windows 11. It also works on Mac OS 10.6 or higher, Ubuntu 16.04 or higher and CentOS 7.2 or higher. The only drawback is that you cannot use a Mac OS computer as a gateway, but it can be a client on a gateway network.

Once you download and install the Hamachi software on your computer, you should be able to see it listed in the LogMeIn website console. It will show up under the network name you attached to or as a non-member client.

If the computer is shown as a non-member client, just click on the Edit link on the right-hand side, then click on the Networks tab and select the network(s) you want it to be a member of.

Then just click on Save.

Now click on the My Networks tab in the left-hand column, and that computer should now show up under the network(s) that you just attached it to.

It will have a status indicator (dot/circle) to the left of its name. Green means it is online; red means it is offline.

Technically, we should now have our VPN all set and ready to go. The next thing we have to do is to set up the resources we want to share. There are two (2) things we can share across a network, folders/files, and printers. Now since we are connecting to a remote network that is not close to us, you may not want to set up a remote printer.

Setting up folder sharing on a Windows computer can be a little frustrating, so here's a link to an article that shows you how to share a folder on Windows 10.

How to share a folder on a private network in Windows 10

Sharing a printer is pretty simple. On a Windows computer that has the printer attached you want to share, bring up a Run dialog box and type in control printers. Then click OK.

The Device and Printers dialog box will appear. Just right-click on the printer you want to share and left-click on Printer properties.

Left-click on the Sharing tab and left-click on the box next to Share this printer. You can keep the name that appears or change it to something that might make more sense to a remote user. Maybe add in the location of the printer (city or office name). Then left-click on the Apply button in the lower right-hand corner.

Now that you have got the resources you want to share ready to go, let's go ahead and get things set up. The first thing we need to do is bring up the LogMeIn Hamachi program. By default, it starts up when you start Windows, and the icon is located in the notification area on the Taskbar (down by the clock). Just right-click on the icon and left-click Restore. You can also double-click on the shortcut on the desktop.

Now that you have the Hamachi program on the screen, right-click on the name of the computer you want to access the folder(s) or printer(s) on.

Left-click on Browse in the context menu that appears. This will bring up the File Explorer with a list of resources that are shared on that computer.

To access a shared folder, we could just double-click on the folder name and be done with it. But we would have to open the Hamachi program every time we wanted to get to that folder. But we can just map that folder to a drive letter and access it through File Explorer.

To map a shared folder, just right-click on the name of the folder and left-click on Map network drive.

The Map Network Drive form will appear. Just select the drive letter you want to use for the folder from the pull-down menu.

Make sure that Reconnect at sign-in is selected and click on Finish.

To use a remote printer, we will need to install the remote printer on your computer.

To do this, we need to right-click to the name of the printer and left-click on Connect. Windows 10 will then download the driver for the printer and install it into your computer.

At this point, you should be ready to go with your VPN. Just remember that you need to be connected via the LogMeIn Hamachi program to be able to access any shared folders or printers.

LogMeIn Hamachi

Setting up an Android device as a Hamachi mobile client

Setting up an iOS device as a Hamachi mobile client

There may come a time when you want to share some files with someone on your private network. Maybe a document, spreadsheet, or a picture of your favorite pet. Here's how to share a folder across your private network in Windows 10.

Note: Do not set up a shared folder if your computer is a laptop, and you use public WiFi Internet access at coffee shops, airports, etc.! The risk of being hacked and having the security of your laptop compromised is too high. These instructions are only for computers that are attached to private networks.

It may seem like a fairly easy thing to do to share a folder, but it can quickly become a problem. So what I am going to do is to go the steps of sharing a folder on a private network in Windows 10. Then we'll look at some of the things that may cause a problem. Let's get started.

The first thing we need to do is open File Explorer. There are several different ways to do this. You can:

• Left-click on the File Explorer icon on the Taskbar (manilla folder).
• Type File Explorer in the Cortana search box and left-click on File Explorer in the search results.
• Right-click on the Start button and left-click on File Explorer from the Power User menu.
• Press the Windows logo key + E.

Once you have File Explorer open, you need to find the folder you want to share. Navigate to This PC in the left-hand column, then to the local disk drive (usually C:\), then to the folder you want to share.

Keep in mind that you cannot share a complete drive (like C:\), only folders on it. You also cannot share mapped network folders either. You can only share folders located on your computer. For this demonstration, I am going to use a folder named Shared Folder.

I have located Shared Folder on my Local Disk C:\ drive, and I'm going to right-click on it and select Properties.

I'm going to left-click on the Sharing tab

and left-click on the Share button.

This brings up a Network access dialog box.

Your username should already be there with Owner permissions. You can keep just your username in the permissions box, but anyone trying to access that folder will need to have your username and password get into it. And if you don't use a password to log into your computer (local account), then you'll have to create a new user on your computer.

But if you just want to share the files and aren't worried about anybody seeing them, you can just let Everyone have access. By giving Everyone access, you don't have to have a password to get into the folder. But you will have to choose if you want Everyone to have Read or Read/Write permissions.

Either way, left-click on the pull-down menu and select either Everyone or Create a new user. If you decide to create a new user, the User Account dialog box appears. Left-click on Manage another account. On the next dialog box that appears, select Add a new user in PC settings. Then left-click on the plus (+) sign next to Add someone else to this PC and fill out the forms that follow.

Once you have another username in the Network access dialog box and have chosen the permission level,

left-click on the Share button in the lower right-hand corner. Then you will get a confirmation that the folder is now shared. Left-click on the Done button in the lower right-hand corner.

You are ready to go. You can either close the folder properties dialog box or add more sharing options like multiple share names or custom permissions using the Advanced Sharing button. But for basic folder sharing, you are all set.

Now let's find out if we can see the shared folder on your private network. You will need the name of your computer for this next step. Right-click on the Start menu and left-click on System on the Power User menu. Make a note of the device name in the right-hand column.

Next, go to another computer that is on the same private network and bring up File Explorer using the steps outlined earlier in this article. This time, instead of expanding the This PC folder in the left side column, we want to go down and left-click on the Network folder.

If you get a warning across the top of the File Explorer that says Network discovery is not turned on, left-click on it to activate it. Sometimes Windows 10 will mistakenly classify a private network as public. If you get a warning that the network you are on is not a private network, select the Make this network private.

The name of your computer should now show up under the Computer category of Network. If it does, double left-click on it, and you should now see the folder you shared and all of the files inside of it.

If you don't see your computer listed under Network, there are a couple of things you might want to check on your computer. The first thing to look for is a third-party firewall, like Norton or McAfee, that might be blocking access.

If you granted Everyone access to your shared folder, you can turn off password protected sharing under advanced sharing settings. Just right-click on the Start menu and left-click on Network Connections on the Power User menu. In the right-hand column left-click on Network and Sharing Center. On the screen that appears, left-click on Change advanced sharing settings.

Under All Networks find Password protected sharing and select Turn off password protected sharing. Go back to the other computer and try to access the shared folder on your computer under Networks. You should be able to view and open all of the files inside of it.

Many people took advantage of the Get Windows 10 upgrade promotion, and some did not. If you are one of those who did not get your version of Windows 7 / Windows 8.1 upgrade for free, you still have an opportunity to do so. Here is how to get a free Windows 10 upgrade for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

It has been a few years since Microsoft ran the Get Windows 10 promotion, and now you think you might like to get your version of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 upgraded to Windows 10. The question is now, should you upgrade your computer to Windows 10?

If you think so, I will let you know a little secret. You can still get the upgrade for free. But there is a particular way you have to go about doing it. And there are some prerequisites you have to meet first.

First, your computer needs to be running a legally licensed, not pirated version of Windows 7 Service Pack 1 or Windows 8.1. The key here is running, as you will need to start the upgrade process from inside of Windows. In essence, you will perform what we call an in-place upgrade.

And since this is an in-place upgrade, you will need to know what edition of Windows you have. Just open a Run dialog box, type Winver and left-click on OK. It will list the Windows edition in the About Windows screen that appears. Here are the upgrade paths.

• If you have Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Home Basic, Windows 7 Home Premium, or Windows 8.1 Home Basic, you will upgrade to Windows 10 Home.
• If you have Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, or Windows 8.1 Professional, you will upgrade to Windows 10 Professional.
• If you have Windows 7 Enterprise or Windows 8.1 Enterprise, you will upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise.

Second, your computer needs to meet the hardware requirements for Windows 10. Most computers running Windows 7 / 8.1 already meet the requirements, but there are exceptions. There are specific graphics processors known to be incompatible.

But the only way you will find out is by starting the upgrade process. The Windows 10 installer will run a check for hardware that will not work with Windows 10 and will allow you to stop the upgrade or continue.

If it turns out that the on-board graphics processor in your desktop computer is incompatible, you can always install an inexpensive (under $50) PCI-e graphics card (if you have an open PCI-e slot). Here is how to add an expansion card to your desktop computer. If your laptop has an incompatible graphics processor, you cannot upgrade it to Windows 10.

But there are a few things I recommend doing before starting the upgrade process. Checking for drive errors, cleaning up your drive, and uninstalling third-party anti-virus/malware software are just a few. And I recommend creating a full backup only in case something goes wrong. Just follow steps #2 through #6 in this article, seven things to do before and after upgrading to Windows 10.

Now there is a dirty little secret about upgrading to Windows 10 that nobody ever talks about, and that is the recovery media. Almost every computer comes with a hidden partition that has the original software that came pre-loaded with the machine.

When you perform an upgrade to Windows 10, the setup program will replace it with a copy of Windows 10. So, if you ever want to go back to the Windows version that came with your computer, you will need to create the recovery media before doing the upgrade. Check out the section 'Make the recovery media' in the following article, five things you should do first when you get a new computer.

Now, you have everything you need to take care of, and you are ready to start the Windows 10 upgrade. Since this will be an 'in-place upgrade', you will need the Windows 10 installation media. Let's make it.

The first thing you have to do is download and run the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool. This program can do a direct upgrade or create the Windows 10 media (USB or ISO file).

I recommend creating the media (either USB or ISO). That way, you will have a copy of Windows 10, just in case you need it in the future.

The next thing you need to do is select what language, architecture, and edition you want to install.

If the Use the recommended options for this PC checkbox is on the bottom, make sure it has a checkmark inside it. If not, refer to the edition information you collected earlier.

You will need either a blank DVD or a USB drive that is 8GB or larger. The Windows 10 Media Creation Tool will format a USB drive and make it ready to use.

If you download an ISO file, you will need to burn it to a DVD. Here is how to burn an ISO file to a disk.

There are a couple of reasons to install from media (USB or DVD) and not the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool. The #1 reason is you can always restart the installation if you need to take care of an issue or two.

Once you have the installation media created, you will have to start the upgrade by running the setup program located at the root of the installation media.

I recommend opening File Explorer and right-clicking on setup.exe and selecting Run as administrator.

The first screen that appears tells you that Windows 10 is going online to get updates, drivers, and optional features.

If you click on the Change how Windows Setup downloads updates link, you can choose to download the updates or wait until later.

You will be downloading the updates either way, so it is strictly your call. But I have found that a lot of the errors associated with the upgrade process can be avoided by waiting until the upgrade is complete before downloading and installing updates.

At some point, the installation will check the hardware and software installed. If it finds any incompatible software, like an anti-virus program, you may have to cancel the upgrade and remove the software.

If the installation finds incompatible hardware, you may have to cancel the upgrade to resolve the issue. Either way, you may be able to continue the update, but that depends on how critical the Windows 10 installer finds the software/hardware issue to be.

Once the upgrade is in process, it may take a couple of hours to complete. When the Windows 10 upgrade is complete, the original product key for your old version of Windows will be converted and uploaded to the cloud. It is called digital entitlement.

And if you ever need to reinstall Windows 10, all you have to do is download the latest version using the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool. It is the one Windows 10 feature you hope you never have to use.