Windows 10 rolls out in waves for users across the world

Aug 3, 2015 04:30 GMT  ·  By

Windows 10 officially launched on July 29, but because of the compatibility issues that might arise from switching from an old operating system to a new one directly, Microsoft is rolling it out in waves, which means that it could take longer than expected to get your hands on the new software.

How long is yet to be determined, but in a notification posted on the official Community forums, Microsoft says that it could take weeks before Windows 10 becomes available for everyone.

So if you haven’t received the free upgrade just yet and your computer is fully compatible with it, chances are that you should get it sometime this month, as Microsoft is working to address any compatibility issues that might be experienced.

“With your reservation, you are in the queue for your upgrade. Watch for your notification to arrive in the coming days or weeks. At that point, you can upgrade immediately or pick a time that works for you,” Microsoft says in the notification.

Compatibility issues

There are several ways to install Windows 10 right now without waiting for Microsoft to make the upgrade available for you, but before everything else, keep in mind that a clean install is not an option.

In order for eligible Windows 7 and 8.1 computers to receive the free upgrade to Windows 10, users must upgrade to the new operating system directly from within the current install. A key is then generated for their PCs, which allows for clean installs and everything else, but only after the built-in upgrade is performed.

So if you were thinking to format your drives and clean install Windows 10, just don’t do that, as product keys that were provided for Windows 7 and 8.1 won’t work with the new Windows 10.