How to Download and Install Windows 10 Technical Preview Right Now
Things to Know Before Installing the Technical Preview Microsoft issued some pretty big warnings and if you�re not really a technical person, you probably shouldn�t proceed with this.
It�s probably gonna be buggy and you�re advised not to install it on your main computer. Here are things to consider before proceeding:
- The software is still in development mode and the main purpose of downloading and using it is to test-run and share your feedback with Microsoft.
- You�re supposed to know what an ISO file is and exactly how to use it. You�re expected to have installed Windows from an ISO file before.
- There will be lots of updates and drastic user interface changes and you shouldn�t complain about it when Microsoft decides to take away a certain you�ve already liked. Features will constantly be added and removed with each update.
- You�re expected to be a Windows power user.
- Again, do not install this on a computer you use everyday unless you�re willing to take the risk.
Minimum System Requirements
If you still want to go ahead and install the technical preview, be sure your computer meets the minimum requirements highlighted below:- A minimum of 1GB RAM for 32-bit or 2GB for 64-bit
- A free hard disk space of at least 16GB
- 1GHz Processor or faster.
- A Microsoft account
- A reliable internet access
- Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver
Your Data and Settings
Depending on which OS you�re upgrading from, you may lose your settings and data or get to keep everything intact. If you�re upgrading to Windows 10 from Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, you get to keep your settings, data and most applications remain intact. Still, it�s advisable to backup valuable data you don�t want to lose.Unfortunately, this technical preview doesn�t run on any Windows RT system.
Also, if you�re still on Windows Vista, you can�t upgrade; you have to do a clean install.
Steps to Download and Install Windows 10 Technical Preview
1. Go ahead to Microsoft�s website and sign up for the Windows Insider Program. Be sure to also check the requirements and warnings before proceeding.2. Depending on your system, download the 32-bit version or 64-bit version on the download page here. Be sure to keep the product key you�re given.
3. This is an ISO file, you may install burn it to a DVD or if you prefer installing from a flash drive, we have a tutorial on that here. The article was written for Windows 7 but it works well with any version of Windows, even Windows 10. Just remember to set first boot device to USB device from BIOS settings.
4. You can double-click setup.exe after burning the ISO file or reboot, making sure the bootable device containing the Windows setup files boots first.
If you�ve installed Windows before, you should be able to follow through and complete the installation quite easily.
Is it worth it?
That�s for you to decide. If you�re expecting a radical change like the one we saw in Windows 8, you probably won�t find any. Microsoft is trying to improve users experience and even went as far as going back on it�s decision to remove the start button. A touch or Mac and Linux too is seen in the OS but we think it�s really a nice one from Microsoft.