


The GWX tool may be gone, but all the other upgrade tools still work, and the end result is an apparently valid digital license. Here's how you can still get a free Windows 10 upgrade After a few initial prompts, the process is completely automatic.īoot from a USB drive to restore from a recovery image To use a recovery image, boot from the installation media, choose Troubleshoot from the Windows Recovery Environment, and then choose Recover From A Drive. Create a bootable device from that image, stash it in a safe place, and you can get back to work quickly in the event of a serious hardware issue. The best time to download a recovery image is when your PC is working properly. That emphasis on business PCs also means the factory images are far more likely to be clean and free of annoying third-party software. Older devices, as well as low-priced consumer PCs, are less likely to qualify.

You're most likely to find a recovery image when you're working with a business PC (or high-end consumer device) from one of the top OEMs. That image is typically up to date and includes everything that you would otherwise need to track down and install manually. The solution? Download a recovery image for your device directly from the OEM.
