How Do I Check My Computer for Windows 10 Compatibility?

Lindsay Hayes

If you want to know if your PC will be compatible with Microsoft Windows 10, you can use the Windows 10 compatibility checker. Right-click the "Get Windows 10" icon in your taskbar and click "Check your upgrade status". Then, click the three horizontal lines in the upper-right corner and choose "Check your PC".

When Windows 10 landed, I updated right away. However, some friends of mine had problems installing Windows 10, especially a couple of them that were still using Windows Vista. I was able to get them to run the Windows 10 compatibility checker over the phone, and with that, they could see whether their system was compatible or not.

Wondering how do I check my computer for Windows 10 compatibility? Well, I'll show you exactly how to do that here. Let's jump right into it.

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How Do I Know If My Computer Can Upgrade to Windows 10?

There is a useful tool built into the operating system that will give you a Windows 10 compatibility report.

Various hardware manufacturers make computer parts, and some may not have updated drivers for Windows 10 yet. If you have a vital piece of hardware yet to have supported drivers, you may be unable to install this new version of Windows.

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There are different ways to access the compatibility checker, but the most popular one involves the "Get Windows 10" icon in your taskbar. Follow the steps below to get this going:

  1. Look at the system tray at the bottom-right corner of your screen. You should see an icon that looks like the Windows icon. Right-click on it.
  2. Select "Check your upgrade status" from the options that appear. This will launch the "Get Windows 10" app.
  3. At the upper right, you'll see three horizontal lines stacked on top of each other. Click on that. This will open the menu.
  4. Under the "Getting the upgrade" section, press "Check your PC".
  5. This next screen will give you all the information you need. If your computer is compatible, it will show here. If not, it will show you the potential compatibility issues that you might face.

You can also use command prompt to check:

  1. Open the Start menu.
  2. Type "cmd" and open "Command Prompt".
  3. Type in the following: schtasks.exe /run /tn "MicrosoftWindowsApplication ExperienceMicrosoft Compatibility Appraiser"
  4. Press "Enter" to start checking whether you can get Windows 10. This can take up to 15 minutes.

What Are the Minimum System Requirements for the Windows 10 Operating System?

If you want to use Windows 10 on your new PC, it's necessary that your computer meets the minimum system requirements for the new Windows OS.

Below are the requirements that your PC needs to meet:

If you have an older OS, like Windows XP, you will either have to update or do a fresh install if you want the new OS.

How to Use Windows 10 Media Creation Tool to Upgrade?

If you have done a compatibility check and made sure to get Windows 10 on your computer, it is time to install it. You can do this conveniently with the Windows 10 media creation tool.

Follow the steps below to start the upgrade process to Windows 10:

  1. Go to the Windows 10 page on Microsoft's website.
  2. Scroll down and click on "Download tool now". Your download should begin.
  3. Once you're done downloading the file, open it.
  4. Accept the license terms it presents you with.
  5. Choose the "Upgrade this PC now" option.
  6. Press "Next" and follow on-screen instructions to finish up.

After upgrading, make sure to install the latest Windows updates to improve security on the system. You can do this by choosing "Windows Update" from "Settings".

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Final Words

If you want to do a compatibility check for Windows 10 on your computer, you simply need to right-click on the Windows 10 icon in your tray and choose "Check your upgrade status". Expand the menu, click "Check your PC", and that's it.

You will need to download the media creation tool from Microsoft's website to upgrade Windows. Make sure that your computer hardware meets the minimum specs for Windows 10.

Lindsay Hayes

Author
Hi, I’m Lindsay, a techie from Kansas City. That’s right; I’m a born and bred Midwesterner. I learned to take electronics apart at my dad’s GameStop way back when, and I haven’t stopped since. I spend most of my time checking out new gadgets.
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