[ad]Dear Computer Lady,
I have the Windows 7 operating system on my laptop which is at least 5 years old. It does not have a touch screen. I’ve received a message box on my desktop from Microsoft regarding a free download of Windows 10.
I do not have a smart phone or tablet, and I do not want to download an operating system designed for those devices and touchscreens unless I have no choice — e.g. Microsoft will no longer be issuing updates for Windows 7.
Can I safely refuse the upgrade to Windows 10?
Thanks in advance for your (hopefully) reply.
Regards, Beverly
Dear Beverly,
For now, you can safely ignore the prompts to upgrade to Windows 10 and stay with your Windows 7 operating system. Microsoft should be issuing updates for Windows 7 for the next few years.
In the event that you do decide that you want to upgrade to Windows 10, you want to do a little prep work before upgrading.
You want to make sure your computer is in good working condition. There is no sense upgrading to a new operating system if your computer is having any hardware issues. I would suggest a thorough diagnostic scan.
You also want to make sure that you have your important files backed up. Even if Microsoft says that you won’t lose any files in the upgrade process (and I haven’t looked to see if they make that claim) things can go wrong in an upgrade and you could end up losing all your data.
I would suggest you bring your computer in for a check-up and backup before proceeding with the upgrade.
Elizabeth
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Elizabeth Boston is a Web designer, Social Media Consultant and managing editor of, “Ask The Computer Lady”.
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