You might have seen down in your system tray, the area by your clock, a little Windows 8 looking icon. If you click on it, it’s a Windows 10 upgrade window asking you to register to be on the list for the upgrade on July 29th or after. If you haven’t seen this yet, you will after your next round of Windows updates.

If you register, Windows 10 will be downloaded to your computer between now and the end of July.

Whether or not you want to install it is your choice.

You may want to install it if you’re currently running Windows 8 and really hate it. Windows 10 fixes some of the biggest issues customers have with Windows 8 (like the start menu) and adds some nifty new stuff.

If you have Windows 7 and are completely happy with how your system runs right now, there is no need to upgrade and you can ignore this message, you’re good for another five years or thereabouts. In fact that’s my recommendation. If you want to get rid of the notice in the tray I can help you with that.

Here’s a thing to keep in mind: As of today Windows 10 is a free upgrade for all Windows 7 & 8 computers. This free upgrade version is like the baseline model (or Windows 8.2 if you like); there’s also a Home edition and Pro edition which will cost money. The free upgrade edition and the Home edition will enforce updates; no more “patch Tuesday”, no more selecting to just notify. Updates are pushed out when Microsoft deems fit. This is probably ok if your internet connection is big and fast (ie adsl) but if you’re on mobile broadband (dongle, 3G/4G device or mobile phone tethered) it’s going to be a problem. There’s also the problem of Microsoft pushing out broken updates. The paid Windows 10 Professional version will give you control over updates in a manner similar to what we have today. Companies with many computers and an IT department that like to keep a tight control on things will be scampering to make sure these updates don’t sneak past them.

If you think you might choose to install it then keep reading as upgrading can completely change your computer and you need to know what can happen.

Microsoft has so far been shy with information on the upcoming Windows 10 release and as a result no one really knows exactly what’s going to happen. Technicians around the world are preparing for what may happen before and after the update.

Here’s a few thoughts on what might happen:

The upgrade, as with any software upgrade, may not install correctly and leave your computer in a non-functioning or partially functioning state. Meaning, you cannot boot to Windows, log in, view your monitor etc. As we do not know what can happen, we recommend you be prepared for the worst.

The upgrade might install just fine but leave you with no programs or any of your current settings.

The upgrade might install just fine and you might have all of your programs and settings but the drivers for your printers, camera, phone, webcams, scanners etc. might not work.

The upgrade might install correctly and everything seems to work but some of your critical business software might not work correctly.

Here’s a few thoughts on how you can prepare:

Have all of your installation disks ready in case you need to reinstall programs.

Have all of your online software subscriptions ready in case you need to reinstall.

Make sure you have your online account names and passwords written down in a safe place. This includes things like Facebook, Google+, Gmail, your regular email accounts, your online banking, your ISP connection information such as Telstra, Optus, Dodo etc., Netflix, QuickBooks online, anti-virus subscriptions such as Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky. Think of every place you go to or any program that has asked for a name and password. If you’ve lost one or more passwords and you’re just relying on the computer to remember them, I may be able to help you to retrieve them.

Do not upgrade on the very first day you have it available. There’s an excellent chance it won’t go smoothly and I strongly recommend waiting it out until the bugs are figured out.

If you own a business and/or highly value the contents of your computer I strongly urge you to do a full system image of your computer (this will allow a full restore to how it was before the upgrade, including operating system, programs, settings and data). If the Windows 10 upgrade goes badly or you dislike it, you can go back in time.

If you don’t opt for a full system image then there’s no going back. In this case you should at least have a good backup of your current data, documents and photos before any upgrade. Remember, there is no promise that an upgrade will keep anything!

Even if you’re a home user, I still recommend a full system image backup but cost may be the deciding factor here; to do a full image backup you’ll need an external hard drive and several hours on the bench. On the other hand, a backup of just your important documents and photos can usually be done with a thumb drive in under an hour. But if you have lots of music, videos and games, it’s worth a full system image.

Call me or drop in if you need help getting your backup done or if you have any other questions or issues about Windows 10 or your computers in general.