How to Download, Install, and Uninstall Windows 10 Technical Preview

Interested in testing out the Windows 10 Technical Preview?
10/2/2014
Updated:
7/18/2015

Interested in testing out the Windows 10 Technical Preview? 

First, you should note that the Technical Preview is not meant for everyone. 

Joe Belfiore, vice president of Windows, said that the Technical Preview is meant for “PC experts who are comfortable with unfinished software.” 

Windows are “not kidding about the expert thing” because users need to be “comfortable troubleshooting problems, backing up data, formatting a hard drive, installing an operating system from scratch, or restoring (an) old one if necessary,” as well as know what an ISO file is and how to work it. 

“So if you think BIOS is a new plant-based fuel, Tech Preview may not be right for you,” Microsoft writes on the Windows 10 Technical Preview FAQ page. 

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Also, your computer needs to at least have these specifications: 

Processor: 1GHz or faster

Memory: 1GB of RAM for 32-bit systems or 2GB of RAM for 64-bit systems

Storage: 16GB of free hard drive space

Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver

Others: A Microsoft account and Internet access

Still keen on installing the Tech Preview? Follow these steps below: 

1) Back up your PC. For Windows 7 and Vista users, create a recovery media from a recovery partition using software from your PC manufacturer. For Windows 8 or 8.1 users, create a USB recovery drive.  

2) Sign up for the Windows Insider Program

3) Click one of two download links — Windows 10 Technical Preview x86 (2.9GB) for 32-bit systems or Windows 10 Technical Preview x64 (3.8GB) for 64-bit systems — to get the ISO file. 

4) Record the Tech Preview product key assigned to you. 

5) After downloading the ISO file, transfer it to an installation media such as a USB flash drive or DVD drive. 

6) Double-click “setup.exe” from the installation media, follow the instructions, and you are good to go. 

MORE: Windows 10 Technical Preview Details, Features and Release

Should you wish to go back to your previous operating system, you will have to reinstall it via the recovery or installation media that came with your PC. 

 

Larry Ong is a New York-based journalist with Epoch Times. He writes about China and Hong Kong. He is also a graduate of the National University of Singapore, where he read history.