Can I upgrade my windows 8.1 to windows 10 for free?

Check hardware compatibility
Your HP Pavilion with an AMD A6-1450 CPU, 8 GB of RAM, and a 256 GB SSD meets the requirements for Windows 10. It should run fine, though performance may be moderate.

Back up your data
Before upgrading, make sure to back up important files. You can use an external hard drive, a USB flash drive, or a cloud service like OneDrive or Google Drive.

Download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool
Go to the official Microsoft website and search for “Windows 10 Media Creation Tool.” Download the tool from Microsoft’s site by selecting “Download tool now.”

Run the Media Creation Tool

Open the downloaded file (MediaCreationToolxxxx.exe).

Accept the license terms.

Choose “Upgrade this PC now” and click Next.

The tool will download Windows 10 and start the upgrade process.

When asked, choose “Keep personal files and apps” if you want to retain your files and programs.

Activation
If your Windows 8.1 installation is genuine and activated, Windows 10 should automatically activate after the upgrade. You normally won’t need a new product key.

After installation
Once Windows 10 is installed:

Open Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update and install all available updates.

Update your device drivers using HP Support Assistant or from HP’s official support page.

Check your software and reinstall or update anything that doesn’t work properly.

Optional: Clean installation
If you prefer a completely fresh setup, use the Media Creation Tool to create a bootable USB drive, then boot your laptop from it and choose “Custom installation.” This will erase all files on your drive, so make sure everything important is backed up first.

Please visit HP’s official website to download the latest drivers for your model before upgrading from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10. Update your BIOS if updates are available, as this can prevent compatibility issues. Use the Microsoft Media Creation Tool or Windows Update to perform the upgrade. Avoid third-party tools or unofficial sources.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use the Windows 10 Installation Assistant to upgrade Windows 8.1 to Windows 10:

Step 1: Check System Compatibility
Ensure your PC meets the minimum requirements for Windows 10:

• 1 GHz or faster processor
• 2 GB RAM (for 64-bit)
• 20 GB free disk space
• DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
• Most Windows 8.1 PCs are compatible, but it's good to double-check.

Step 2: Download the Windows 10 Installation Assistant
Step 3: Run the Media Creation Tool

• Launch the Media Creation Tool.
• Accept the license terms.
• Select Upgrade this PC now and click Next.
• The tool will start downloading Windows 10 and prepare the upgrade.

Step 4: Follow On-Screen Instructions

• The tool will check for updates, download necessary files, and then prepare the upgrade.
• Follow prompts to proceed.
• When asked, choose to Keep personal files and apps (recommended) or customize your installation as needed.

Step 5: Upgrade Windows 8.1 to Windows 10

• The PC will restart and go through the Windows 10 installation process.
• It may restart multiple times.
• Once finished, you'll be prompted to set up Windows 10.

Step 6: Verify the Upgrade

• After setup, go to Settings > System > About to check that Windows 10 is installed.
• Update drivers if needed via Windows Update.

You can upgrade Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 for free. Microsoft offered a free upgrade to Windows 10 for users of Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 for a limited time, but even after the official deadline, the upgrade process still often works for many users. 

You might find other methods online, but I strongly advise against them:

• Using an old Windows 10 "Assistive Technologies" Upgrade Page: The direct link to this page is now dead and redirects to the standard download page. The Media Creation Tool is the new vehicle for this upgrade.
• Using Windows 7/8.1 Product Keys: Sometimes you can clean-install Windows 10 and activate it using your Windows 8.1 product key. This is hit-or-miss and a clean install is more complex than an in-place upgrade.
• KMS Activators / Cracked Software: These are illegal, often contain malware or viruses, and can leave your system unstable or part of a botnet. Avoid these at all costs.

Microsoft has quietly continued to allow free upgrades from Windows 7 and 8.1 to Windows 10 for users using their assistive technologies. While initially intended for people with disabilities, the loophole is that Microsoft does not check or validate your need for these technologies.

This method uses the official Microsoft Windows 10 Media Creation Tool and will result in a genuinely activated, digital license for Windows 10, tied to your machine's hardware.

Here is the step-by-step guide for upgrading Windows 8.1 to Windows 10:

1. Check Your Activation:
   Ensure your current Windows 8.1 is fully activated and genuine. Go to Settings > Change PC settings > Update and recovery > Activation. It should say "Windows is activated". This is crucial.
2. Download the Media Creation Tool.
3. Run the Tool and Upgrade:
   Run the MediaCreationTool.exe file you just downloaded.
   When prompted, select "Upgrade this PC now" and click Next.
   The tool will download Windows 10. It will automatically select the edition that matches your Windows 8.1 license (almost certainly Windows 10 Home).
   Follow the on-screen instructions. The process is largely automatic and will take a while. Your PC will restart several times.
4. The Key Point: 
   After you upgrade Windows 81 to Windows 10, your PC will automatically activate with a digital license. Microsoft's servers recognize your hardware (more specifically, your motherboard's unique ID) as having been upgraded from a valid Windows 8.1 license. You do not need to enter a product key.

Clean installation using a Windows 10 bootable USB drive This is the most thorough method for upgrading Windows 8.1 to Windows 10.

A clean installation involves completely wiping the drive partition where Windows 8.1 is installed and installing Windows 10 from scratch using a bootable USB drive. This eliminates any old system clutter or corrupted files, but requires you to back up and manually restore your data and reinstall all your applications afterward.

Step 1: Create a Windows 10 bootable USB using the official Microsoft tool.

Step 2: Restart your Windows 8.1 PC. You will need to access your PC's boot menu (often by pressing a key like F2, F12, Esc, or Del immediately after powering on) and select the USB drive as the boot device.

Step 3: The Windows 10 Setup will begin. Select your language and keyboard preferences, and click Next.

Step 4: On the "Which type of installation do you want?" screen, select "Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)."

Step 5: Select the primary partition where Windows 8.1 is currently installed and click Delete (this is why you must have a backup!). Then, select the resulting unallocated space and click Next to install Windows 10.

Windows 10 will install. After the final reboot, follow the on-screen prompts to set up your account and preferences.

It is still technically possible to upgrade from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 is still, but it's important to be aware of a few key points:

Activation: While the original free upgrade offer has officially ended, many users have reported success in activating Windows 10 using a valid Windows 8.1 product key. However, this is not guaranteed, and you may need to purchase a new Windows 10 license.

System Requirements: Ensure your PC meets the minimum requirements for Windows 10 (Processor: 1 GHz or faster, RAM: 1 GB for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit, Hard disk space: 16 GB for 32-bit or 20 GB for 64-bit).

Backup: Always back up all your important files to an external drive or cloud service before starting any major operating system upgrade.

Hello,

You can manually upgrade to Windows 10 using ISO file, refer step-by-step instructions here:

https://www.kapilarya.com/how-to-upgrade-to-windows-10-using-iso-file

Then you can enroll Windows 10 to ESU for getting regular updates.

Let us know if this helps! 

Note: Included link in this reply refers to blog post by a trusted Microsoft MVP.