It's frequently updated, and will look familiar to anybody who's used to Windows. One particularly easy-to-use distro is called Mint.

Many are so simple and lightweight you can simply run them off a DVD or USB without having to replace Windows on your device. It's completely open source - therefore free and developed by a community - and comes in a variety of so-called 'distros', or versions. Linux is an alternative operating system that can be installed on practically any computer. If you'd prefer to go back to Windows 7, you can do so by searching for 'updates' in the start menu, then clicking on 'Go back to Windows 7'.Ģ. If your Windows isn't activated, you'll need to buy a licence. Search for 'activation' in the Start Menu and click on it to see whether your Windows 10 licence is activated. Follow the instructions, and when Windows 10 has been fully installed you can check whether you've managed to get it for free or whether you'll need to pay to activate it. Then head to the Windows 10 download site to get the installation started. Otherwise, it may end up being painfully slow. Check your PC exceeds the minimum requirements here.

Windows 7 laptop