windows 10 download current version Get the Windows 10 May 2021 Update. When the Windows 10 May 2021 Update is ready for your device, it will be available to download from the Windows Update page in Settings. Choose a time that works best for you to download the update. You'll then need to restart your device and complete the installation. After that, your device will be running Windows 10, version 21H1. (To check whether you're already running the May 2021 Update, select View update history on the Windows Update settings page.) Also note the following: If you want to install the update now, select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update , and then select Check for updates . If updates are available, install them. If version 21H1 isn't offered automatically through Check for updates , you can get it manually through the Update Assistant. If you run into problems updating your device, including problems with previous major updates, see common fixes at Troubleshoot problems updating Windows 10, or use Fix Windows update issues to step you through the troubleshooting process. If you're warned by Windows Update that you don't have enough space on your device to install the update, see Free up space. If you experience internet connection issues while updating your device, see Fix network connection issues in Windows. If you're still running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 and want to make the move to Windows 10, you can learn more at Upgrade to Windows 10: FAQ. Get Windows Media Player. Windows Media Player is available for Windows-based devices. Use this table to find the right version of the Player for your system. (If you've got a Mac, you can download Windows Media Components for QuickTime to play Windows Media files.) Windows Media Player 12 Learn more. Included in clean installs of Windows 10 as well as upgrades to Windows 10 from Windows 8.1 or Windows 7. In some editions of Windows 10, it's included as an optional feature that you can enable. To do that, select the Start button, then select Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Manage optional features > Add a feature > Windows Media Player , and select Install . DVD playback isn't included. Go to the DVD playback for Windows page to find out how to add DVD playback to Windows 10. Windows Media Player 12 Learn more. Included in Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 Pro, but doesn't include DVD playback. Go to the DVD playback for Windows page to find out how to add DVD playback to Windows 8.1. For Windows Media Player 12 for Windows 8.1 N and KN editions, get the Media Feature Pack. Windows Media Player isn't available for Windows RT 8.1. Windows Media Player 12 Learn more. Included in Windows 7 Starter, Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions. For Windows 7 N or KN editions, get the Media Feature Pack. Windows Media Components for QuickTime. If you want to reinstall Windows Media Player, try the following: Click the Start button, type features , and select Turn Windows features on or off . Scroll down and expand Media Features , clear the Windows Media Player check box, and click OK . Restart your device. Windows Media Player should be uninstalled. Scroll down and expand Media Features , select the Windows Media Player check box, and click OK . Restart your device. Windows Media player should now be reinstalled. Note: To troubleshoot issues like playback and codec problems, see the "Get help" section in Windows Media Player. Download Windows 10 Disc Image (ISO File) Before updating, please refer to the Windows release information status for known issues to confirm your device is not impacted. You’ve been routed to this page because the operating system you’re using won’t support the Windows 10 media creation tool and we want to make sure that you can download Windows 10. To use the media creation tool, visit the Microsoft Software Download Windows 10 page from a Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 device. You can use this page to download a disc image (ISO file) that can be used to install or reinstall Windows 10. The image can also be used to create installation media using a USB flash drive or DVD. Make sure you have: An internet connection (internet service provider fees may apply). Sufficient available data storage for the download, on a computer, USB or external drive. A blank USB flash drive with at least 5 GB of space or blank DVD (and DVD burner) if you want to create media. We recommend using a blank USB or blank DVD, because any content on it will be deleted. When burning a DVD from an ISO file, if you are told the disc image file is too large you will need to use Dual Layer (DL) DVD Media. Check these things on the PC on which you want to install Windows 10: 64-bit or 32-bit processor (CPU). You’ll create either the 64-bit or 32-bit version of Windows 10 that’s appropriate for your CPU. To check this on your PC, go to PC info in PC settings or System in Control Panel, and look for System type . System requirements. See the system requirements before installing Windows 10. We also recommend that you visit your PC manufacturer's website for info about updated drivers and hardware compatibility. Language in Windows. You'll need to choose the same language when you install Windows 10. To see what language you're currently using, go to Time and language in PC settings or Region in Control Panel. Edition of Windows. You should also choose the same edition of Windows. To check which edition you're currently running, go to PC info in PC settings or System in Control Panel and look for Windows edition . Windows 10 Enterprise isn’t available here. Please see the Volume Licensing Service Centre for more information. Microsoft Office products. If you just purchased a new device that includes Office 365, we recommend redeeming (installing) Office before upgrading to Windows 10. To redeem your copy of Office, please see Download and install Office 365 Home, Personal or University on your PC. For more information, check How to upgrade to Windows 10 on new devices that include Office 365. If you have Office 2010 or earlier and choose to perform a clean install of Windows 10, you will need to locate your Office product key. For tips on locating your product key, check Find your Office 2010 product key or Enter the product key for your Office 2007 program. Latest Windows Service Packs and Updates. An updated list of the latest Windows service packs and major updates. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn. Tweet Share Email. Microsoft regularly releases major updates to its Windows operating systems. Formerly, those updates pushed through comprehensive service packs, but more often these days, they're semi-regular and significant updates through Windows Update. In fact, in Windows 10 and Windows 8, the service pack, as we know it from previous versions of Windows, is essentially a dead idea. Much like updates on your smartphone, Microsoft is continually adding major features through automatic patching. Latest Major Updates to Windows 10. As of August 2021, the last major update to Windows 10 is Windows 10 Version 21H1, referred to as the Windows 10 May 2021 Update . Updating is automatic through Windows Update. You can read more about the individual fixes and improvements on Microsoft's What's New in Windows 10 Version 21H1. Latest Major Updates to Windows 8. As of August 2021, the latest major update for Windows 8 is the confusingly named Windows 8.1 Update. If you've already updated to Windows 8.1, the easiest way to update to Windows 8.1 Update is through Windows Update. See instructions for manually installing Windows 8.1 Update in the Download Windows 8.1 Update section of our Windows 8.1 Update Facts piece. If you're not already running Windows 8.1, see How to Update to Windows 8.1 for detailed instructions on applying the Windows 8.1 update. When that's done, update to Windows 8.1 Update through Windows Update. Microsoft isn't planning another big update to Windows 8, like a Windows 8.2 or Windows 8.1 Update 2 . New features, if available, will instead be pushed through updates on Patch Tuesday. Latest Microsoft Windows Service Packs (Windows 7, Vista, XP) The most recent Windows 7 service pack is SP1, but a Convenience Rollup for Windows 7 SP1 (basically an otherwise-named Windows 7 SP2) is also available which installs all patches between the release of SP1 (February 22, 2011) through April 12, 2016. The latest service packs for other versions of Microsoft Windows include Windows Vista SP2, Windows XP SP3, and Windows 2000 SP4. In the table below are links that take you directly to the latest Microsoft Windows service packs and major updates for each operating system. These updates are free. The easiest way to install the latest Windows service pack or update is to run Windows Update. Download Links for Windows Updates & Service Packs Operating System Service Pack / Update Size (MB) Download Windows 7 Convenience Rollup (April 2016) 2 316.0 32-bit Convenience Rollup (April 2016) 2 476.9 64-bit SP1 (windows6.1-KB976932-X86.exe) 541.9 32-bit SP1 (windows6.1-KB976932-X64.exe) 912.4 64-bit Windows Vista 3 SP2 475.5 32-bit SP2 745.2 64-bit Windows XP SP3 4 316.4 32-bit SP2 5 350.9 64-bit Windows 2000 SP4 588 (KB) 32-bit. [1] Beginning in Windows 8, Microsoft began releasing regular, major updates to Windows 8. Service packs will not be released. [2] Windows 7 SP1 and the April 2015 Servicing Stack Update both must be installed prior to installing the Convenience Rollup. [3] Windows Vista SP2 can only be installed if you already have Windows Vista SP1 installed, which you can download here for both 32-bit 64-bit version. [4] Windows XP SP3 can only be installed if you already have Windows XP SP1a or Windows XP SP2 installed. If you do not have one or the other of those service packs installed, install SP1, available here, before trying to install Windows XP SP3. [5] Windows XP Professional is the only 64-bit version of Windows XP and the latest service pack released for the operating system is SP2. New Windows 10 May 2021 update is here: How to download and everything else to know. Microsoft's newest Windows 10 update, version 21H1, is rolling out now. Here's how to download the May 2021 update and all of the features it includes. The latest Windows 10 update is rolling out to devices now. Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images. The Windows 10 May 2021 Update (also known as version 21H1) started rolling out to compatible devices last Tuesday, Microsoft said in a blog post. The operating system update is the latest since the October 2020 update , and includes a few new features like Windows Hello multicamera support and security fixes. (If you're running Windows 7 ($28 at Amazon) , you can still download Windows 10 free to get the May 2021 update and avoid security issues .) While there are a few useful new features, it seems that Microsoft is using this smaller update cycle to prepare for a larger Windows 10 UI update, reportedly code-named Sun Valley, that will be part of Microsoft's renewed focus on Windows 10 that executives mentioned last year. On Wednesday at the Microsoft Build developer's conference, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella teased the next update , saying the company is planning "one of the most significant updates of Windows of the past decade," and that Microsoft plans to unveil the new version "very soon." We won't know exactly what that update includes until it's formally revealed, but we've collected some rumors below. Here's what to know about Windows 10 version 21H1, and what it could mean for the future of the OS. Stay current on the latest Microsoft news, plus reviews and advice on Windows PCs. What is Windows 10 version 21H1? Windows 10 version 21H1 is Microsoft's latest update to the OS, and started rolling out on May 18. It's also called the Windows 10 May 2021 update. Usually, Microsoft releases a larger feature update in the spring and a smaller one in the fall. But version 21H1, though a spring update, is a more minor update rather than an overhaul. What new features does the Windows 10 May 2021 update include? According to a February Microsoft blog post, new Windows 10 features include: Multicamera support for Windows Hello, allowing users to choose an external camera when using high-end displays with integrated cameras. Improvements to Windows Defender Application Guard, including optimizing document opening scenario times. Improvements to Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Group Policy Service (GPSVC) updating, to support remote work. "The features we are releasing in this update are focused on the core experiences that customers have told us they're relying on most right now," the post said. "So, we optimized this release to support our customers' most pressing needs." According to Digital Trends, the update also includes new icons, updated settings pages and some tweaks to Cortana and the search box experience. How can I download the Windows 10 May 2021 update? The May 2021 update began rolling out on May 18 to select devices, starting with those running Windows 10 version 2004 or later. Not all devices will be offered the update right away, so try to be patient until it reaches yours. There also may be some compatibility issues, according to Microsoft's blog post -- if that happens, Microsoft has a safeguard hold in place and will not offer you the update until the team is confident that you'll have a good update experience. When the May 2021 update is available to you, you'll be able to download it by going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update , and clicking Check for Updates . If available, you'll see Feature update to Windows 10, version 21H1 . Click Download and install . This marks the first time an H1 (first half of the calendar year) feature update is being delivered using Microsoft's servicing technology. That means it'll arrive the same way that monthly Windows 10 updates do. It's also the same way the October 2020 update was released. If you're already running either Windows 10 version 2004 or version 20H2, it'll be a fast installation process to get the newest update. What's this bigger Windows 10 update that could be coming next? On an October 2020 earnings call, Nadella said that Microsoft is "doubling down" on Windows and PCs, and will continue to innovate. This could take the form of a major OS update for Windows 10 later this year that would bring a major design refresh to the UI, according to a report from Windows Central. The update, reportedly code-named Sun Valley, could bring a redesigned Start menu, Action Center and File Explorer, with a more modern look and new features. Sun Valley is expected to be released around the 2021 holiday season, Windows Central says, but that could change. Again, at the Microsoft Build conference on May 25, Nadella teased the next Windows 10 update , saying the company is planning "one of the most significant updates of Windows of the past decade," and that Microsoft plans to unveil the new version "very soon." Another factor: Microsoft said that its Windows 10X OS designed for dual-screen devices like the Surface Duo and the Surface Neo will not come to market this year, as Microsoft originally intended. Instead, Microsoft will build parts of that technology into other parts of Windows and products from the company, the May 18 blog post said.