A while ago, Microsoft pushed the "Get Windows 10" app via its Windows Update channels. The app is supposed to help you reserve a Windows 10 copy for your computer, once it is officially released to the general public. However, many users didn't get this app and couldn't reserve their Windows 10 copies, even if, theoretically, they met all the requirements. This article will help you check if you meet the requirements for being eligible to a free Windows 10 upgrade, and also troubleshoot some issues that may stop your device from getting the reservation app.

Note: This guide is sharing information on how to enable the "Get Windows 10" app on a Windows device that didn't get it yet. If you already have the app in your system tray, then these two guides might prove useful to you:

• How To Reserve Your Free Upgrade To Windows 10
• How To Disable The "Get Windows 10" Icon And Notifications

Why You Might Not Have The "Get Windows 10" App On Your Windows Device

According to Microsoft, there are several reasons why you might not have the "Get Windows 10" app on your device. You can find them all listed among the official Windows 10 frequently asked questions, here: Windows 10 Q&A. However, for your convenience, you can also check them below:

1. Your device isn't up-to-date with at least Windows 7 Service Pack 1 or Windows 8.1 Update.
2. Windows Update is turned off or is not set to receive updates automatically.
3. You've blocked or uninstalled the necessary Windows Update service.
4. Your device is not running genuine Windows.
5. Your device is running Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8/8.1 Enterprise, or Windows RT/RT 8.1, which are excluded from the reservation offer.
6. Your device is managed as part of a school or business network, in which case you'll have to check with your IT administrator about upgrading to Windows 10.
7. PCs that Microsoft determines cannot run Windows 10 will not see the "Get Windows 10" app before July 29th. After July 29th, the icon will be enabled in the system tray. This is to help ensure that you can easily check your PC's compatibility if you choose.

How To Fix The Issues That Stop You From Having The "Get Windows 10" App

As you've seen, there are multiple reasons why you might not have received the "Get Windows 10" app. This is what you should do in order to fix the issues stopping you from getting the app:

1. Run Windows Update and install any available updates.

Once each and every available update is installed on your device, the first three issues we listed in the previous section should be resolved.

If you need guidance on how to run Windows Update and/or install updates for your device, check these guides:

• Check for Windows Updates, Learn What They Do & Block Those You Don't Need
• Configure How Windows Update Works In Windows 7 & Windows 8.1

2. If you own a genuine Windows license, make sure it's activated.

If you don't have a legal Windows copy, you are not eligible for the free Windows 10 upgrade. However, it's possible that you have a genuine license, but Windows thinks it's not, so it doesn't activate itself. If Windows is not activated, your device might not be able to download and install updates via Windows Update. In such situations, you'll have to force Windows to activate.

If you need help in determining whether your Windows copy is activated or not, check these guides:

• How to Learn If Your Copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8 is Activated
• What to do When Windows 8 Says Your Genuine Product Key is Not Valid?

3. If none of the conditions we listed in the first section of this article apply to you, you can run a script that verifies if your device meets all the prerequisites and then turns on the "Get Windows 10" app.

This fix is based on some information shared on this Microsoft Answers community forum: I want to reserve my free copy of Windows 10, but I don't see the icon on the taskbar.

Open Notepad or any other text editor and create a text file with the following content:

REG QUERY "HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionAppCompatFlagsUpgradeExperienceIndicators" /v UpgEx | findstr UpgEx


if "%errorlevel%" == "0" GOTO RunGWX

reg add "HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionAppCompatFlagsAppraiser" /v UtcOnetimeSend /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

schtasks /run /TN "MicrosoftWindowsApplication ExperienceMicrosoft Compatibility Appraiser"

:CompatCheckRunning

schtasks /query /TN "MicrosoftWindowsApplication ExperienceMicrosoft Compatibility Appraiser"

schtasks /query /TN "MicrosoftWindowsApplication ExperienceMicrosoft Compatibility Appraiser" | findstr Ready

if NOT "%errorlevel%" == "0" ping localhost >nul &goto :CompatCheckRunning

:RunGWX

schtasks /run /TN "MicrosoftWindowsSetupgwxrefreshgwxconfig"

Then, save this file under the name of ReserveWin10.cmd, somewhere on your device.

Once the .cmd file is created and saved, you'll need to run it. To do so, first open a Command Prompt with administrative rights. One of the fastest ways to do it is to type "cmd" on Windows 8.1's Start screen or in the search box from Windows 7's Start Menu, then right click the Command Prompt result and select Run as administrator.

Then, run the file we've previously created. Type its location and name inside the Command Prompt and press Enter. For example, if you saved the ReserveWin10.cmd file in a folder called Temp found on your D: drive, you should write:

D:TempReserveWin10.cmd

If everything is OK, you will get a success message and the "Get Windows 10" app should pop up in the system tray.

However, if issues are found, the script can run for 10 to 30 minutes. During this whole time, you will see status reports, so all you have to do is be patient. If all the prerequisites are met by the time this script ends, you'll have the "Get Windows 10" app on your device.

If, unfortunately, the script fails and all you get is an infinite loop, it means that you don't have the prerequisite Windows updates installed. If that's the case, run Windows Update to download and install all the updates available for your device. Also, to force the script to stop, simultaneously press Ctrl + C on your keyboard.

Conclusion

If you want to reserve your free Windows 10 upgrade, but you don't have the "Get Windows 10" app, there are still a few things you can do to get it. In this article we showed you all we've found about this. However, even if nothing works, you should only be patient and wait for July 29th, when Windows 10 will be officially released. Only then will you know for sure if Windows 10 will work for you or not. On July 29th, you'll have the "Get Windows 10" app, and it will help you identify any compatibility issue between your device and Windows 10.