If you're the type who plans to stay up late to be one of the first people to grab Windows 10 on July 29, you might want to save yourself the trouble. Get some sleep, because it's possible that you might not get your big update that day, or even the day after.
Yes, July 29 is the official release day for Windows 10. But with such a large group to upgrade (one billion eligible devices, according to Microsoft), the rollout will take some time, Redmond explained today.
First, Microsoft will soon send Windows 10 to PC makers so they can add the operating system to new machines that will hit stores this summer and throughout the back-to-school season. Then retailers will get it, so they know what they're talking about when customers come in asking question.
On July 29, meanwhile, Windows Insiders will have first dibs on Windows 10, Microsoft's Terry Myerson, executive vice president of operating systems, said in a blog post. Windows Insiders are those who signed up to test Windows 10 during the beta process.
"From there, we will start notifying reserved systems in waves, slowly scaling up after July 29th. Each day of the rollout, we will listen, learn, and update the experience for all Windows 10 users," Myerson said. "If you reserved your copy of Windows 10, we will notify you once our compatibility work confirms you will have a great experience, and Windows 10 has been downloaded on your system."
If you haven't reserved Windows 10, this guide will walk you through it.
If the Windows 10 upgrade process detects an issue with your system, it will notify you prior to the update. You might still be able to update, as long as you don't mind that some of your devices might not work as expected once you jump over to the new OS.
Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education won't be ready until Aug. 1. Only Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Home will launch on July 29.