It’s a year since Microsoft released Windows 10, its newest version of the Windows operating system. Today, as promised earlier, Microsoft started pushing out Anniversary Update for Windows 10.

What’s new in Windows 10 Anniversary Update

For beginners, Windows 10 Anniversary Update is the second major update to Windows 10 operating system from Microsoft. The first major update was released back in November 2015.

The Anniversary Update is completely free for PCs running activated copies of Windows 10. In addition to various fixes, the Anniversary Update brings several new features and improvements to Windows 10.

Windows Ink, improved Cortana, Edge browser extensions, Bash in Windows, Start menu improvements, and Windows Store improvements are the highlights of the Anniversary Update.

Microsoft started rolling out Anniversary Update for Windows 10 just a few minutes back, and your Windows 10 PC should automatically download the update in the next few days unless you have disabled Windows Update feature. That said, since over 350 million PCs are running Windows 10, you might need to wait for a few weeks to see the update on your PC.

None of your installed programs and apps will be removed while installing the update. Likewise, your data will be preserved.

Downloading and installing Windows 10 Anniversary Update

Complete the given below directions to install Windows 10 Anniversary Update on your Windows 10 PC.

NOTE: Before checking and downloading the Anniversary Update, make sure that you have at least 10 GB of free space on your system drive (Windows 10 drive). If you don’t have sufficient free space, you can safely delete temporary files or use CCleaner software to free up some disk space.

Step 1: Navigate to Settings > Update & security > Windows Update.

Step 2: Click the Check for updates button to let Windows 10 check for all available updates. If available for your PC, the Windows Update will automatically start downloading the Anniversary update. Note that Anniversary Update will appear as Feature update to Windows 10, version 1607.

Step 3: Once the Anniversary update is downloaded, your PC will be scheduled to restart out active hours to begin installing the downloaded update. Alternatively, you can manually download your PC once the update is downloaded to begin installing the update.

Step 4: Depending on your PC’s hardware configuration, the update might need up to a few hours to complete the installation. Your PC will be restarted a couple of times during the process.

Step 5: Once the update is installed, you will be taken to the lock screen. Sign in to your account. You should see the Windows 10 Anniversary update desktop in a few minutes.