Upgrade to Windows 10 with limited features. Accessibility features: where to look. Updating via Upgrade Assistant

Since August 2016, Microsoft has released an exclusive Windows 10 update Anniversary Update, which is designed for people with disabilities. In addition to the many special functions that were implemented in the assembly, its main feature was the ability to switch for free. We will tell you the main differences between the adaptive build and the regular one, where to download it and how to install it.

What are the differences?

Many took this news about the free transition as another way to upgrade to ten for free, because the fundamentally modified version is no different from the main one. But still, this assembly is very useful for users who are somehow limited in their work with a PC. Here are a number of new features that will be very useful for them:

Improved performance of the screen reader. You can increase the speed to 800 words per minute. New voices added. Improved punctuation mode.
The speaker will also receive support for input and output of Braille (for the blind). The version will support most tactile displays, their languages and fonts.
New languages have also been added for the speaker, which will be very useful for reading foreign resources. There is an option for simultaneous dubbing in different languages.
Simplified calling commands from the keyboard, which became similar to popular ones third party programs announcers.
Added scanning mode via CAPS LOCK + SPACE to Microsoft Edge, which allows you to follow links and buttons in the application.
Cortana voice assistant has been adapted and improved.
Office 365 also provides for blind people new technology computer vision, it will be able to describe images in Word and PowerPoint.

In general, there are many improvements and additions that I could write about for a long time. Let's show you how to quickly upgrade to this special version for limited users.

How to update?

So, the developers have simplified it as much as possible this process. You will have to download a small bootloader to your computer, which automatic mode will do everything for you. Next, we do everything point by point:

Here is a visual video instruction for this transition.

If not installed

In principle, the process is quite simple, but there are times when the new assembly simply does not load, for some it reaches 99% and also freezes. In this case, you should check the following:

Try again. Yes, this happens, we just start everything again.
Check your Internet speed and connection stability. Too much low speed or traffic limit may interrupt the connection to Microsoft servers.
Check the availability of the required space (20 GB) on the Disk. Also read again Windows requirements to the iron. We indicated them above.
Before installation, complete all third-party programs and antiviruses. In general, you can use "clean boot" An OS that completely removes everything third-party.
It is also advisable to disable external devices(flash drives, disks, cameras, etc.) except for the mouse and keyboard, of course.
If all else fails, you will need to download ISO image seven on the disk, manually reinstall the system, and then try again to run the update to ten. Let me note right away that you need to download an ISO image of a clean build, that is, without unnecessary software. These are available on resources like all-best.pro.

Conclusion

As you can see, such simple steps will help you quickly switch to this version of Windows 10. In any case, this assembly will be useful to everyone. There is also good news that Microsoft cares about all its users and has so far made this transition permanent. If you have any questions, or if something doesn’t work out, ask below in the comments.

9 comments on “Windows 10 for people with disabilities: installing an update”

Hello, I have 8.1 pirated, I wanted to upgrade to 10 as you wrote above, I open the link but there is no update button now
What to do?

Answer

Hello Ivan. Unfortunately, this freebie from Microsoft is over. Here's what it says: "Proposal for free update For Windows users 7 and Windows 8 with limited capabilities expired December 31, 2017."
Answer

Thank you. Interesting article. I switched to ten without any problems in an hour.

Answer

Developers from Microsoft surprised their users in 2016 - free distribution of Windows 10. Everyone could download a full-fledged OS or upgrade to it from previous versions completely free of charge. However, in the summer the promotion was closed. But the company left it for people with disabilities, which can be used for its intended purpose, or as an ordinary operating system, since they are practically no different. In this article we will look at the special Windows 10, where to download it and what features it has.

Where to download?

All actions are performed on the official Microsoft website. You can also download the updater from the update page. On it you must click the “Update Now” button and wait for the download to complete.

Users have two options for installing Windows 10 for people with disabilities - download the distribution kit and burn it to a USB flash drive, or download the update current version with the help of a special master. Let's consider both options.

First method

Microsoft removed the feature free download regular version, but they added an OS with special features and promise that this version will always be available for free download on the official website. Download MediaCreationTool.exe and run it. Wait until the wizard prepares the program for use. Next follow these steps:

On the first screen, confirm license agreement button "Accept".
Next, select “Create installation media.”
Set the required settings (operating system language, edition, and architecture).
Select the type of device to record to (flash drive or disk).
Connect the media to your computer. Select it from the list in the wizard.
Next, the program will begin downloading system files and copying to external media.

Now you need to remove the flash drive and restart the computer. IN BIOS menu set the boot priority to the USB flash drive, or boot from it manually. Next will begin Windows installation 10 for people with disabilities. Then follow the instructions. The installation will begin after you have selected all the options. Installation will not take more than half an hour:

On the first screen, select Install.
Next you need to decide hard section disk. If necessary, you can “split” the media into sections and format them.
Next, the version and architecture of the future OS version is selected. Everything presented in the installer is Windows with accessibility features.
Next the program will start copying system files on hard drive. During the operation, the computer may restart several times.
After installation is complete, you need to select a name for the PC, set a password, configure a defender, and so on.

Remember what you are installing licensed version"Windows". Activation occurs only if you have upgraded from a license previous version operating system. If you use a pirated copy, then for the “ten” you will have to look for an activator.

Second method

To upgrade to Windows 10 for people with disabilities, you will need a program that can be downloaded from the official website. Run the update wizard and wait while it scans for the need for an update. Afterwards the program will start downloading files and installing them. Finally, restart your computer and run initial settings systems. As you can see, the second option is more convenient if you use Windows 7 or 8, or early version Windows 10

Using each method, you install the latest build at the moment - 1703. Further updates are already installed through the update center in the operating system settings.

Differences from the regular version

At first glance you will not notice any differences between standard and special versions. Therefore, Windows 10 for people with disabilities can be used instead of a regular OS. IN latest build the developers tried to improve the set of special features, eliminate bugs associated with their stable work, and expand functionality. All of it is listed below:

Screen magnifier.
On-screen keyboard.
Contrast.
Subtitles.
Narrator.

Some of the special functions include: voice assistant Cortana. Unfortunately, it cannot be used in the Russian version of the operating system, so Cortana will only be useful to people who know at least English language at a basic level. After upgrading to Windows 10 for people with disabilities, go to “Settings”, open the “Time and language” section, then “Region and language”, and then change language options in English. Click on “Use as primary language”, after which the system will download the necessary language files. Restart your computer. You should now be able to launch and use Cortana from the Start menu.

Now you know what Windows difference 10 for people with disabilities from the usual one, and you can decide whether it is advisable to install one version or another on your computer. Let's take a closer look at the special functionality - how to enable, configure and use.

Magnifier

The first feature from Windows 10 for people with disabilities is They can be launched from the Start menu in the Accessibility section. After launch magnifier A small window with settings will appear in which you can:

Change the zoom scale.
Change the zoom type (window or full screen).

When you remove the cursor from the application window, it takes the form of an almost invisible magnifying glass on the screen. Thus, running program does not interfere with computer work from a visual point of view.

Narrator

This assistant comments on everything that happens on the screen and pronounces your actions. It has many settings and hotkey combinations that can be configured through Options and found in Windows Help.

In addition to the screen reader, it is now possible to connect a Braille display. For correct operation you need to download the drivers and connect the device in “Settings” - “Narrator” - “Enable Braille”. Select your display manufacturer and computer connection type.

On-screen keyboard

A feature that migrated to the version of Windows 10 for people with disabilities from previous generations of the OS. When turned on, a large window appears on the screen, copying the keyboard layout. The window can be resized. Detailed settings are also found in Settings.

There is a separate item in the parameters for mouse settings. In them you can change the color of the pointer, enable the ability to move the cursor using numeric keypad and configure related settings.

Other functions

Here you can configure subtitles that duplicate the audio from the videos. They can be customized by language, letter size, color, and so on. Contrast is applied to the entire operating system interface, including the cursor. There is a preview window for the contrasting theme.

Also, if necessary, you can enable/disable the display of standard animations of the operating system interface, switch stereo/mono sound, configure Windows notifications, etc.

Bottom line

Upgrading to Windows 10 for people with disabilities won't take you long more than an hour. If you need special ones, use our installation instructions. In case you need a licensed version of the OS - this option is the only way to obtain it. Without enabling the described functions Windows version 10 for people with disabilities is no different from the regular one, so you won’t notice the difference in everyday use.

In future versions of the OS, developers promise to develop functionality and add new features that will allow users with health limitations to work comfortably with a computer or laptop.

Windows 10, like older versions of the system, has additional functionality for people with disabilities. We are talking about various options and programs that make it easier for such users to work with the device. But it was with Windows 10 that developers began regularly updating these accessibility features, offering much more flexible settings.

Windows 10 review for people with disabilities

IN anniversary update Windows 10 has changed many system options. They consist in the fact that a number of accessibility settings have become more detailed:

Differences from the regular version of Windows 10

It is worth understanding that Windows 10 for people with disabilities is not a separate version of the operating system. You will find all the necessary options in each version of Windows, as well as the capabilities conventional system will be present in the version for people with disabilities. But the way to boot this system is significantly different:

Installing Windows 10 for people with disabilities

The installation process for updating to Windows 10 itself is as follows:

Update your system to latest version, which is available through the update center. This must be Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1.
You need to download the helper Windows update 10. Previously it was located on special page on the official Microsoft website and anyone could download it from there. But at the beginning of 2018, this opportunity became unavailable. You will still have to look for it in unofficial sources.
Previously, the update was available directly on the official Microsoft website, but now you will have to look for it in other sources
After downloading, run installation file.
Run Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant
Review and accept the license agreement to continue with the installation.
Accept the license agreement to continue installation
Your system will be checked for compliance system requirements. Just wait.
Your computer will be checked to ensure it meets Windows 10 requirements
Once the update is downloaded, you will need to restart your computer. After half an hour, it will restart automatically, so complete all your tasks before then.
Wait until the update is downloaded and ready for installation
Further installation of the update will be performed automatically, without user intervention.

Anyone can use the Windows 10 upgrade method for people with disabilities. None additional checks This is not done by Microsoft, so everything remains up to the user.

Video: An easy way to upgrade to Windows 10 for free

Problems with installing the update and their solutions

Since the installation is performed using the Update Assistant, there may not be many errors during the update. Here are the most common of them:

Despite the fact that the developers covered up the method official update to Windows 10 this January, you can still upgrade and get a licensed version of the new operating system for free. To do this, you need to download the update assistant, which was previously used to update users with disabilities for free. Now that you know how to perform this update, the process itself should not be too difficult.

In general, most people consider the Windows 10 operating system as something ordinary and generally accepted, which is why few people think about the fact that this OS is something more, and it has many more features that can be used even by those people who have different kind of restrictions. It is clear that there are much fewer people with disabilities than those who have everything in order, but in any case, Microsoft does not stop developing a highly specialized area of its operating system so that everyone who needs it can use it.

It is also worth noting that it is the “ten” on at the moment is one of the operating systems that really works for everyone, always, which allows it to be used everywhere. So, we simply could not leave this software without attention, and now we will tell you everything, explain the main functions that will be interesting to you, as a “special” person.

Colorblind users using Windows 10

One of the few operating systems that can allow itself to be configured in such a way that the color gamut of certain areas software looked more realistic and had the most “correct” appearance.

Thanks to fine-tuning the color scheme, a user who has problems with color blindness can no longer feel like some kind of outcast who sees the usual ordinary person the colors are brighter, sometimes even acidic, which turns time spent at the computer into a real hell for the eyes. This will no longer happen, since there is a special option that allows you to perform color correction, which turns the recently bright and very acid colors visible to a colorblind person into something pleasantly perceived by vision.

Using Windows 10 by people without limbs

This is another one of the biggest positive aspects of using Windows 10 for disabled people, since the OS has excellent software in the form of a voice assistant named Cortana, which allows you to work fully with the computer without using a mouse and keyboard. Of course, it is worth understanding that at the moment there are some limitations in the work of such a plan, but Microsoft is not going to stop there and wants to continue to develop Cortana so that it only gets better and has maximum opportunities for using it with the help of voice commands.

By the way, working with Cortana is very convenient and if you want, it will be possible to give it almost unlimited possibilities on your computer, which will allow the program to run with just your voice: the necessary program, set the correct time, set an alarm, search necessary information on the Internet, read texts, etc. So, even if you do not have the physical ability to influence the computer, you can always use voice control.

Using Windows 10 for deaf people

Another rather interesting innovation in the “top ten” is that it has the ability to duplicate all audio: warnings, messages, updates, etc. in the form of visual icons, which are clearly visible even if the PC user is not able to hear any the sounds around him.

Using Windows 10 for blind people

This may seem like science fiction to some, but modern world even a person who does not have vision can use the computer 100% and Microsoft has done a good job for this. In order for the blind to use a PC, a special keyboard with Braille fonts was developed, and the assistant himself learned to recognize Braille font in any of its manifestations, which allows even blind people to communicate at a distance - using only a computer. By the way, technology here has come so far that it can allow a blind person not only to communicate, but also to read texts in any of their manifestations, and if necessary, the program will even describe the visual features of figures that are in the Office 365 application.

Thus, a person with visual limitations is not alone with himself, but has full opportunities to communicate and do everything on the computer that his friends and relatives do.

Our opinion about using Windows 10 disabled

In fact, this is exactly what people need who, for one reason or another, have completely lost the ability to hear, see, distinguish colors, use their hands, etc. Exactly Windows 10 for disabled people there will be no time yet limited person see a lot of opportunities to develop and not stop for a second, because behind this operating system a future that will allow anyone who expresses their desire to go there.

One of the main modern trends is caring for people with health problems. This manifests itself in literally everything, including software development. All development technologies include tools that allow you to build advanced functionality into software. Microsoft also took notice and created Windows 10 for people with disabilities.

The free Windows 10 upgrade offer for people with disabilities runs until December 31, 2017.

Windows 10 for people with disabilities - what's the difference?

The Anniversary Update gives you access to more fine tuning computer for use. Let's list some of them:

Increased speaker speed. It can now be adjusted to higher WPM (800).
The announcer includes new languages such as Catalan for example.
Narrator hotkeys have been brought into line with other similar software.
By pressing CapsLock+Space, scanning mode is activated. The space bar activates the desired object (link or button).
6 levels of speech. At zero, the announcer simply pronounces the text, and at first, he already comments on the type of text, for example, the title. The next steps of detail include color, formatting, etc.
Added a punctuation mode that allows you to highlight punctuation marks with your voice. You can customize it as desired, from complete rejection to highlighting mathematical symbols.
Automatic suggestions when speaking text. This voice analog hints when entering, for example in the search bar. When you start typing search query in the application's search field, you hear sentences that the system has selected based on its thesaurus. With Narrator, you will now receive a verbal hint with an audio indication when these offers are available.
Feedback. By pressing the key combination Caps+E+E when launching Narrator, a form appears feedback with Microsoft. You will be able to send comments and suggestions.

Let's compare the settings of standard special Windows functions 10 PRO and for people with disabilities. We tested PRO version and Windows 10 for people with disabilities. There are no visible differences, as in regular version All the same functions are built in. They are located in the section " Accessibility", which can be found in the main menu.

Let's start with the voice assistant. It is not available because the language is not supported.

The onscreen keyboard looks like this:

Magnifier can be quickly customized.

Narrator has many flexible settings.

No differences were found between the two versions; all settings are absolutely identical.

Upgrade to Windows 10 for people with disabilities

You can download Windows 10 for people with disabilities at

Visit the website and click the “Update Now” button.

After this, the download of the distribution will begin. When finished, you will see this file in the downloads.

Read the information and agree.

At the same time, you can continue working on your PC. After finishing, you will be asked to boot, and will be given half an hour to complete all tasks and save documents.

Activation of Windows 10 for users with disabilities is seamless. If you bet on already activated system with the entered key, new version independently receives this data and you become the owner of the licensed version.

So, we told you how to install Microsoft Windows 10 for people with disabilities. By and large, the differences from normal installation there is none, so you can easily cope with it.