Is there any way I can update directly from Vista to Win 10?

[ishmael23]

Windows 10 software

 

[popatim]

I do not believe that option will be offered. You need to be prepared to do a clean/full install of win10. Vista (and xp) are just too different from 10 for an upgrade to work.

 

[McHenryB]

You will need to buy a copy of Windows 10. And you will need to do a fresh install and then reinstall any programs. Make backup copies (more than one) of any data you wish to keep and restore it when Windows 10 is installed. Make sure that your equipment meets the hardware requirements for Windows 10.

 

[InsaneGenius]

Don't buy windows 10 unless you like it. Instead buy windows 7 it's much cheaper, than do the free upgrade to windows 10 you have a year from july so don't worry.

 

[Joseph DeGarmo]

Pricing for Windows 10 is the same as pricing for Windows 8.1. There might be a chance that Windows 8.1 software may receive price drops when Windows 10 is released. If so, get Windows 8.1 at the lower price point, then upgrade it to Windows 10. Alternatively, you could format the drive and install the Windows 10 insider preview while registering a Microsoft account with Windows Insider. The preview build will then be updated to the official release, but you will remain a beta tester as OS updates in beta format will be forced on you.

 

[plast0000]

you'll have to upgrade to 7 first, or make a clean 8.1 installation

 

[Karsten75]

Alternatively, you could format the drive and install the Windows 10 insider preview while registering a Microsoft account with Windows Insider. The preview build will then be updated to the official release, but you will remain a beta tester as OS updates in beta format will be forced on you.

Just FYI, I believe that since yesterday or so, the Windows Insider install for Windows 10 has been closed.

http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/2015/07/09/announcing-windows-10-insider-preview-build-10166/

Update 7/13: We’re only a couple of weeks away now from our public release of Windows 10, and we’re preparing for the world to begin the upgrade process. Windows Insiders have been the first to see our work on Windows 10 at every stage. Now you will also be the first to get a build flighted to you using the channels that we’ll use for targeting and deploying to PCs for our staged rollout.

We’re suspending the availability of Windows 10 builds briefly while we prepare for that, and the next build that we flight to you will be delivered using the production channels. Starting tomorrow, we will also not be delivering any additional ISOs at this point as we really need Insiders to be using, stressing, and validating our distribution and upgrade processes. We’ll make ISOs available again in the future, but for now we ask you to upgrade your current build via Windows Update once the next build is released.

Specifically, this means that in the next 24hrs:

Builds 10162 and 10166 will no longer be offered over Windows Update, and whatever build you’re on will show as “up to date” if you check for new builds.
ISOs for build 10162 will be taken down from the http://insider.windows.com site and prerelease keys will no longer activate builds.

 

[Eric Bentsen]

I have a vague remembrance that I could upgrade my Vista Ultimate 32 bit to a Digital River Win 7 Ultimate 32 bit and not activate it, then go on to upgrade to Win 8 or Win 10 from there and not lose any files, settings or applications (not a clean install). I don't know if that would be pirate or not.

 

[InsaneGenius]

I have a vague remembrance that I could upgrade my Vista Ultimate 32 bit to a Digital River Win 7 Ultimate 32 bit and not activate it, then go on to upgrade to Win 8 or Win 10 from there and not lose any files, settings or applications (not a clean install). I don't know if that would be pirate or not.

You can upgrade from vista to a corresponding windows 7 edition, depending if you added a product key if you didn't it's most likely a pirate pre-activated

 

[USAFRet]

I have a vague remembrance that I could upgrade my Vista Ultimate 32 bit to a Digital River Win 7 Ultimate 32 bit and not activate it, then go on to upgrade to Win 8 or Win 10 from there and not lose any files, settings or applications (not a clean install). I don't know if that would be pirate or not.

You have a vague remembrance of things wrong.
You will need a valid, activated, license key.