Windows 10 Free Upgrade Offer To End Soon

Megalith

Megalith

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PSA: At 11:59 p.m. UTC-10 on July 29 (2:59 a.m. Pacific and 5:59 a.m. Eastern on July 30), the free Windows 10 upgrade will no longer be available. If you intend to upgrade, you better do it soon, unless you’re totally okay with paying $120 for W10 Home and $200 for W10 Pro.

There’s really no reason not to upgrade. In fact, if you upgrade and you don’t like Windows 10, you can simply downgrade back. Within the first month of upgrading to Windows 10, you can go back to your previous version of Windows (Settings => Update & security => Recovery) quite easily. And even if you wait more than a month, you can often choose to restore your device to factory settings or simply reinstall an older version of Windows with the original installation media.
 
Microsoft wants people to upgrade to 10, because if they don't they can't expand their app store and Xbox services. If not enough people have upgraded then Microsoft has to start charging for Windows 10, and the adoption rate plummets, then they may have to give Windows 10 away for free. Not something Microsoft wants to do.
 
Make it so, please. Just put it out of it's misery. End it already. Now they're fucking showing me a countdown timer nag. MS you're so desperate that it reeks.
 
I'm surprised they have not just forced (or stopped all support) the update on everyone's Vista/7 machines.

Windows 10 64bit being the only option for everyone. It's not like people would get mad and switch to macOS or Linux.

*Personal PCs not Enterprise
 
I take it the servers over at MS keep track of your PC's info so that if the HD dies, we can reinstall without any problems?
 
Problem is that we all will upgrade at some point... unless you skip W10 completely.
 
I read somewhere that in the future M$ plans to charge a yearly subscription fee. ???

The video says the updates are free but that doesn't answer the question. I learned long ago not to trust M$.
 
deeppow said:
I read somewhere that in the future M$ plans to charge a yearly subscription fee. ???

The video says the updates are free but that doesn't answer the question. I learned long ago not to trust M$.
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who CAN you trust? Apple? At least until windows 7 EOL I doubt windows 10 will suddenly have a glaring flaw that will destroy your soul or take your children and all possessions from you. Perhaps after win7 EOL they will twist the knife, but we'll be screwed either way. in that case, theres always linux.
 
DukenukemX said:
Microsoft wants people to upgrade to 10, because if they don't they can't expand their app store and Xbox services. If not enough people have upgraded then Microsoft has to start charging for Windows 10, and the adoption rate plummets, then they may have to give Windows 10 away for free. Not something Microsoft wants to do.
Click to expand...

Since Windows XP, Windows upgrades haven't really been a big source of distributions for new versions of Windows in the consumer space. Most consumers never bought upgrade copies and that a big part of why Microsoft did the free 10 upgrade offer, most of those who upgraded would have never bought a copy of Windows 10 anyway. A year into it, most consumers who wanted Windows 10 probably already have it and of those that are getting upgraded without thought about it, either through being "tricked" into or not realizing it, that's a market of diminishing returns as well. The next wave of growth for 10 will come from the enterprise, assuming that it will come and I think it will starting in earnest in 2017.

I do think that eventually consumer Windows upgrades will be perpetually free. That's become the norm elsewhere and as pointed out earlier it's not really a large revenue stream anyway and getting people into the Windows Store and other services should offset at least some of the loss of direct license sales.
 
DukenukemX said:
Microsoft wants people to upgrade to 10, because if they don't they can't expand their app store and Xbox services. If not enough people have upgraded then Microsoft has to start charging for Windows 10, and the adoption rate plummets, then they may have to give Windows 10 away for free. Not something Microsoft wants to do.
Click to expand...

Most people just use whatever version of Windows comes with the PC that they buy. Almost all PCs sold now come with Windows 10. If people have not upgraded to Windows 10 over the last year, and instead want to stick with their crusty old Windows 7 PC, I don't think Microsoft really cares. People with PCs that old aren't really their target for things being sold via the app store anyway. When they eventually do buy a new PC, it will have 10 (or newer) on it. Also keep in mind that Microsoft pushing the app store didn't start with 10. 8/8.1 has the app store built in also.
 
mnewxcv said:
who CAN you trust? Apple? At least until windows 7 EOL I doubt windows 10 will suddenly have a glaring flaw that will destroy your soul or take your children and all possessions from you. Perhaps after win7 EOL they will twist the knife, but we'll be screwed either way. in that case, theres always linux.
Click to expand...

I dual boot and have the functionality I need in Linux (Ubuntu). Only reason I continue to use Windows is that I have TONS and TONS of older Office docs, spreadsheets etc. They date back to the early '80s.
 
GotNoRice said:
Most people just use whatever version of Windows comes with the PC that they buy. Almost all PCs sold now come with Windows 10. If people have not upgraded to Windows 10 over the last year, and instead want to stick with their crusty old Windows 7 PC, I don't think Microsoft really cares. People with PCs that old aren't really their target for things being sold via the app store anyway. When they eventually do buy a new PC, it will have 10 (or newer) on it. Also keep in mind that Microsoft pushing the app store didn't start with 10. 8/8.1 has the app store built in also.
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Certainly true! BUT those of us that build our own typically have machines that are equal to or exceed store bought ones ---- unless you want to spend thousands of dollars. We run the OS we want.

My guess would be that maintenance (updates) for older systems (OSs) is a pain plus expensive and that is why M$ wants folks to update. Life becomes much simpler for them if all ran one PC OS.
 
deeppow said:
I read somewhere that in the future M$ plans to charge a yearly subscription fee. ???

The video says the updates are free but that doesn't answer the question. I learned long ago not to trust M$.
Click to expand...

This is the worry. I still have a feeling microsoft is up to something. It's not profitable to just give away OS licences unless there's some sort of catch. A free lunch still costs someone, somewhere.
 
Free does not mean what it used to mean.
If you're happy with Win7 or you have older software/hardware that's incompatible with Win10, there is no compelling reason to upgrade. Windows 7 will continue to get fixes until 2020 ! By then, you'll probably need a new machine anyway, and you'll have to upgrade to a new Windows.​
 
viscountalpha said:
This is the worry. I still have a feeling microsoft is up to something. It's not profitable to just give away OS licences unless there's some sort of catch. A free lunch still costs someone, somewhere.
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lol if they went to a yearly fee.......it would cost them more since many people would say the hell with it. (and some of these people actually buy stuff from the store). I dont see a yearly fee being being in there best interest since their trying to make money off app store
 
So looking forward to Friday. This whole "free upgrade" thing has been such a poorly executed debacle. Hopefully they won't just change the "free upgrade" nag screen to a "buy it now" nag screen or some other half-baked idea. :p
 
deeppow said:
I read somewhere that in the future M$ plans to charge a yearly subscription fee. ???

The video says the updates are free but that doesn't answer the question. I learned long ago not to trust M$.
Click to expand...
It's only speculation at this point. There is no proof.
I don't think they can realistically do it before the support period of W7/8 ends. Because everyone would just move back to those.
 
deeppow said:
I read somewhere that in the future M$ plans to charge a yearly subscription fee. ???

The video says the updates are free but that doesn't answer the question. I learned long ago not to trust M$.
Click to expand...
I would be shocked if they weren't entertaining the idea. They're already doing it with Office 365 and I'm sure the Adobe Creative Cloud model shows it can be successful. The parts are all there - $10/mo for updates and access to the latest version of Windows. Some tier that gets you a discounted rate if you get Office 365 with it as well. Premium tier that includes some expanded amount of OneDrive. Some developer tier that has Azure time bundled in. ... All for an affordable recurring monthly payment. Americans love collecting "affordable" monthly payments.

edit: would be shocked if it doesn't go this way... I think it's proven to be a money printing machine model that would let you have a steady income stream rather than big pushes at product launches. Good for the company and shareholders.. Good for the customer? That's up to you.
 
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If MS included Vista in the free upgrade, I'd probably do it for the old laptop I'm currently using as my main system.... but they didn't :(.
 
Nope, not installing it, even temporarily, because that will overwrite my MBR and I will lose access to Linux.
 
Thinking of putting in my Win 7 Pro key. I don't have a PC to use it for (used a 8 Pro key to upgrade to 10), but I am already on 10 with my desktop/laptop. May as well get an extra 10 Pro key.

My question is, can I plug in another HDD, install Win 7, upgrade to 10, and then wipe the drive/partition and reinstall 10 with my 7 key later down the road? Likewise, if for whatever reason I decide to use 7 on an OS, can I install a .iso for Win 7 and plug in the CD key for it? Or once you upgrade to 10, is the key invalidated for 7?
 
rezerekted said:
Nope, not installing it, even temporarily, because that will overwrite my MBR and I will lose access to Linux.
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You could always disconnect your current drive, toss in a random old hard drive, install onto that, then switch back to your current drive.
 
my problem is I'm sitting on 4 spare w7 keys, but since the upgrade it tied to the hardware, I can't use them for upgrade even if I wanted to. I don't have 4 spare machines sitting around
 
Same basic line of thought as above. I have a spare SSD. My apps and files are on separate drives/discs. I can certainly clone my current Win7 onto my spare SSD, replace my original Win7 drive and "upgrade" to Win10.

BUT does Win10 do something to keep me from interchanging my original Win7 and new Win10 drives. For example, does it do anything to other apps and files that would keep me from interchanging OS drives? I have a friend who claims he lost his documents (Office) in the switch to Win10. He isn't very computer savy so I'm not sure that something else didn't happen.

Anyone done this before?
 
Flogger23m said:
BUT does Win10 do something to keep me from interchanging my original Win7 and new Win10 drives. For example, does it do anything to other apps and files that would keep me from interchanging OS drives? I have a friend who claims he lost his documents (Office) in the switch to Win10. He isn't very computer savy so I'm not sure that something else didn't happen.
Click to expand...

No it won't matter. "Technically" when you upgrade from 7 to 10, the 7 key is "consumed" and can't be used independently after that. In practice it doesn't matter and both will still work and activate just fine. No files should be deleted or made inaccessible by upgrading, though making a backup anyway is never a bad idea.
 
Just remember to keep your win 7/8 (or w/e) key saved. You cant recover the win 10 key with software if you've upgraded and microsoft support's official answer to motherboard replacements without the previous ediiton's key handy is to buy another win 10 key because there isnt a way to recover it, before or after motherboard replacement.
 
deeppow said:
Same basic line of thought as above. I have a spare SSD. My apps and files are on separate drives/discs. I can certainly clone my current Win7 onto my spare SSD, replace my original Win7 drive and "upgrade" to Win10.

BUT does Win10 do something to keep me from interchanging my original Win7 and new Win10 drives. For example, does it do anything to other apps and files that would keep me from interchanging OS drives? I have a friend who claims he lost his documents (Office) in the switch to Win10. He isn't very computer savy so I'm not sure that something else didn't happen.
Click to expand...

I did this on 3 home desktop system.

I cloned the system drive to a spare SSD, and then unplugged the original drive, and plugged in the SSD as the primary drive.
I then booted on the cloned drive and ran the Windows 10 upgrade (downloaded Windows 10 onto a thumb drive to speed the process).

After the upgrade completed, I checked to make sure Windows 10 said it was licensed, and then switched the cables back to the original drive.
All 3 system are still running Windows 7, but since they now have a Windows 10 license, I can upgrade or do a fresh install, as long as I don't swap the system board.

My main system had 3 additional drives connected, and I had no problems when I switched the system drive back to Windows 7.
 
mnewxcv said:
who CAN you trust? Apple? At least until windows 7 EOL I doubt windows 10 will suddenly have a glaring flaw that will destroy your soul or take your children and all possessions from you. Perhaps after win7 EOL they will twist the knife, but we'll be screwed either way. in that case, theres always linux.
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Trust_No_One_tagline.jpg


I've said this is another thread, but it's basically about control. On Windows 7, I can control which updates I get and if I find any cause problems, I can always revert. On Windows 10, I have no choice and I'm screwed if an update breaks on my machine. It's not that I trust Microsoft more or less than when they released Windows 7, it's that Windows 10 is taking away my ability NOT to trust to them if something goes wrong.

heatlesssun said:
And never play new AAA games or use the latest and great desktop software again!
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That's really the short and long of it. My plan right now is hold off a few years until I'm really feeling the pinch by not being on Windows 10 and hopefully by then there will be a de-crapified hacked edition that's patched, without any telemetry, and can prevent updates from drastically changing things.
 
{NG}Fidel said:
As soon as the upgrade is gone people will bitch about the cost.
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Doubtful. Nobody that's held out from Windows 10 for a year is going to complain about anything if MS in fact tries to start charging. Most likely they'll "extend the offer due to popular demand", or repackage it into some similar giveaway marketing scheme with a new name, because they won't suddenly cease being desperate to infect more machines just because it's July 29.
 
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tetris42 said:
That's really the short and long of it. My plan right now is hold off a few years until I'm really feeling the pinch by not being on Windows 10 and hopefully by then there will be a de-crapified hacked edition that's patched, without any telemetry, and can prevent updates from drastically changing things.
Click to expand...

While this isn't a direct fault of Linux top line software and hardware support is the biggest problem facing desktop Linux. It's no different than Windows phones, Windows phones don't even have Pokémon GO. A platform just can't have huge gaps like this in software and be viable. Now if one doesn't need these things, then desktop Linux is fine, like Windows phones would be. But when you have to hem and haw about "you don't need that or use this alternative" it's a huge problem. It just is. If desktop Linux does ever crack this problem then desktop Windows will die off. It's that simple. But it's also a difficult problem to solve when the market numbers aren't there have haven't been there for around two decades for desktop Linux.
 
DPI said:
Doubtful. Nobody that's held out from Spyware 10 for a year is going to complain about anything if MS in fact tries to start charging. Most likely they'll "extend the offer due to popular demand", or repackage it into some similar giveaway marketing scheme with a new name, because they won't suddenly cease being desperate to infect more machines just because it's July 29.
Click to expand...

You keep saying this but for now this is going to end. That's been consistently stated for almost two years now. But eventually I do expect Windows upgrades to become permanently free, like when Windows 7 extended support ends. Upgrading at that point becomes much less controversial in that at least one would be getting a supported OS for one that's not receiving security updates.
 
Well thanks to MS not allowing win 8.1 system builder license to upgrade I can not upgrade for free. Damned if I'll pay MS for what they allowed in all versions of 7 and 8 (only 8 not 8.1)
 
nutzo said:
I did this on 3 home desktop system.

I cloned the system drive to a spare SSD, and then unplugged the original drive, and plugged in the SSD as the primary drive.
I then booted on the cloned drive and ran the Windows 10 upgrade (downloaded Windows 10 onto a thumb drive to speed the process).

After the upgrade completed, I checked to make sure Windows 10 said it was licensed, and then switched the cables back to the original drive.
All 3 system are still running Windows 7, but since they now have a Windows 10 license, I can upgrade or do a fresh install, as long as I don't swap the system board.

My main system had 3 additional drives connected, and I had no problems when I switched the system drive back to Windows 7.
Click to expand...

Thanks nutzo!!! Exactly what I wanted to know.
 
is there an advantage to using another drive vs creating a disk image to save?
 
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