Windows 10: Can't use win 7, 8, 8.1 keys after July 29th

That will be the first step. It won't matter what install media you use, no more free upgrades. The anniversary update will "likely" have all the free upgrade code striped out. Crosses fingers.

 

I wonder if it is a bit more subtle than that i.e. it checks for a key and if it finds one, it still activates with a digital licence and you still get a generic 10 key. It could be effectively reupgrading very time, reregistering the digital licence each time. No way to tell as end result is the same. I could see this possible being more efficient though .

In any case, if it does not find a key, it has to search for the digital licence anyway.

 

The free upgrade code is not in Windows 10 on the user's computer. The free upgrade is on Microsoft servers and on July 29th they will simply turn that off.

 

It may still check for OEM keys. and install the matching version, then check for a digital entitlement. If there is one it activates, if there isn't it doesn't activate. No new one issued after the 29th.

I really hope they don't do that. Anybody that buys a Retail 10 Pro and does a clean install on a Windows 8/8.1 OEM PC, will most likely end up with an un activated 10 Home. And then do a WTF? Then spend hours trying figure out why? Most OEM PC's ship with Core, not Pro. Or even worse, you buy 10 Home and end up with an un activated 10 Pro because the OEM key was for Pro. Doing a change key will not bail you out of that one.

 

I could have explained it better, but what I meant by the "free upgrade code striped out" is removing the auto detection of 8/8.1 OEM keys etc on a clean install. That was only added to make the free upgrade easier.

 

I don't think that will get stripped out. Microsoft is still going to want to make things as easy as possible for inexperienced computer users to run and fix Windows 10. And besides, insider build 14393 still checks for the product keys in BIOS/UEFI. If they haven't stripped it out yet, I don't see them doing it before the RTM release.

 

There are advantages to leaving it in, and disadvantages. What does a user do if they buy 10 Home and end up with an un activated 10 Pro because the OEM 8/8.1 key was for Pro? Doing a change key will not bail you out of that one. Also consider, that if it's an optical disk, it can't be modified. I wouldn't want to be the Microsoft support tech on the other end of that phone call.

 

I do know what you do in the above situation by the way. There is no easy solution. Edit the registry so you can do an in place repair install of Home, imagine how that would go for a novice PC user over the phone. Or make new modified install media and do yet another clean install, starting all over again from scratch.

 

How about this scenario for a change of function. Do the auto detection but give an override function during the install?

Example, Windows 8 Core key detected, install 10 Home, yes or no prompt. If you select No then give enter key window with a skip option. If you do the skip install Pro. And vice versa.

 

Like the choice presented for the download option in the Media Creation Tool. Download the version of Windows recommended for this computer, or pick your own.

 

If you wanted to get real fancy, have it look for a digital entitlement during the install. If one is found offer up the matching version as the default choice. With an option to override of course.

 

Yes, exactly. *Thumbs

 

I have been told by Microsoft here in Denmark, that once you have used your windows 7/8/8.1 key to upgrade to windows 10, this key will still be OK to clean install after 29/7. If it is an OEM-key, then it will ONLY work on the PC you did the upgrade on. If it is a RETAIL, then it will still be a RETAIL Windows 10 (home/Pro) key after 29/7. I hope Microsoft Denmark did tell the right facts

The 7/8/8.1 keys that has NOT upgrated before 29/7 will NOT be able to activate a windows 10 for free after that date.

 

What I've recommended to friends (and helped them do) is to back up their hard disk before doing the upgrade. I use Paragon Backup & Recovery 14 Free Edition to copy the hard disk, though there are other apps that also work well with Windows 10. They can then restore their previous installation and keep using it as long as they wish. If and when they choose to upgrade to Windows 10 their machine will be registered with MS so no upgrade key would be needed.

A simpler solution would be to pop in a fresh hard disk and do a clean install using Microsoft's ISO download. As soon as it's activated you could just pop the old hard disk back in to continue using the old OS. The disk used for the Win10 install could be reformatted as it would no longer be needed.

It's a bit of work but at least allows you to take advantage of the free Win10 offer without having to use it until you're ready.

 

Not sure it is that easy to strip it out without timing issues.

If somebody currently blocked all updates downloaded an iso now, then version would have and could keep the code needed to activate using old key.

I think the code will remain but the block against the keys will be at the server end ie you enter the key, and server comes back saying key is not valid.

This would make far more sense, cannot be bypassed and would give MS option to do future free upgrade offers if the rate of uptake starts falling behind.