Windows 10: Definitive Answer: Is the free upgrade really expired?

OK, I deleted mine so the quote does not show.

 

I don't think @NavyLCDR used the assistive technologies to get his computer activated.


Also, @DavidY if Microsoft makes it harder for people with disabilities to get it, wouldn't that run fowl of the ADA & HIPPA in the U.S. and similar laws in other countries? In my opinion windows 10 may already have some HIPPA concerns.

 

I'm with Kari on this.

Update, if it didnt work out from drivers, etc. You still had an activated system that you could re-run later with entitlement.

A YEAR, that what I'll be telling to people who whine at me now ... A YEAR to have it, or try it out.

I would have just cutoff the servers IMHO, no clock trick, not assisted tech tricks ... A YEAR .... C'mon ..... *Smile

 

The point with the drivers (and also BIOS updates) is that some people couldn't get their machine even as far as activating Win10, so install, activate and rollback wasn't an option.
See this thread for instance.

The Win 10 drivers were constantly improving over the year (and hopefully will keep doing so into the future too) so it did make sense for people with these sorts of problems to wait and try again - but these people certainly didn't have a full year in which they could upgrade.

 

What ever reasons people may have had is irrelevant the offer is closed to anyone who does not qualify through use of assistive technologies. It looks like the people who have used this so called loophole to steal a free upgrade have caused Microsoft to withdraw the offer and replace it with another that is more difficult to use for the very people it was created to help

 

That is correct. I did not. My activation of Windows 10 Home was solely from a pre-existing Windows 7 product key and the installation was from an ISO file made from the install.esd file from another computer on the insider program.

 

David, if a hardware manufacturer can't deliver working Windows 10 drivers in 22 months (from first Tech Preview October 2014 to end of July 2016), it really only means that users using their equipment, hardware have chosen wrong hardware. It is absolutely not an excuse to start whining about missed free Windows 10 and not at least Microsoft's fault.

Personally, since last 9XXX builds I have had no need to manually install a single driver on any of my machines. Windows is pretty good in finding what it needs (my vintage collection includes Asus, HP and Dell machines).

I do not usually disagree with you *Wink but in this case I have to say there is no excuse to complain about the free upgrade offer ending. If 22 months was not enough for hardware manufacturer's, can you give a time frame: how long do you think MS should have extended the offer for these hardware manufacturer's to manage to get drivers released?

 

I would say it would be more likely that the user has obsolete hardware.

 

Well Kari and Nigel have pretty well covered my opinion.
Microsoft has given users of computer and the hardware manufactures a year to get their act together.

If a computer has so called disabilities then upgrade your hardware.
I have no idea what disability a person could have that would stop them from the free Upgrade with a year to do so.
Maybe eye sight problems for a year. I have many disabilities; to many to mention but I can see, and use the mouse and keyboard.
Yes I have tried many versions of W-10 using the normal method everybody else has used.
No I will not use the new (assistive technologies). I as others have had a year to make up our minds. It's not that Microsoft has kept the free upgrade a secret.

Those that might ask; I will just buy W-10 when I'm in the mood. I will use the word (stealing), when one does not qualified and takes something for free I call it stealing.

 

Right, so if I'm reading this correctly, MS' activation servers have not been switched off, meaning that if I was to clean install W10 and use a W7 / 8.1 key during install (or via activate after fully installed?) - I should be able to - just like before the July 29th deadline?

The reason I'm asking is because I'm having second thoughts about one of my licenses being tied (via digital license) to a particular configuration (more specifcally the MB). Would I be able to perform a clean install and try to activate W10 using the 8 pro license which has alrwady been used to activate the earlier W10 install?

Also, it is thought that there's no link / connection between the W7 / 8 product keys used and the digitally licensed W10 installation, so for testing purposes, I assume I could switch between two drives (one for each W7 / 8 and W10) until I settle on which to keep? They wouldn't technically be in use concurrently - even if they were, could MS detect this and invalid one or both activations?

 

This is getting interesting. The test vm 3. in above quote, I now downloaded Anniversary Update and tried to upgrade. Activation failed, I was told activation is not possible.

Next I clean installed that machine, using Anniversary Update ISO. Activation not possible. Restored machine clean installing the 1511 version I installed earlier today, activation successful.

Short: I was able to install 1511 this morning in clean install using a Windows 8.1 Pro key. I can repeat that, clean install 1511 skipping the key, machine will be activated. In-place upgrade to 1607 or clean install with 1607 install media, machine loses its activation.

 

This is getting confusing on some able to activate & others are not able to activate. I am not talking about downloading the assistive technologies iso.

@alphanumeric I know you were planning on doing some testing some people have already tested that. Were you also going to do an upgrade from a windows 7 oemslp to windows 10 that has never been upgrade? I suspect those may still work, because shutting off the oemslp key would cause problem with both windows 7 & windows 10 users.

 

So one theory would be that version 1511, and its installer, retains the ability to activate on a Windows 8.x (and presumably Windows 7) product key.

But because 1607 was always going to be released after the upgrade deadline, the functionality to accept those keys was deleted.

 

I don't want to give any "definitive answer" before I have tested all scenarios at least a few more times, but your conclusion is in about same ballpark than mine.

 

So does that mean the windows 7 & 8.x keys are stored in iso? I find that very interesting. I still see a few issues with anniversary update not getting activated for those that did the upgrade before July 29, 2016 we will see what happens.