Windows 10: Free Windows 10 Upgrade for assistive technologies ends Jan. 16, 2018

I have a cunning plan to test that, come the beginning of 2018.

I have just bought a second hand 'Windows 7 Home Premium' Toshiba C650D laptop to use as a spare. After doing a factory reset to make sure it's 'clean' I checked to see if it had ever been upgraded to 10 and awarded a free digital licence. (there were signs of previous attempts to do so). The test was done by swapping out the HDD for a spare blank one and doing a clean install (skipping entering a key and making sure I installed Home, which is what it would get after an upgrade) then seeing if it would activate.

It installed OK (a few problems, but nothing that stopped the install completing). When looking at Settings > Activation it said it could not activate because there was no digital licence for this machine on the activation servers.

The problem was in the display driver, as soon as it had installed windows update downloaded a 'new' ATI driver to replace the Microsoft Basic Display driver that the install put in place. The atibtmon.exe that windows update installed crashed and the display (and everything else) stopped working - just leaving a mouse cursor on a black screen. The only way out was a hard reset. Turns out that Microsoft installed a 2006 version of the driver, but that's older than the 2009 one that came with Win7 (no wonder it didn't work). My guess is that's why it never earned a digital licence despite attempts to upgrade it. Windows update killed the system before it had a chance to register on the update servers. I'm sure I can get round that though - hiding the driver update or copying the atibtmon.exe for Win7 are a couple of possibilities, as is rolling back to the basic display driver.

So I have a one-shot chance to test if the free upgrade still works after 31 December. How long should I give it before testing, do you think?

 

Good question but I reckon it would be pretty quick but best to wait a weeks or so into new year eg end of first full working week to be on safe side?

Of course if it does not work, that is not 100% proof eg Windows 7 key may be dodgy, you have issues contacting activation troubleshooter etc.

Of course, you can still use 10 even unactivated indefinitely if it did not work. Having said that, that is also an assumption. MS could stop that as well if they now are signalling free licences have finished for good now (I am not paranoid - I know they are out to gert me - LOL).

 

No, there's no doubt about the Windows 7 being genuine. Remember, it's running Toshiba's OEM Windows 7 Home Premium freshly reinstalled from the factory reset partition. As it happens, my main machine is another Toshiba and that too had Windows 7 Home Premium restored from the factory reset before successfully getting the free upgrade to 10 (fortunately it's a model that uses the Intel HD display).

If it doesn't work I'm happy to keep using Win7 on it (with all the Media Centre features that were removed in 10) so I'm willing to take that risk. Anyway, I wouldn't want to violate the EULA *Smile

I think I'll wait 30 days, that seems to be a number MS use by default for most things...

 

Just a reminder that the free Windows 10 Upgrade for assistive technologies ends December 31. This Sunday.

 

Spotted by @philipyip

 

It always struck me as improbably optimistic to declare that they would shut down a feature accessible by internet on a Sunday the last day of the year, in case something went wrong, and nobody in the organisation would want to spend their New Year holiday fixing it.

Like before, state the intention to stop the upgrade, but do nothing about it - it keeps everybody happy (New Year!).

 

Just a reminder that the free Windows 10 Upgrade for assistive technologies ends today.

 

A day later, on the 17th, the page (finally) says that the free offer has closed (although they seem to have forgotten about their last-minute extension to 16th Jan. *Smile). MS have now removed the update assistant download button.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/acce...ndows10upgrade

 

Good thing I got my last Win7 Upgraded on Thursday the 11th. I did create HP's Factory Restore discs first in case I need to go back.

 

The question remains whether or not the 'unofficial' free licence awarded to a normal upgrade will now be turned off.

It was always a puzzle as to why it continued to work long after the 'official' end of the upgrade offer back in 2016. I suspect that it was too difficult to turn off for ordinary upgrades while it was still needed for the Assistive technology offer. Now that has ended perhaps it can finally be turned off safely?

We'll have to wait and see. I have an un-upgraded machine. I'll use it to test that in a few weeks time.

 

What I considered important was to get the Digital Licensing for the computer while I could save money. The machine is actually a rehab and available for someone needing an inexpensive one [low income types], last one I sold for $100 complete system.

 

I have successfully upgraded my Windows 7 legit activated full version to Windows 10. It MADE ME create a Microsoft Account during the upgrade. I got updates all installed to current and it said my Windows 10 was a digital license tied to my MS account. I then made a usb key win10 install. I did a clean install, logged in during setup with the new MS account I created during the upgrade. It still says activated.

I am installing all windows updates currently on it. I will keep an eye on it past the next CU in April and let you all know. So far it looks like if you have a legit win7 and do the upgrade and make a MS account it will still work. We shall see. *Cool

EDIT: this is an old old old pc I built 9 years ago, still not bad though.... 3ghz quad core (Q9650), 4gb ram etc. Not my main system.

EDIT2: I saved the 40gb SSD I had that win7 on for hell if i know. Now I know why lol. Put together the rest of parts and pulled the 80gb hdd from another broken pc hahahha. Macrium saved me by backing up that over the network to even get this working to begin with.

I got it fully updated. Says activated with MS account still. Defragged, backed up with Macrium. Waiting on next CU Update now.

 

Thanks for telling us @Access Denied, it's interesting to know that an upgrade still gets activated.

If you didn't make the usb key until after the upgrade, how did you do the upgrade? Did you use the MCT? If so, did you use Step 4 (upgrade this PC now) or Step 5 or 6 (make media and use that to upgrade) from this tutorial?
Upgrade to Windows 10

At which step did you get told to make a MS account? I've never been forced to make an MS account during an upgrade, but then I've not used the 'upgrade now' option, preferring to make the media first.

Or perhaps at Step 15 you chose the 'keep nothing' option? An upgrade keeping the existing files and apps has always kept the existing local account too. 'Keep nothing' is effectively a clean install, so would need to set up a new account. Even then, the option to use a local account should have been available (albeit in small print), see Step 23 in this tutorial.
Clean Install Windows 10

I'm waiting for the Spring Creators Update (1803) to test an upgrade on my last remaining 'never been upgraded' Windows 7 PC. I want to see if MS will take the opportunity to finally turn off upgrade activations then.

 

I first downloaded the MCT and picked 'upgrade this PC when now' prompted at step 4. I was running it directly from the desktop. I didn't 'create the usb key' until after I got into win10 after the upgrade.

Correct, I did click 'keep nothing' when asked. I was expecting to make a local account but it would not let me when it got to that step. There was no 'Offline account' option. It has to be tied to 'keep nothing' option.

 

Thanks for that clarification. I expect that keeping the files and apps would still have kept the existing local account, it always has in the past. Anyway, you have successfully activated an upgrade, which is the most important thing here.