Windows 10: Keep Win 7 until no longer supported then install free Windows 10?

100% Agreed.

 

A friend and his wife just made the move from 8.1 to 10 while it is still free at least for the 5 days remaining that is! Or simply put the end of this work week! The cost spent last November for OEM for System Builder licensing was to have both 7 and 10 on at least for the time being until either 7 is no longer needed as well as making use of the money that had been spent on 7 but bypassing 8 and 8.1 waiting a working dual platform OS that is after M(ickey)$(ouse got done toying around trying to flop it together. *Roflmao2

 

Something must be really funny. Smiles*Wink

Cool, w/o the theoretical's > 4 GB eh. I'll check Both puters & see what fits then.

 

That's true in your current situation, hence it seems you're forced to this. However, technically speaking, there must be a way to activate the free W10 digital entitlement without proceeding to the upgrade, using your current W7 license data.

Of course it goes against MS' goal which is to get actual upgrades before july 29th, since almost everybody would have his digital entitlement without having necessarily upgraded...

However check this, as it seems MS offers another way to get your digital entitlement without upgrading, as long as you're installing W10 v1511 or later. Still to be done before it's too late, though...

 

Yes, before July 29th you can clean install Windows 10 and activate it for free by manually entering a Windows 7 product key, except for OEM:SLP product keys. You need a product key from a COA sticker or a retail product key.

 

Direct updates on OEM devices like laptops and tablets should go without problems even if the initial upgrades should come out buggy. Once the Digital Entitlement is seen to a fresh clean copy of 10 going on shouldn't run into any activation problems afterwards while the guide for a clean install without upgrade first might be an option for some to consider. Seeing a full image made first however will always be the first recommendation for anyone making an OS change.

 

Btw, not that's it's overly important, but I just noticed that MS seems to have abandoned the term "Digital entitlement" in favor of "Digital license"...

 

I guess Microsoft didn't want us to feel "entitled" and getting all "upity" about it

 

"Gosh we can't allow any type of self grandizations over our wordings! We must rename..." some MS exec comes out with at a board meeting. *What "That's right! Frank We can't allow any of that nonsense! From now on nothing with the word entitled can be allowed." replies back another. *Eek*Doh*Haha

 

I just find it childish when people use such terms - do they think MS is a charity?

Why not F$ for Ford, A$ for Apple, $I for IBM.

 

I wouldn't expect too many to be considering M#zillions to be charitable while the former CEO who started MS up stated when he goes his wealth will be going to charities. As for the change of DE to DL that stands to reason as the free upgrade offer comes to a close this week after getting everybody trying 10 out while MS was sure to have more people beta testing this particular version then ever before many not even realizing that until the bugs got worked out.

 

Yep well I agree with you as a continuing support of 7 & 8 would be at a cost to Microsoft but I think also that 7 will be around for a darn sight longer than 8 just as people are still using XP. My theory is that the older systems will get less hacking and malware than one that is being used as an exclusive one like 10. I personally have not updated my 7 Pro for a long time now and I have not noticed any difference in performance or intrusions - plus I run a software that blocks any upgrade to 10 and also that picks out 10 files that creep through from time to time.

Now don't get me wrong I have two machines running 10 exclusively and shortly a third but I do want to keep my 7 machines running 7 as well as I do like to take part in the 7 forum for example and attaching pics and info of 7 system stuff which I am not aware of how to do using 10.

 

Vista support was extended for an additional year until next April. Originally it was thought 2016 would see the end for the Extended Support cycle. MS planned 2020 for 7 but could end extending a bit further due to how successful 7 was in comparison there for an additional year or two as well.

But you can leave 8 out of the loop entirely as the flop it was with MS only mentioning 7 and 8.1! 8.1 was rushed out as the immediate replacement for 8. With 10 the idea was to get more people running especially Insider builds to collect much more feedback on what people were drawn to more or less as for personal preferences in an OS.

The RS1 builds now being seen are reflecting a degree of that as well as having brought in some Linux support. Once the usual watermark was no longer seen on the latest builds that was a clear indication of RTM but instead Redstone 1 anniversary being pointed to by seeing RS1 reflected in the build numbers.

 

Ok, Guys. You got the idea. With Jan. 14 2020 the current posted extended support end-date (but remember XP ?!) the thought was that a lot could happen between now and then, at which time my guess is that there would be quite a number of available Win10 OS disks floating around at more reasonable prices than now.

The initial solution, rollback routine, being untested from what I can tell, make its too risky for my experiences in general. Too many unknowns and that.

Its a roll of the dice it seems, so just gonna take the least risky path for the $ and see what happens. You guys are coming up with some good ideas that are helpful indeed, which is definitely appreciated.

 

Throw it in a VM? On one of your 10 boxes? Just a thought....