Windows 10: Question About Free Upgrade To Win10

Well, this is something of a grey area. Technically, once you upgrade your license to the free license, it will likely be tied to that machine, so its equivalent to an OEM (this is a guess, I don't know how it will be handled). You are free to "downgrade" in certain circumstances again, but it's hard to say what this will be...

However, in reality, there isn't any "license police" that will prevent you from going back and installing your retail copy on a different computer if your first one died. I think most people would consider this "fair game", even if the letter of the license may not.

You could then upgrade to Windows 10 on the new computer. In reality, there is talk of MS allowing "non-genuine" copies of Windows to upgrade to Windows 10 for free as well anyways, so the point may well be moot.

The key is that you can't upgrade your copy of Windows 7, then install that copy of Windows 7 on a new computer, leaving Windows 10 on the old one. You would have to not be able to use Windows 10 on the old one.

 

I did not skip over the premise. In fact, I pointed out that MS seemed to be doing the very thing you suggested they do. My comment was that it was experimental though (Offer good for 1 year), and not something they were going to commit to for all eternity. I then went on to explain how you were mistaken on your assumptions that your premise was largely based on.

That is an incorrect understanding, as the license is tied to the motherboard and is in fact burned into the BIOS. You can install and reinstall windows as many times as you like for all eternity on that computer and you won't have a problem. If the motherboard dies, then if it's in warranty, your OEM will provide you with a new motherboard with a valid license key in the BIOS. If not, then you will need to buy a new copy of Windows.

It's a euphemism. A beggar can certainly be discerning, but they have no right to demand that the person giving them something give them more, and complain if they don't. That's just rude.

I'm not suggesting Microsoft is doing this out of the goodness of their heart. But the fact is, you're getting it for free. And there is no requirement that you buy anything else (certainly MS hopes you will, but you don't have to). To complain because they aren't giving you a totally unencumbered copy you can transfer to any PC for all eternity is just being greedy in my book.

 

Microsoft should just clarify everything about the upgrade soon.

 

You make an assumption that we're all ignorant in this forum. We're not! We all know the "free upgrade" is a Microsoft business strategy. However, your reasoning of why Microsoft is offering the free upgrade fails.

Which came first; the game or the Operating system? From the outset, once a particular version of Windows has been released, we've had free updates, service packs, patches, etc., etc., etc. When a new version has come out, i.e. Windows 95, Windows 98, and so on, we've had the opportunity to upgrade at a lesser cost rather than buy a full version. Further, we've been able to do a clean install from upgrade copies of Windows for years.

I'm not sure anyone in these forums has said, decided, claimed, justified or anything else that Microsoft originated the "free upgrade to the next version". More than anything, we're all waiting to see just how things shake out in the end. Yes, a lot of folks are asking questions and I don't see them shunted aside because they ask questions.

Again, you're putting words that haven't been uttered into folks' mouths. You must remember that this is a forum and that we all have our own ideas. We discuss things and yes, at times, some of us (myself included) get it wrong. However, you're making assumptions based on the fact that not everyone subscribes to your ideas.

It doesn't seem that it will be an actual one way upgrade at all. If I were to upgrade from Windows 7 or 8.1 to Windows 10 and didn't like it, I could roll back to my original Operating System.

Again, you are assuming that we aren't among the sharpest knives in the drawer, or that we're a few bricks shy a load. That is not at all the case! Neither are we goofy or ignorant and I, for one, resent your statement as such! Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, the "free upgrade" is a precedent for Microsoft. Of course it's a business decision by Microsoft; none of us are so stupid that we don't know that. So, if I choose to be giddy (which I am not; I just accept it for what it is), over a free upgrade it's my decision, not yours to make for me.

Did it ever occur to you that Microsoft has recognized the damage created by Windows 8 (8.1 is measurably better and I have learned to like it) and is using this offering to somewhat repair its image? Kinda like saying, "I'm sorry," without saying it in so many words. Stranger things have happened.

As those of us in these forums have more brains than we're being given credit for, so does Microsoft. They threw Windows 10 out there for us Insiders to test and give feedback on; even to telling them exactly what we want. Windows 10 is far from finished, and I don't think I will attempt to tell them exactly how they should run things Windows 10. For what it's worth, I believe Microsoft is perfectly capable of running their upgrade plan without my help.

Dang! You just don't quit, do you? I will tell you one more time! The people in these forums are smarter than your average bear. We discuss things. We ask questions. If we don't get an answer, we ask again. And again. We're individuals. We have individual ideas. We even have the ability to make up our own minds. No one here has intentionally sloughed off legitimate questions.

Finally, your accusations don't hold water.

 

I don't think that the people on this forum are ignorant - I think they're here because they pay attention to smaller details, and that many here have got tons of OS understanding that I don't. But I've seen people, and myself, get ridiculed for posting challenges to the MS Win 10 upgrade offer, and for voicing disapproval and criticism of some potential aspects of it that may come to be reality.

I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth, I'm making sure that the horse is not a trojan, and calling fault for potential underhanded representation of the gift - which I believe is wrong towards those who will be stuck by it, and I think that most people cannot be expected to have invested time into understanding MS' reasoning behind the upgrade offer ( forum-discussions and their produced comprehensions do not represent the understanding of an average PC user, who is far more likely to take an upgrade offer at its overly-simplistic face value ).

Once Windows 10 is released and its upgrade accepted, the time for scrutiny is over. If it releases and everything is great, then MS will be worthy of praise. Before then, praise is based on nothing but an insisted sentiment, and it might backfire down the road - and I think that without scrutiny, it will.

 

Is it the System Builders version? If it's full retail your OK.
From the Manufacturer

"Use of this OEM System Builder Channel software is subject to the terms of the Microsoft OEM System Builder License. This software is intended for pre-installation on a new personal computer for resale. This OEM System Builder Channel software requires the assembler to provide end user support for the Windows software and cannot be transferred to another computer once it is installed. To acquire Windows software with support provided by Microsoft please see our full package "Retail" product offerings."

 

MS is in business to make money, lots of money and giving away OS's is not the way to make money. Trust me, they have something up their sleeve that will bring in money.

 

It is Full retail. Thanks

 

Gary, even the "computer online mags" are speculating that Microsoft will bring in more money via software sales, rather than windows.

None of us are so stupid that we think Microsoft is giving a free upgrade out of the goodness of their hearts. We know it's a business decision. That said, we don't need to be told we're all expecting something for nothing. Or that Microsoft is out to shaft us all.

 

Me thinks m$sf will make lots of money giving away Win10 (gain back lost market share etc) *Biggrin

 

ShowKeyPlus was developed for EF and TF...

I'm just waiting to see how Win7 keys are handled in Win10 before finalising and releasing the source on GitHub.

 

Currently we see that you must purchase a copy of Windows in order to use/own it.
What the future holds is unknown.

WIll Microsoft go with a free OS (as Apple is doing)?
Will Microsoft go with a subscription OS (maybe Windows 365)?
Will they stay with the "pay to play" model (the current way)?
Will they devise a combination method (free/subscription for regular users - and "pay to play" for business')?
Or will they devise some other way?

Finally, will Win10 be a transition piece, with the actual moves changing further down the road?