Windows 10: What will happen on Jan 20, 2016?

Well that is not very encouraging.

The key I have now was given by MS when they released Build 10240. I don't think I have done anything illegal or counter to Microsoft's licensing terms.

At any rate, I'm about tio click "Upgrade this PC now" (I am back on Win7.1 now) and hopefully what will happen is MS will "register" (whatever that means) my current hardware configuration and then when I reboot with my WIn10 disk it will somhow (as if by magic) get recognized as a legitimate (whatever that means) installation of Win10.

Edit:

While waiting for the "Making sure you're ready to install" dialog I did some searching for Windows 10 Activation Key and found this paragraph:

Entitlements, not product keys

When you use the free upgrade to Windows 10 or pay for a digital retail version, you don’t get a product key. Instead, your computer uses what Microsoft calls a digital entitlement.
“Upon upgrading to Windows 10, the activation state from a prior version of Windows (be it Windows 7, Windows 8 or a prior build of Windows 10) is seamlessly carried over,” a Microsoft spokesperson told PCWorld. “Once activated, a digital entitlement for your PC’s hardware is created in the Windows 10 activation service.This entitlement can be used by the same PC again for re-activation of the same Edition of Windows 10 in the future.”
It looks like the product key is on its way out, at least as far as users are concerned. After installation, your version of Windows 10 should just activate in the background in a few moments or a few days at the most. You can check your activation status by going toSettings > Update & Security > Activation.

That seems like it says my Win10 should somehow activate itself after I finish installing the WIn10 upgrade. We'll see....I'm at teh Ready to install screen now....

 

No magic - you'll still have to do a Clean install on the SSD, the data on the drive won't automagically get changed.

So yes, you have to install twice (upgrade, then Clean install).
By the terms of the EULA, you have to remove the upgraded Win10 from the HDD to install Clean on the SSD.

The choice is yours - run Win10 as an upgrade or do the Clean install after upgrading and abide by the EULA.

The good news tough is that once Win10 is activated by upgrading Win7, activation will work on that machine.
You do NOT need a key (there are no valid keys unless you bought Win10).

Neither the upgrade or a subsequent Clean install need a key to activate.
If prompted for a key, press the Skip this or Do this later text in the lower left.

Entering any key, might set you back to step 1 - no one wants that *Wink

 

I just finished the Win10 upgrade on my old Win7 SSD. Of course I had to download the upgrade myself because, even though I had registered for the upgrade, I never got it. But that's besides the point now.

As I suspected I have wasted even more time doing the upgrade because, apparently, I would have to do another clean install of Win10 anyway, and, beyond that, I suspect that would not work because the Win10 ISO file I have is for Win10 Pro and my old Win7 install was Home Premium.

So it looks like MS is going to get their blood money from me no matter what. Frankly the money is worth less to me that the time it would take to reinstall all my software and reset all my customization parameters. I guess that's all that really matters.

To quote Ralph Cramden: What a revolting development this is.

Edit:

Back on Win10. As expected it still says it will expire on Jan 20, 2016. I'll call MS tomorrow and see if I have any reasonable options. I'm expecting not to.

 

bbinard,

Millions of people have now upgraded to Windows 10 absolutely for free. You know how? They followed the directions that Microsoft gave to them. They upgraded an installed and running version of Windows 7/8/8.1 to the same version of Windows 10. And thousands of those people have since wiped clean that upgrade and have done clean installs with the same version of Windows 10.

You have tried every way possible to do it your way - not the way that Microsoft said to do it to get it for free. It's not Microsoft's fault that you couldn't follow their directions to get the free, permanently activated upgrade.

First you used a preview key. And that's what you got. A preview that would last for 6 months. Then you tried going from Home version to Pro version. Nowhere did Microsoft ever say they were going to give you a free upgrade from Home to Pro.

 

LCDR:

I understand all that. Except I never wanted or asked for a free anything. At the time I did the 10 install (I think it was on the Wed. or Thu. in the week before 29 Jul) Pro was the only version of 64-bit build 10240 that MS made available. So that is what I used. I was perfectly happy with Home Premium and would have used that if it had been available. But it wasn't.

At that time no one knew anything about "digital entitlement" or the fact that meaningful activation codes were not part of the Win 10 design base. MS published an activation code along with the ISO file and many people, not just Insiders, installed with that. I was one of them because my 7 system was badly bloated and I needed to do a clean install of something.

It wasn't until much later (for me, today) that it became clear that the rules of the game were changed with no prior notification. It is regrettable that you feel I have done something wrong or unethical, but I can't do anything about that. What I can tell you is I did what seemed to be the right thing at the time. And I am still trying to do that.

 

K. I apologize. Let's put it this way - you have the exact results that Microsoft has always stated would be, given the actions you have tried. And there is no "blood money" that Microsoft is getting. You can either do it their way to get a free permanent upgrade (for that particular computer upgraded), or you can pay them for a license to do it how you like. But they have provided a method to end up with a free, clean install of Windows 10. You just have to put forth a little bit of careful effort to get it.

 

So why did you download the Pro edition when your Win7 is the Home Premium edition?

All you had to do was ask. I suppose someone should have pointed to the upgrade FAQ, but if you knew you had Win7 Home, why didn't you download Win10 Home?

You're making this more complicated than necessary by requiring two drive installs and by using the wrong install media.

To correct my omission, see: Windows 10 - Upgrade Installation - Windows 10 Forums

So - back to square one, restore Win7 Home, download Win10 Home, upgrade Win7 Home... Clean install Win10 Home on the SSD.

 

Slarty:

Yup, I could do that - "that" being a clean install of 10 Home since I have already done the upgrade of 7 Home to 10 Home.

But like I said, at this point the value of the money to purchase a license for 10 Pro is less valuable to me than the time it would take to do a clean install of 10 and then get it back into working order. So I'll plead my case to MS tomorrow and maybe they will be sufficiently forthcoming to give me some sort of discount (or something.)

 

You clearly have not read >>properly<< the advise, and information given to you.

The consumer release of the Free upgrade was NEVER ever posted as being BEFORE the 29th,
BUT you did it prior to that date anyway, which was the start of your problem.

You obviously did not use the Windows update method on your ORIGINAL OS, ie the W10 tray icon.

And when you were told exactly how to correctly do it You didn't,

you are your own worst enemy

IF you recount what you have posted here to MS, they will tell you exactly the same
You will not get a discount as the like for lke upgrade is still FREE

Roy

 

Hey, bbinnard:

You don't have a free upgrade to Win 8 Pro tucked away somewhere do you? - on the off chance you got this system with Win7 Home Premium at the time when MS was giving out Win8 Pro upgrades (or maybe it was a downgraded laptop we chose with upgrade entitlement?).

Point is, the path we took on my wife's laptop was install the Win8 Pro upgrade from a DVD we burned end of 2012, did the Win 8.1 Pro update just for grins, THEN did the free Win10 PRO UPGRADE. It's activated fine by that path.

We might opt to do a clean install of WIn10 Pro at some point but she'll shudder at the thought of me reinstalling all her programs for her (I guess she trusts me enough on data).

Just a thought in case you have that free Win8 Pro upgrade in mothballs somewhere...

 

I said he would be in the same situation, the time he spent today protesting he could of re installed his programs.

Why would you even make a build that goes out of date your main OS.

 

Sounds like a plan, I would NOT expect any mercy (read discount) from Microsoft , but hey, if you never ask ....

So, is the plan is to purchase Retail Win10 Pro and Clean install on the SSD?
Or is the plan to upgrade the HDD install to Win10 Pro.
Upgrading the HDD is the only way to avoid re-installing your programs.

You could copy the HDD to the SSD and upgrade Windows on that device.

What you cannot do is install Windows 10 Pro on both drives without violating the EULA. I know some people don't take that agreement very seriously, but I made my living in the computer industry and whenever someone did a twofer, they cost me a raise.

What you can do is have Win10 Home on one drive and Win10 Pro on the other.

I guess I'm done, you're on a new path ... good luck.

 

The Media Creation Tool will NOT install Win10 Home on top of WIn10 Pro in a way that enables automatic activation . When you try it requires an activation key and entering this will prevent automatic activation. So I did a clean install of Win10 Home and it achieved permanent activation A-OK.

 

Excellent bbinnard,

It was a long haul, but I'm glad you got it sorted.