Definitive Answer: Is the free upgrade really expired?

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  1. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #21

    Kari said:
    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.

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


  2. Posts : 983
    Windows 7/64 Professional
       #22

    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.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 36
    XP
       #23

    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?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 17,661
    Windows 10 Pro
       #24

    Kari said:
    ...
    ...
    That being said, I made three tests this morning using a never used Windows 8 PRO retail product key on a Hyper-V virtual machine:


    1. Installed Windows 8.1 PRO with generic key, did not activate it. Tried upgrade using Windows 10 PRO ISO, the product key was not accepted, upgrade not successful, Windows 10 was not activated
    2. Installed Windows 8.1 PRO with generic key, activated it with the above mentioned key. Tried upgrade using Windows 10 PRO ISO, upgrade asked for a valid key, upgrade not successful, Windows 10 was not activated
    3. Clean installed Windows 10 PRO skipping product key, when on desktop tried activation from Settings app using the Windows 8.1 PRO key, Windows 10 was activated

    Kari
    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.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 1,557
    W10 32 bit, XUbuntu 18.xx 64 bit
       #25

    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.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 1,524
    Windows 10 Pro (32-bit) 16299.15
       #26

    Kari said:
    This is getting interesting.
    ...
    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.
    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.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 17,661
    Windows 10 Pro
       #27

    DavidY said:
    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.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 1,557
    W10 32 bit, XUbuntu 18.xx 64 bit
       #28

    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.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 1,524
    Windows 10 Pro (32-bit) 16299.15
       #29

    Kari said:
    I do not usually disagree with you
    I don't think our views are that far apart in reality:

    I think this is the key for me:
    Kari said:
    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.
    ... but we shouldn't blame them for what, in hindsight, now looks like a bad choice.

    Layback Bear said:
    Microsoft has given users of computer and the hardware manufactures a year to get their act together.
    Agreed - it's a joint effort between hardware manufacturers and the users to upgrade within that year, and some users were left with less time in that year than others.

    If you were unlucky enough to have bought, in the past, hardware from a manufacturer who didn't support Windows 10, or took a long time to release drivers, then you didn't have a year to upgrade.

    I seem to remember one manufacturer (perhaps Sony) who recommended in July 2015 that their users shouldn't upgrade to Windows 10 at that point, and wait a few months while the manufacturer addressed some issues. And of course some manufacturers never issued drivers so users had to try and workaround themselves at the last minute.

    I'm not saying users of such systems should try to workaround by saying they use assistive technologies (unless it's true of course) or that Microsoft should have done anything different.

    But we shouldn't be adopting a "you had a year to upgrade, tough luck" attitude either because some of these users really didn't have that year. I think we should be kinder than that.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #30

    DavidY said:
    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.

    Kari said:
    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.
    You guys are killing me here! Look at my post #1. Especially the last screenshot posted. Notice which build of Windows 10 I used in my test. Version 1607, build 13493.0.
      My Computer


 

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