Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 10565 Insider

Kari said:

I'm running tests now with 10565 installs, various scenarios. Next I will try the same with official RTM build 10240 and an old (7 or 8.1) retail key. I can answer you within an hour :)

Thank you Kari! But I hope I'll be still awake!:)

Kari said:

This is pure speculation, only my personal subjective opinion, only based on facts as we know them at the moment: It looks that MS has deliberately chosen a lenient activation policy, at least for this first year they promised free upgrades to all those running a qualifying OS.

The fact that it now seems to be possible to activate Windows 10 on a clean install, new hardware using a Windows 7 or 8.1 product key does not change the policy MS has chosen in any other way than removing one unnecessary step. For MS it is totally irrelevant how the qualifying OS and its key is used, either first installing the qualifying old OS and activating it with its key, then upgrading it to an activated Windows 10, or letting the consumer do it easier without needing to install the old OS first but instead, use the old key directly on a clean install. The end result is the same, an activated Windows 10.

In that sense, MS is here basically making a big favor for us users, letting us to save time in case we have a qualifying product key, a clean install without the time needed to first install the old OS and then upgrade it.

Another question is then that it also looks that especially the retail keys, both Windows 7 and 8.1 can seemingly be reused. This is the part I do not understand; it looks at the moment that I could install Windows 10 on several virgin computers (= new hardware, never had any qualifying OS) using one and same 7 or 8.1 key. Buy one key, install on 10 computers. That is in my opinion wrong and not as MS had intended. We'll see if this remains as it is now or if it will change.

Kari

I don't think Microsoft is that stupid, you might be able to activate one or two, but I'm sure the servers would see the same key pop up eventually and deactivate the surplus ones.
If you had one computer and it broke down and you built another that would be a different story as long a the other one became deactivated.
Again, this is just my opinion and I could be wrong.
And I'm not sure if it will work with 10240.

jyusa said:

I wonder why MS would give up their profit! If this is true, buy 7 pro out there through distribution is about half or 3/4 price than a 10 pro!

Well they sold Windows 8 Pro keys for $40, I know, I bought 5.

Very good report Kari! Now made me really wonder what MS is trying to do or test?

Mike, if MS really decide to do this, I'll go and search low price retail 7, 8，8.1 pro keys! Retail 10 pro key are way too expensive now!

aye, remember - these are all insider builds..
the RTM will be a slightly different beast..

10565 is working very nicely for me so far. Much better than that 10547 chaos build that kept dieing all the time! Loving 10565 so far...