Free upgrade?

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  1. Posts : 22
    Various
       #1

    Free upgrade?


    I had a feeling this would have been asked already, but did a quick search and nothing came up: I was under the impression that the window (no pun intended) to upgrade to Windows 10 had passed a long time ago, but there are videos on Youtube etc that suggest you can still upgrade for free from 7 or 8.1 just by using the Media Creation Tool. What's the situation here?
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  2. Posts : 10,731
    Windows 11 Workstation x64
       #2

    I did it a few weeks back from on a Window 8 system with the media creation tool and it updated and activated fine
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  3. Posts : 4,480
    several
       #3

    Last I heard, you can still do the upgrade via MCT, or the dance with gatherosstate.exe
    Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First
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  4. Posts : 31,398
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #4

    Win20Win said:
    ...I was under the impression that the window (no pun intended) to upgrade to Windows 10 had passed a long time ago, but there are videos on Youtube etc that suggest you can still upgrade for free from 7 or 8.1 just by using the Media Creation Tool. What's the situation here?

    Microsoft's precise wording is cryptic and very specific, saying that...
    ...The Windows 10 free upgrade through the Get Windows 10 (GWX) app ended on July 29, 2016.
    https://support.microsoft.com/help/1...10-upgrade-faq


    An in-place upgrade of an activated W7/8/8.1 to W10 using a USB created by the Media Creation Tool has worked since then and will still activate to this day. I have done just that as recently as last month.
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  5. Posts : 22
    Various
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Thanks for answers - I've just done the upgrade on a laptop using the MCT and it seems to have worked. One thing is puzzling me though: Previously the licence key was showing as the OEM key from the sticker on the base of the machine, and the type was OEM. I was half expecting the licence key to change to some generic key when I upgraded to Windows 10, however the type has also changed from OEM to Retail channel. Is that to be expected as well, or has something gone wrong here?
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  6. Posts : 31,398
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #6

    Win20Win said:
    I've just done the upgrade on a laptop using the MCT and it seems to have worked.

    Glad to hear that. It was expected, but it's always nice to have confirmation that activation still works for an upgrade.

    ...I was half expecting the licence key to change to some generic key when I upgraded to Windows 10...

    Yes, after the upgrade to W10 you should have the appropriate generic key, ****8HVX7 for Home or ****3V66T for Pro.

    ...however the type has also changed from OEM to Retail channel. Is that to be expected as well, or has something gone wrong here?

    No, that is normal. Once upgraded and activated, the activation servers don't seem to care how you got your digital license.
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  7. gem
    Posts : 13
    windows 10 pro 64
       #7

    I was going to post a question about this so please forgive me for jumping into this thread - I had installed Windows 10 when it was free and didn't like it, so rolled back to Windows 7. To clarify what I have read here, if I use the mct now to upgrade, it will still be free and activated using my Windows 7 key?
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  8. Posts : 31,398
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #8

    gem said:
    I was going to post a question about this so please forgive me for jumping into this thread - I had installed Windows 10 when it was free and didn't like it, so rolled back to Windows 7. To clarify what I have read here, if I use the mct now to upgrade, it will still be free and activated using my Windows 7 key?
    The news is even better than that. When you took the free upgrade to Windows 10 your PC got a digital license for Windows 10 linked to its unique hardware ID and stored on the Microsoft activation servers. The fact that you rolled back didn't remove this license, it is still valid and will activate your Windows 10 if you upgrade.

    In fact, as you already have a digital license for W10 you don't even need to upgrade. You could clean install the same edition as you had before (Home or Pro) and when asked for a key click 'I don't have one'. It will activate from the existing digital license as soon as it can contact the activation servers.
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  9. Posts : 486
    Windows 10x64 17713
       #9

    Clean installed Windows 10 and activated with a Windows 7 COA key on Friday.
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  10. gem
    Posts : 13
    windows 10 pro 64
       #10

    Bree said:
    The news is even better than that. When you took the free upgrade to Windows 10 your PC got a digital license for Windows 10 linked to its unique hardware ID and stored on the Microsoft activation servers. The fact that you rolled back didn't remove this license, it is still valid and will activate your Windows 10 if you upgrade.

    In fact, as you already have a digital license for W10 you don't even need to upgrade. You could clean install the same edition as you had before (Home or Pro) and when asked for a key click 'I don't have one'. It will activate from the existing digital license as soon as it can contact the activation servers.
    Thank you for responding Bree - I don't want to clean install though, I want to just do an upgrade, as I unfortunately need to buy a new laptop soon anyway, but for now I need everything I have installed and just wanted to make sure an upgrade will work. One more (dumb) question - can I use the mct to download an iso for safekeeping and then use it again to do the upgrade?
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