This one is the most interesting for me. I'm curious to know what makes it ask for a key, as running Setup.exe on an activated Windows 8.1 machine never asked me for a key before. Also the setup.exe process ran fine for me on a computer with no network access so it couldn't rely on a check to an activation server.
Were you using a 1511 ISO or a 1607 ISO?
I must disagree a bit David. Everyone had enough time to upgrade, then if there were driver issues caused by manufacturers not being ready they could have rolled back to previous OS, Windows 10 having digital entitlement activation waiting the time when drivers become available.
Even on very low end hardware this process, upgrade and roll back had only taken a few hours of that year we had. Considering how long the official upgrade period was, how easy the roll back is and how a once activated Windows 10 keeps its digital entitlement, I have absolutely no understanding nor sympathy for those users who missed the free offer.
Last edited by Kari; 02 Aug 2016 at 10:50. Reason: A simple "no" missing changed the context :)
I don't think @NavyLCDR used the assistive technologies to get his computer activated.
Also, @DavidY if Microsoft makes it harder for people with disabilities to get it, wouldn't that run fowl of the ADA & HIPPA in the U.S. and similar laws in other countries? In my opinion windows 10 may already have some HIPPA concerns.
I'm with Kari on this.
Update, if it didnt work out from drivers, etc. You still had an activated system that you could re-run later with entitlement.
A YEAR, that what I'll be telling to people who whine at me now ... A YEAR to have it, or try it out.
I would have just cutoff the servers IMHO, no clock trick, not assisted tech tricks ... A YEAR .... C'mon ..... :)
The point with the drivers (and also BIOS updates) is that some people couldn't get their machine even as far as activating Win10, so install, activate and rollback wasn't an option.
See this thread for instance.
The Win 10 drivers were constantly improving over the year (and hopefully will keep doing so into the future too) so it did make sense for people with these sorts of problems to wait and try again - but these people certainly didn't have a full year in which they could upgrade.
What ever reasons people may have had is irrelevant the offer is closed to anyone who does not qualify through use of assistive technologies. It looks like the people who have used this so called loophole to steal a free upgrade have caused Microsoft to withdraw the offer and replace it with another that is more difficult to use for the very people it was created to help
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. It is absolutely not an excuse to start whining about missed free Windows 10 and not at least Microsoft's fault.
Personally, since last 9XXX builds I have had no need to manually install a single driver on any of my machines. Windows is pretty good in finding what it needs (my vintage collection includes Asus, HP and Dell machines).
I do not usually disagree with youbut in this case I have to say there is no excuse to complain about the free upgrade offer ending. If 22 months was not enough for hardware manufacturer's, can you give a time frame: how long do you think MS should have extended the offer for these hardware manufacturer's to manage to get drivers released?
Kari
