Here’s what happens after the July 29th free Windows 10 offer ends

Wynona said:

Generally, anything with Windows 7 on it will upgrade to Windows 10. When you say "not applicable", I'm not sure what you mean. Have you tried to upgrade it to Windows 10 and it said it can't upgrade? Or, do you mean you can't legally install Win 10 on it? If that's the case, anything running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 is legal for Windows 10. Boot your Win 7 lappy and go here to see if it will upgrade: Windows 10 Just follow the yellow brick road.



I wasn't aware you could do that! :) Learn something new every day. Probably a trial version. Since you already have a working copy of Windows 10 on your computer, why not join the Insider Program? I tried to go there this AM, but the site is down, so can't give you a link.



Again, I haven't heard anything about that one. Since it worked for you, I guess it's legit. :)



Have you looked at Activation again to see if it's either activated or you have digital entitlement?



At one time, Newegg.com was selling product keys for Windows 10. I don't know if they'll accept your payment method, but if they will, that may be a source. Since you're a gamer, I'd get the Pro version rather than the Home version.

Well my Win7 laptop never ever showed me this Windows 10 upgrade prompts people talk/complain about so I just assumed it did not qualify cause some people even say it is annoying as hell and I never got annoyed hahahaha

Also this is not a CD with a key that I bought for myself it's just pre installed when I bought the laptop years ago so I thought that is why it is not qualified.

Found this thing about using Windows 10 without key here:

http://www.howtogeek.com/244678/you-...se-windows-10/

I guessed since Microsoft can detect this I'm not doing something wrong and they are letting me use it for free for now

and nope my Win10 is not activated yet it's like this since first time I installed. From what I see from some sites not even insiders will get free keys they will have the test version for free for what I understand! Not the regular one that I'm using here.

OldMike65 said:

What you could try right now, is instead of trying to buy a legal copy of Windows 10 Home or Pro, is to buy a legal copy of Windows 7 Pro, which would be a lot cheaper. Make sure its a true Retail Version, not an OEM version. Then you will have a legal and cheaper way to Upgrade your NEW gaming Computer to Windows 10 Pro. With a Retail version of Windows 7 Pro you can move it to another computer in the future if you decide to Build another computer. This would also be the same for your Windows 10 Pro, once you upgrade your Windows 7 Pro. Just a suggestion for you to think about. :)

Yep that's a really nice tip and I tought about it myself since I got the new PC but just learn something with me: Brasil = hell so yeah a copy of Win7 is waaay more expensive than a Win10 new copy I can't even find it in a decent store! It's eitheir super cheap(shaddy) or super expensive!

dlwmacgregor said:

Technically (and legally) this statement is correct. But the spirit of the law would say that Microsoft is only interested in you running the previous version and Windows 10, based on the same license, on 2 separate machines.
If you have a PC with a valid OEM license on a PC with a cloned disk containing an upgrade of that same license, I doubt they would unofficially object to that because "you are not running them both at the same time". Some people like to do "extended evaluations" of new OS's with the expectation that eventually they would permanently migrate to the new OS.
The funny thing is, Microsoft never considered the installation of the OEM version on a user-built PC as being a "fully-licensed" copy of Windows. You would have to sell that new PC you built to someone else to make it fully legal. But Microsoft never enforced that because they realized it would cut into sales to DIY builders.

I think I'm going to skip that cause I don't want problems :)

Wynona said:

I beg to differ with you on that statement. The EULA states that once Windows is upgraded, you can no longer use the old license. There is no "spirit of the law" included in the EULA.



They may not unofficially object, but I'm quite sure they would officially object! I have experienced an OEM copy I accidentally installed in a computer I was working on reaching out and changing the drivers to match that computer. So, yes, they can both be run at the same time! However, running at the same time or not, I consider it theft, and definitely will not go there!



I beg to differ . . . If I build a computer (and I've built many, many of them), and buy an OEM version of Windows for that computer, it is fully licensed to me if I choose to keep the computer for myself. I am not, however, allowed to put that OEM copy on any other computer. It is forever tied to the computer I installed it on.

To be legal you would have to sell the computer you built and installed the OEM version on to a third party. I have never heard of and probably never will hear of MS taking someone to court because they installed a OEM version on their personal computer. I personally think that that is just legalese to prevent someone from trying to take MS to small claims court because MS will not give support to a OEM version. The system builder is supposed to give any needed support.

What if I get a new device. Can my purchased win 10 key not be used?

simrick said:

If it is a full Retail License, it has transfer rights, which means it can be unregistered/uninstalled on the original system and installed/registered on the new pc.

I've always built my own systems since my first that came with Windows 3.0 and have never installed a Windows OEM version on any of them. I didn't think I could live with the restrictions since I updated my primary system every couple of years and passed removed parts sequentially down the line to 3 other desktops. I'd advise anybody building their own system not to put Windows OEM on it as there are strong chances they will come to regret the day.

I got a digital entitlement for all my capable computer. only my desktops will not as they are too old. They still run on Windows 7 though as the most recent capable system....
On my test laptop I run Windows 10 currently permanently mostly for learning reasons. At times of Windows XP I did not even wanted anything to do with Windows 7, now I am using it almost exclusively. Times a' changing. Maybe some day I will have Windows 15

The simple answer when hesitating to leave Windows 7 or 8 is to do the upgrade (to secure the permanent license for Windows 10) and then roll-back. That removes the deadline because the device becomes a registered Windows 10 device on the first installation of Windows 10 and that is good for the life of the device.