Windows 10 Still Free?

H

htpc_user

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jun 27, 2008
Messages
1,429
I installed Windows 7 on an older laptop that I'm going to sell. After I ran the first Windows Update and it restarted it went to a page that basically said I was running an older version of Windows and asked if I wanted to upgrade Windows 10. I was like, "Again with this?!"
 
htpc_user said:
I installed Windows 7 on an older laptop that I'm going to sell. After I ran the first Windows Update and it restarted it went to a page that basically said I was running an older version of Windows and asked if I wanted to upgrade Windows 10. I was like, "Again with this?!"
Click to expand...

Your post isn't very clear in terms of if you're asking something, or just stating it for the record.
But to answer the question in your title - the free upgrade to Windows 10 is still available for people who use "assistive" technologies - i.e. accessibility features.

So yes - it's still available freely.
Article on this subject: Here's how to get Windows 10 for free -- still

MS Page for this upgrade offer: Windows 10 upgrade for assistive technology users
 
This didn't say anything about the assisted technologies thing. I read about that after I looked into if they were still trying to get people to do the free upgrade. The point of my post was basically to see if others had seen this message after installing 7 or 8.
 
htpc_user said:
This didn't say anything about the assisted technologies thing. I read about that after I looked into if they were still trying to get people to do the free upgrade. The point of my post was basically to see if others had seen this message after installing 7 or 8.
Click to expand...

No you didn't - but you asked if it was still free - which I've answered.
Anyway, your reply clarifies things - so I'll leave it for others to comment on that :)
 
Supposedly if you have an OEM based machine (which all laptops pretty much are) there are reports from people that have installed or reinstalled Windows 7 or 8/8.1 on them are getting the upgrade notifications just as expected even in spite of Windows 10's "free upgrade" offer having been terminated on July 29 2016. So, you are most likely in that kind of situation - if it offers to do the upgrade and you actually want Windows 10 (as insane as that sounds) then by all means take 'em up on it, if not then... what, exactly? :D
 
Also, if you previously "reserved" your free copy, but didn't actually upgrade, it will still allow you to upgrade.
 
The Windows 10 upgrade FAQ says otherwise. However I cannot comment about how windows update/upgrade notifications are currently being handled, but I thought you might be interested in the following. I have no spare keys to test personally, but I have read reports of people using the windows 10 installation media (either from media creation tool or windows10iso download page) to clean install using 7/8 keys and successfully activate after this July 29 deadline (keys which have not been used to upgrade to 10 in the past, since activation is now stored on MS servers).

Keep in mind, the license agreement for Windows 10 says: "The software covered by this agreement is an upgrade to your existing operating system software, so the upgrade replaces the original software that you are upgrading. You do not retain any rights to the original software after you have upgraded and you may not continue to use it or transfer it in any way. This agreement governs your rights to use the upgrade software and replaces the agreement for the software from which you upgraded."

I found out about this after the fact and immediately used the 30 day (now 10 days, thanks to Anniversary Update) rollback feature to go back to Windows 7. Microsoft is not currently enforcing or "disabling" keys which have been upgraded to be inoperable with 7/8 activation, but I would not put it past MS to pull a stunt like that if you continue to use 10. Dual boot was allowed during participation in the preview, but now according to the license agreement MS can take it away from you. Expect your key to be disposable at any point in the future.

Backup 7 activation with Advanced Tokens Manager or better yet an entire 7/8 OS drive image using Acronis True Image (WD Edition or DiscWizard, if you want a free version for Western Digital or Seagate). It is highly recommended you create bootable media to image backup instead of from within the OS (to avoid potential problems with VSS, protected files, in use etc). Be sure to look at file exclusions, especially if existing system restore points are important to you (system volume information). Sector by sector approach will grab everything and ignore exclusions, which is useful if you have unrecognized/unsupported file systems or encrypted stuff. This will also guarantee keeping valid restore points since file sector locations are very important for VSS and anything which uses Volume Shadow Copy Service.

From my brief personal experience with Windows 10, on a custom setup (not express) with all those feedback options disabled (and after applying all updates) every time I connected to the internet my HD was always constantly accessed for over 30 minutes (pegged 100%). Even after numerous reboots, pegged disk activity each time I connected. Way too much CPU activity and background processes for me. With the large amount of changes occurring to 10 at all times and no signs of the dust settling (also Microsoft actively working against people disabling things), I am not encouraged to take the time to research and disable, clean uninstall or forcefully delete all this crap from the registry and/or file system. Time is money and to me that makes Windows 10 not free.

Edit: I read some more threads. Yes the upgrade is still live/active.
 
Last edited:
I have two custom PC's sitting next to me I had Win7 Ultimate running on. Upgraded both of them to 10 using the Ultimate serials and they both activated just fine. This was two weeks ago. Microsoft is letting users use their 7 keys and just not advertising it from what I have heard.
 
yup, I used a spare W7 key and did a fresh install of W10 Home Edition 2 weeks back (using the Windows 10 iso)...worked fine
 
I read somewhere that Microsoft would be gradually rolling back the adware for Windows 10 through the end of the year...
 
GeekMechanic said:
I have two custom PC's sitting next to me I had Win7 Ultimate running on. Upgraded both of them to 10 using the Ultimate serials and they both activated just fine. This was two weeks ago. Microsoft is letting users use their 7 keys and just not advertising it from what I have heard.
Click to expand...

Exactly! I am not certain why the blkt is thinking Microsoft is doing some nefarious thing here. It has always been that if you upgrade an OS, you can no longer use the older OS you upgraded from alongside the new, upgraded OS. The fact that it is allowing you to do this is outside the terms of the agreement. (Not telling you what you can or cannot do with your computer, just the facts based upon the EULA.)

As Tiberian said, I was able to install Windows 10 on a Windows 8 computer that had not previously had it installed at all. (The computer has a liquid spilled on it and it killed it but, it came back to life a couple of weeks ago, after the July 29th deadline.)
 
Any free/cheap upgrade options for upgrading a system running XP?

I have an older netbook on which I specifically made sure I got XP instead of Win7 Starter when I bought it. The only issue I have is that Dropbox just dropped XP support and the Dropbox application won't even run now on XP. Other than web browsing, that's the only thing I use the netbook for - accessing recipes and documents that I keep in Dropbox.
 
Look up member [Ion] in For Sale/Trade and get a Windows 7 key from him for $10 and then download the media crearion tool from Microsoft for Windows 10. Enter the key you get from Ion during the install. It works.
 
htpc_user said:
Look up member [Ion] in For Sale/Trade and get a Windows 7 key from him for $10 and then download the media crearion tool from Microsoft for Windows 10. Enter the key you get from Ion during the install. It works.
Click to expand...

Thanks.

Do you mean you can just enter the Win 7 key to install Win 10?

Maybe OT, but any thoughts on which would run better on an old netbook with single-core Atom and 2GB of memory - Win 7 or Win 10?
 
ManofGod said:
Exactly! I am not certain why the blkt is thinking Microsoft is doing some nefarious thing here. It has always been that if you upgrade an OS, you can no longer use the older OS you upgraded from alongside the new, upgraded OS. The fact that it is allowing you to do this is outside the terms of the agreement. (Not telling you what you can or cannot do with your computer, just the facts based upon the EULA.)
Click to expand...

It sounds to me GeekMechanic was simply confirming his experience with the activation of windows 10 via 7 keys. I don't think MS is being nefarious here, but I do think it is disreputable or dishonest to force a user forfeit all rights to the original software before the upgrade trial period begins. Remember, MS says to the user they can go back to windows 7 if they don't like it, but in reality the user has already agreed to the new license agreement. This, to me, is a conflict which is furthered by their reduction of the 30 day rollback period to 10 days. Also, previous MS upgrades involved two keys (license and upgrade) whereas now it is tied to one (with the addition of server stored digital entitlement). The main difference is that now there is a potential for MS to disable 7/8 activations for people who, for whatever reason, need to go back to 7/8.

JJ Johnson, buy a Windows 7 license from new2019's thread. Edit: These are retail keys and he sells more than just Windows 7 (8.1, 10, Office etc).
 
Last edited:
JJ Johnson said:
Thanks.

Do you mean you can just enter the Win 7 key to install Win 10?

Maybe OT, but any thoughts on which would run better on an old netbook with single-core Atom and 2GB of memory - Win 7 or Win 10?
Click to expand...
Starting with v1511 (IIRC), Win 10 allowed Windows 7/8.x keys to be used during the initial install or after installing w/o key and activating and putting key in. Kudos to them for allowing that.

Old Atom w/2GB of RAM, 32-bit version for sure. I have put Win 8.1 and 10 Home x86 on Atom netbooks with 2 GB RAM, it's not exactly pretty but can be lived with. The limited screen resolution was the roughest part. I had a old 64GB SSD doing nothing and used it.
 
ir0nw0lf said:
Old Atom w/2GB of RAM, 32-bit version for sure. I have put Win 8.1 and 10 Home x86 on Atom netbooks with 2 GB RAM, it's not exactly pretty but can be lived with. The limited screen resolution was the roughest part. I had a old 64GB SSD doing nothing and used it.
Click to expand...

32-bit. Makes sense. No thoughts on Win 7 vs. Win 10? Same, same?
 
I'm more partial to Windows 10, but I seem to be in the minority here with all the Windows 10 ate my firstborn and reports to Microsoft when I drop a deuce comments on the site. o_O Not sure one will perform any worse/better than the other. If you install the Windows 7 though, the Windows Updates will be a complete pain in the butt and require hoops to jump through to get it update normally.
 
JJ Johnson said:
Thanks.

Do you mean you can just enter the Win 7 key to install Win 10?

Maybe OT, but any thoughts on which would run better on an old netbook with single-core Atom and 2GB of memory - Win 7 or Win 10?
Click to expand...

Yes, just enter the install key from him right into the Windows 10 install. I was told to enter it at the end of the install instead of when it asks at the beginning. I'm not sure if it makes a difference.

All I can tell you about Windows 7 is I had it on my father's PC with an E2200 and 2gb of RAM and it ran like crap. I also installed it on an old Athlon 64 laptop with 512mb of RAM and it ran terrible too. Granted, 512 was not enough but with both my dad's and the laptop they ran fine at first but after updates, perhaps Service Pack 1, the memory and cpu were hittling their limits. I got tired of trying to use his PC or seeing him try to use it and it taking forever so I upgraded him to a new Kabini system and Windows 10.
 
ir0nw0lf said:
I'm more partial to Windows 10, but I seem to be in the minority here with all the Windows 10 ate my firstborn and reports to Microsoft when I drop a deuce comments on the site. o_O Not sure one will perform any worse/better than the other. If you install the Windows 7 though, the Windows Updates will be a complete pain in the butt and require hoops to jump through to get it update normally.
Click to expand...

Jeff Goldblum is no longer the only one watching you poop. Jokes aside, Windows 7 SP1 now has a rather unofficial SP2 called Convenience Rollup (KB3125574) which has all the updates after SP1 though mid-May 2016. There is only one prerequisite: April 2015 “Servicing Stack” Update (KB3020369). Edit: copy/paste fail on stack update KB number, fixed. Also found slipstream instructions here: The Last Windows 7 ISO You’ll Ever Need: How to Slipstream the Convenience Rollup - 推Code
 
Last edited:
htpc_user said:
Yes, just enter the install key from him right into the Windows 10 install. I was told to enter it at the end of the install instead of when it asks at the beginning. I'm not sure if it makes a difference.

All I can tell you about Windows 7 is I had it on my father's PC with an E2200 and 2gb of RAM and it ran like crap. I also installed it on an old Athlon 64 laptop with 512mb of RAM and it ran terrible too. Granted, 512 was not enough but with both my dad's and the laptop they ran fine at first but after updates, perhaps Service Pack 1, the memory and cpu were hittling their limits. I got tired of trying to use his PC or seeing him try to use it and it taking forever so I upgraded him to a new Kabini system and Windows 10.
Click to expand...

I heard the same thing about entering the key at the end. Agreed, with 2GB RAM you will be spending some time disabling services and anything unnecessary in order to minimize pagefile access.
 
htpc_user said:
Yes, just enter the install key from him right into the Windows 10 install. I was told to enter it at the end of the install instead of when it asks at the beginning. I'm not sure if it makes a difference.
Click to expand...

FWIW: I entered the Windows 7 key during the clean install of Windows 10 Pro and it worked just fine.

Overall, pretty sluggish, even though I've gone from an HDD with XP to an SSD with Win 10. I'm hoping maybe some tweaking of services will help. So far I have all of the A/V and active malware services disabled, but I have a feeling I have a lot more to do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top