Getting Windows 10 for free - not by upgrade route

[postmortemIA]

Per Ars, citing this blog article you can get free Windows 10 if you join Windows Insider program now, and sign in with your Microsoft account.
Then that PC will be upgradeable to Windows 10 on day of launch.
Good news if you have XP or Vista PC around, or if you don't want to forfeit your Windows 7/8 copy.

Getting the final release on July 29th

Windows Insiders running the Windows 10 Insider Preview (Home and Pro editions) with their registered MSA connected to their PC will receive the final release build of Windows 10 starting on July 29th. This will come as just another flight. I’ve gotten a lot of questions from Windows Insiders about how this will work if they clean installed from ISO. As long as you are running an Insider Preview build and connected with the MSA you used to register, you will receive the Windows 10 final release build and remain activated. Once you have successfully installed this build and activated, you will also be able to clean install on that PC from final media if you want to start over fresh.

 

[MongGrel]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2402233&highlight=win10

Does look a few new things in there, on the ARS post maybe.

 

[escrow4]

If I get 10 I'll get it the same way I got 8.1, 2 new fresh OEM DVDs for $100. Upgrades and shifting to a new OS are still broken at MS. Win 10 should be a free full clean .iso for a year post release not this upgrade this and then upgrade that rubbish.

 

[MongGrel]

Have been using 10 awhile on my main and I took it off once in the past and reverted to 8.1, but it does seem to be improving.

Still using it atm.

 

[postmortemIA]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2402233&highlight=win10

Does look a few new things in there.

my bad, I didn't see it posted in one of dozen Win 10 threads.

 

[pauldun170]

This is awesome news.
While I already have 4 win7\8 instances waiting to go, I had a few legacy VM's (ONe volume license Win7, 2 vistas).
Since I already have a couple of Win10 vms, I can pretty much retire all the old stuff.

 

[owensdj]

If I get 10 I'll get it the same way I got 8.1, 2 new fresh OEM DVDs for $100. Upgrades and shifting to a new OS are still broken at MS. Win 10 should be a free full clean .iso for a year post release not this upgrade this and then upgrade that rubbish.

You can still do a clean install of Windows 10 after you do the in-place upgrade of Windows 7/8.x. You just need to do the upgrade to qualify to get 10 for free. Don't throw away $100.

 

[.vodka]

http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwi...changes-to-windows-10-insider-preview-builds/

This has been added:

It’s important to note that only people running Genuine Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 can upgrade to Windows 10 as part of the free upgrade offer.*

Apart from signing as an insider with a microsoft account, you'll not get it if you don't have that requirement... they aren't giving the OS away to everyone. That would've been too nice from microsoft.

 

[MrTransistorm]

http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwi...changes-to-windows-10-insider-preview-builds/

This has been added:


Apart from signing as an insider with a microsoft account, you'll not get it if you don't have that requirement... they aren't giving the OS away to everyone. That would've been too nice from microsoft.

Doesn't surprise me. People are way too optimistic to expect a free license just for testing the preview.

But how is that going to work? If you're testing the preview, you would have had to install it over the top of an existing 7/8.1 install in order for MS to detect it. I imagine that many people who are testing the preview did a clean install. They are going to be disappointed when they don't get the license they expected.

 

[.vodka]

I suppose they'll ask for your existing genuine 7/8.1 key to identify you and give you the free upgrade.

They'll have to clarify even more.

 

[MongGrel]

I suppose they'll ask for your existing genuine 7/8.1 key to identify you and give you the free upgrade.

They'll have to clarify even more.

I'm sure they will, of course.

 

[stlc8tr]

Per Ars, MSFT has backtracked.

http://arstechnica.com/information-...hily-backs-away-from-free-windows-10-promise/

On Friday, Microsoft described a way for anyone to get Windows 10 for free: activated, genuine, and updated forever. We wrote at the time that we expected the company to do a volte-face and back away from this promise. Lo and behold, it has come to pass.

 

[postmortemIA]

Per Ars, MSFT has backtracked.

http://arstechnica.com/information-...hily-backs-away-from-free-windows-10-promise/

Won't be first time they did this. The guy that runs the win 10 testing program already tried this once. Looks like MSFT has two competing camps, one that wants to give Win 10 for free to all, and other that wants to play the old licensing game.

I don't think there are more purposely convoluted licensing terms than for Windows.

 

[escrow4]

You can still do a clean install of Windows 10 after you do the in-place upgrade of Windows 7/8.x. You just need to do the upgrade to qualify to get 10 for free. Don't throw away $100.

Pain in the ass. OEM is re-installable at will. Offline copy. No issues. No upgrades. No fiddling. Slap it in and twiddle thumbs until done. For that $100 sure.

 

[StinkyPinky]

This entire thing is a mess. I don't understand this crap, and I work in the industry. Microsoft are just terrible at speaking in plain English.

 

[owensdj]

Pain in the ass. OEM is re-installable at will. Offline copy. No issues. No upgrades. No fiddling. Slap it in and twiddle thumbs until done. For that $100 sure.

The free upgrade to Windows 10 is also re-installable at will once you do the in-place upgrade from Win7/8.1. Also, technically you not allowed to buy an OEM version of Windows for an existing machine.

 

[Dahak]

http://arstechnica.com/information-...hily-backs-away-from-free-windows-10-promise/

Well that did not last long. It looks like those running just the preview will still be able to upgrade to the final edition, bit it may not activate / be genuine

Since Friday, the blog post describing the changes to the Windows Insider preview program has been silently updated. Previously it said that signed up members of the Insider Program running a preview version would "receive the Windows 10 final release build and remain activated." Now it says only that they will "receive the Windows 10 final release build." The activation wording has been removed. The company has also added a "clarifying" sentence: "It's important to note that only people running Genuine Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 can upgrade to Windows 10 as part of the free upgrade offer." This is in contrast to what the company said on Friday, when Microsoft's Gabe Aul confirmed that upgraded preview copies would be Genuine.

 

[sweenish]

Pain in the ass. OEM is re-installable at will. Offline copy. No issues. No upgrades. No fiddling. Slap it in and twiddle thumbs until done. For that $100 sure.

What you describe is NO DIFFERENT than the built-in reset.

But throw your money away.

 

[john5220]

The article says you can still get it free inthe same way but it won't be legal and as such its really to stop big companies who may be subject to an audit.

Let me state it I don't care about Genuine or Pirated it matters not to me. All I care about is I have the full working windows 10 without any annoying black wallpaper nagging about not genuine etc.

Can I go ahead and install this safely without worrying too much now?

 

[VirtualLarry]

Also, technically you not allowed to buy an OEM version of Windows for an existing machine.

I think that you are wrong about that.

 

[escrow4]

The article says you can still get it free inthe same way but it won't be legal and as such its really to stop big companies who may be subject to an audit.

Let me state it I don't care about Genuine or Pirated it matters not to me. All I care about is I have the full working windows 10 without any annoying black wallpaper nagging about not genuine etc.

Can I go ahead and install this safely without worrying too much now?

It matters if someone knocks your identity off and turns your life upside down. You simply do not know what is in any cracked OS floating around the internet. Period.

 

[phillyman36]

You can still do a clean install of Windows 10 after you do the in-place upgrade of Windows 7/8.x. You just need to do the upgrade to qualify to get 10 for free. Don't throw away $100.

Do we know how that works yet? I have 2 windows 7 and 1 windows 8 retail license not installed on anything. Do install each one on a extra pc i have then the same license number can be used to do a clean install on a new pc later on or will they give me a new license? I also have 2 upgrade license I don't have installed on anything.

 

[Shamrock]

According to this article, if you change mobo or "significantly upgrade", you must buy a new copy of win10.

http://news.yahoo.com/windows-10-lo...5bzY5BGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMzBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--

Goodbye power users who upgrade every year.

 

[matricks]

According to this article, if you change mobo or "significantly upgrade", you must buy a new copy of win10.

From the linked article:

A post on answers.microsoft.com suggests that only those who have upgraded from OEM versions of Windows 7 and 8 will need to buy a new Windows 10 license after replacing a computer's motherboard. Those upgrading from a retail version of Windows 7 or 8, the post says, would be able to transfer their copy of Windows 10 to a new machine or PC with a new motherboard.

OEM licenses will behave like OEM licenses have always behaved, and retail licenses will behave like retail licenses have always behaved. No big surprise there, and no slap in the face to particular user groups.

 

[postmortemIA]

From the linked article:


OEM licenses will behave like OEM licenses have always behaved, and retail licenses will behave like retail licenses have always behaved. No big surprise there, and no slap in the face to particular user groups.

sounds fair, but let's just wait and see how it really works.