Jump to content

Free Upgrade To Windows 10 Expires July 29th!


RV_

Recommended Posts

Just a reminder folks, the free upgrade from Windows 7 /8/8.1 machines to Windows 10 ends July 29th 2016, which is one year after they started doing the updates. After this coming July 29th you will have to pay to upgrade a machine with an earlier version of Windows to 10.

 

I realize no one here misunderstood but for the one or two who won't ask let me explain that it is free once you have it for the life of the machine. Some folks thought that they would have to pay again for the Windows 10 they got free during this one year free upgrade period and that is not true. Once you have it, it will be good, and supported, for the life of that machine.

 

No more big releases and big changes, just small incremental ones, like updates always had been.

 

I don't want anyone afraid of Windows 10 to upgrade if they don't want to. But this special one year free deal expires and all of us that have upgraded will have it for the life of the machine at no additional cost or charges.

 

Those that choose not to upgrade can just wait until they need a new computer or theirs breaks, or their version runs out of support under the Windows 10 year support policy for previous versions of Windows. Or you can buy it. Right now copies of Windows run about $120.00 - 200.00.

 

XP machines and Vista machines are not eligible for the free upgrades to 10. They can be upgraded to Linux, any version one likes. My preference is Mint with Cinnamon at the moment, despite their security breach recently.

 

 

Here are two good links to the facts:

http://www.pcgamer.com/microsoft-windows-10-will-not-be-sold-as-a-subscription/

 

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-win_upgrade/will-i-have-pay-for-windows-10-after-1-year/77ca2a14-fe4e-4c14-b28c-2054f90d9b4f?auth=1

 

In a few years asking what version of Windows you're running will be a thing of the past.

 

I just want my friends here not to miss out if they are on the fence and not realizing time is fast running out. It's not that big a deal as $120 won't break most of us if we change our minds about 10 later.

 

Just a reminder.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The one fact needing to be explained is "the machine." My understanding is that If you have to change a motherboard, or a hard drive, or video card then you have a new machine and will be forced to buy a new copy of win10.

 

I've read about this on several sites, but can't, at the moment, find the sources, so would be interested in what others have heard.

2009 Four Winds Chateau - 25' class C          2002 Chevy Tracker

1458033694__statesVisitedas-ofMarch-2012.jpg.b173645da4a43150ba2820dc7a6bdfc5.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hard drive change is not an issue. A motherboard is as it is a new machine. The key here is MS customer service. If the old Mobo is bad and discarded no issue they will likely get you set up with a bit of explaining. However if it was just sold along with the hard drive and case and is put back into use then yes you will owe for a copy of Windows.

 

I had to move a license for Win 8 Pro from one machine to another and they were great making it happen. I also ran out of activations for my Office Home and Biz military appreciation edition for three computers each, two of which I bought. They replaced the one that exceeded the max number of activation overrides. I did have to elevate that with a customer service letter to the management that received the personal attention of the manager who reviewed the taped conversation and told me that the MS representative was indeed rude and abusive and I indeed had many direct purchases from MS of both hardware and software over the last 30 years. He gave me his personal office number and extension for any problems should it refuse to activate again from my many Computer purchases and upgrades.

 

I explained that in 2012-2013 I bought and sold more than six systems, tablets, desktops, and laptop/hybrids.

 

They are more than willing to give you your legitimate money's worth and mine. But they do have programs in place to detect duplicates and if I left Office on my systems I sold I would not have been taken care of. Piracy is Piracy and I prefer to pay my own way too.

 

If your machine needs a new motherboard, and is out of warranty, odds are you need a new machine which will come with Windows 10. Why? Because most folk will never pay the tech cost for out of warranty locally or online for ordering. I don't replace Mobos, I replace everything. I upgraded at most every 18 months in the past. I now have had my Dells for two years which for me is weird. But they cost four times what I usually paid for my open box, refurbs, and/or used new systems.

 

For example I just recently upgraded my wife's laptop from a tower old style desktop and 24" HD monitor, a quad core i5 Lenovo All in One with a 21" touch screen at Best buy that was $900 and was open box and a manager's special additional off got it for $300 even. IT was perfect and never registered and got the new one year warranty. My point is that I get into activation issues more than the average camper.

 

I do know that the Hard drive is no issue because I upgraded tow laptops recently to Windows 10 to test them after a factory restore and then cloned the drives to 256GB SSDs with 10. No problem. On first boot after the clone was installed it had to make it the default drive and no problem.

 

I have had warranty problem with this Dell and when they caused issues by replacing the mobo with my software and activating it, I had them replace the machine at their expense not screw around with the mobo again. They want our business. I've made images of all my keeper systems and boot USB thumbdrives should I ever need them. I found that the mobo is the tracked item then. I doubt that has changed.

 

You know you call MS and talk to a tech on this to confirm.

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rich,

This is why I posted this topic. It takes a few weeks to set up parts and drives to do a hard drive and Windows version upgrade. Most folks lose track of time and find out the deadline passed after it's too late. Lots of folks missed out on buying Windows 8 at the introductory price of $14.99 back when it was offered from October 2012 to Jan 31, 2013. The day after they had to pay $120 to get Windows 8.

 

On the other hand I am not encouraging anyone to upgrade. Folks with infected computers, or who have run optimizer programs or have other issues may experience problems. I can say that with 9 systems here in every age, type, and configuration, none have had any issues, in fact all ran as well, and seem faster.

 

The way I got around the changes is by making an image of my old system, then upgrading, then making an image of the new upgraded system, and restoring the old system image keeping the hard drive with the new activated system safe for later. That is iffy for non techs. Lots of folks do images and backups but never manage to restore them and lose it anyway.

 

If you want to be totally safe, then just get a second SSD or hard drive and clone the system to it, upgrade the clone leaving your old drive safe and untouched in a safe place.

 

(Note: The following only works for Laptops and tower desktops that have easily accessible hard drives)

 

Today, with all the safe boot hardware and software, I would go ahead and do an upgrade to SSD with your old Windows system, if I haven't already. That involves cloning your entire OLD system to the SSD minus any large files you want to store externally in exchange for speed. Then remove your old Hard Drive that contains your old system, and replace it with the cloned SSD with your old system.

 

This leaves you with an unmolested old drive and system that has not been meddled with except for being removed, and the new SSD with the old system on it.

 

Now just upgrade the SSD only to Windows 10, or the old Hard drive your choice, but keep one old system drive intact if you change your mind later.

 

You will end up with one drive with your old system, and a new drive with your new upgraded Windows 10 to try on your machine.

 

If you have a laptop with a 2.5" laptop hard drive you can use the Apricorn drive wire and cloning software which will clone larger drives to smaller here: http://www.amazon.com/Apricorn-Notebook-Upgrade-Connection-ASW-USB3-25/dp/B005C983NA

 

If you have a 3.5 " drive you can replace it with a 2.5" SSD attached to your computer via the drive wire. Then remove your old 3.5 drive and use any screw to secure the new smaller drive to the inside of your desktop tower where the old one was. I use an adapter only if no screw holes are available.

 

You can also use a drive dock for both size drives 2.5" and the large desktop 3.5" drives. Like this: http://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Lay-Flat-Docking-EC-DFLT/dp/B00LS5NFQ2/ref=sr_1_14?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1461095912&sr=1-14&keywords=external+drive+dock&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_four_browse-bin%3A6022609011

I have not tried that one but it can close and be used as a portable external drive enclosure as well as a dock by the computer. Drive docks connect to 110 to power the large and small drives.

 

Questions?

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder if Windows 10 has already been downloaded but not installed - can it still be installed after the deadline date?

Why would you ask this??

At some future point beyond the cut-off date I might upgrade a piece of hardware that requires Win 10.

Or perhaps I might see some benefit in the "upgrade".

Lance-white-sands-500.jpg

~Rich

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RV:

As it happens, my Dell XPS laptop has developed a hard drive problem - it keeps crashing to blue screen, makes a report to Microsoft and then goes into a diagnostic setup program which seems to say that it cannot find a hard drive.

 

I also took your advice (a year or two ago) and made a cloned hard.

 

The cloned hard drive has Win 7 on it.

The machine has been "upgraded" to Windows 10

 

So. . .do you think that installing the backup drive will restore the laptop to Win 7 ??

Lance-white-sands-500.jpg

~Rich

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At some future point beyond the cut-off date I might upgrade a piece of hardware that requires Win 10.

Or perhaps I might see some benefit in the "upgrade".

 

Your choice!!! Easier to just download a few days before the cutoff, free is cheaper too! LOL!

:) Living Life One Day At A Time!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rich, you changed terms in mid question. If you cloned your hard drive when it was running Windows 7 and install that hard drive of course it will be Windows 7. If you do a factory restore of that cloned drive then it will still be Windows 7. Am I missing something here? :unsure:

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rich, you changed terms in mid question. If you cloned your hard drive when it was running Windows 7 and install that hard drive of course it will be Windows 7. If you do a factory restore of that cloned drive then it will still be Windows 7. Am I missing something here? :unsure:

 

Okay, then it's verified that it's only the hard drive that contains the operating system?

Win 10 does not make any changes to the bios or things of that nature?

Lance-white-sands-500.jpg

~Rich

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Win 10 does make changes to the bios for itself, unless you upgraded your firmware from your manufacturer like went there to the say, HP support downloads section for your model number, and downloaded a newer bios which is firmware. Unless your computer came with 10, then the secure boot hardware is not present AFAIK.

 

Yes the hard drive contains the OS. The Bios is in firmware not on the hard drive. So put the old cloned drive on it, do all the updates, and then go to 10 again. It should be fine. Remember that you want to be on a fast Internet connection because that cloned drive is missing however many months it has been out of service's worth of missed Windows updates and you will want them all for 7 ASAP.

 

You can email with your number if you want to discuss it faster. My email is on my website in the sig block below. No problem that can't be fixed up..

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...