Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7 and Windows 8.1
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@Obsolesce said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
@srsmith said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
Nice timing for this - we currently have around 2 dozen machines still on Windows 7 for various reasons. We were planning on buying new Windows 10 machines to replace all of them by the end of the year. I admit, I didn't look into it further than seeing the free upgrade offer was no longer officially on the table. If I can upgrade these Windows 7 machines for free, other than my time and an SSD for those that don't already have one, management will be very pleased.
Yes, try it on one. Download the MCT. Upgrade the PC and see if it activates. If so, you can then install a fresh bare metal install of Win10 after the upgrade.
Yup, once you upgrade (which gives you the new license, and then the activation which is additionally required) you are fully set up with a new Windows 10 license. So you can do fresh installs on that box after that.
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@JasGot said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
@Pete-S said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
@scottalanmiller said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
@Pete-S said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
Or MCT will give you a fresh install compared to an upgrade?
No, it's still an upgrade just the same. But it does it with a huge amount of prep so the process is pretty reliable.
But if you use MCT to upgrade do you then get a Win10 license key as well? Or do you still have to use whatever old whatever version key you have?
I'm thinking if you have to reinstall everything after the upgrade to Win10. Do you have to go back to old windows again and start over?
Your Key from the prior version is re-assigned/changed/converted; use whatever term you wish; let's say you upgrade your Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Pro. After activation of Windows 10 with your Windows 7 key, your Windows 7 license is no longer a Windows 7 license key, it is a Windows 10 license key. This license "change" may have stopped occurring after the end of the free upgrade period (even though it still activated). Make sure you are compliant with licensing before upgrading.
And you are 100% allowed to downgrade if you wish.
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@Obsolesce said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
And you are 100% allowed to downgrade if you wish.
I didn't see that in the EULA, but wasn't looking for it. Are you sure that they allow a downgrade when upgrading from this path? That seems odd since the underlying goal would be the upgrade itself.
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@scottalanmiller said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
@Obsolesce said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
And you are 100% allowed to downgrade if you wish.
I didn't see that in the EULA, but wasn't looking for it. Are you sure that they allow a downgrade when upgrading from this path? That seems odd since the underlying goal would be the upgrade itself.
Yes I remember skimming over a downgrade section, and seeing that it was stated you can. I will look again because I also was not looking for that specifically, so I don't remember the exact wording.
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@Obsolesce said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
@scottalanmiller said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
@Obsolesce said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
And you are 100% allowed to downgrade if you wish.
I didn't see that in the EULA, but wasn't looking for it. Are you sure that they allow a downgrade when upgrading from this path? That seems odd since the underlying goal would be the upgrade itself.
Yes I remember skimming over a downgrade section, and seeing that it was stated you can. I will look again because I also was not looking for that specifically, so I don't remember the exact wording.
Just have to make sure that it is the EULA generated by the MCT as the EULAs can differ depending on the source. Might all be the same, but I doubt it.
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@scottalanmiller said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
@Obsolesce said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
@scottalanmiller said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
@Obsolesce said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
And you are 100% allowed to downgrade if you wish.
I didn't see that in the EULA, but wasn't looking for it. Are you sure that they allow a downgrade when upgrading from this path? That seems odd since the underlying goal would be the upgrade itself.
Yes I remember skimming over a downgrade section, and seeing that it was stated you can. I will look again because I also was not looking for that specifically, so I don't remember the exact wording.
Just have to make sure that it is the EULA generated by the MCT as the EULAs can differ depending on the source. Might all be the same, but I doubt it.
Yes that's where I seen it, in the one in my screenshots above.
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Interesting. Also interesting to note that downgrade rights expire when the support expires, which we never really talk about. So by using the MCT upgrade path, your rights to downgrade will vanish in a few months.
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@scottalanmiller said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
Yup, once you upgrade (which gives you the new license, and then the activation which is additionally required) you are fully set up with a new Windows 10 license. So you can do fresh installs on that box after that.
And this is how we know the key is fully associated with Windows 10. Your key, when it was a Windows 7 key would not allow a bare metal install of Windows 10. But after the MCT process, it will (on the same hardware, of course). So now we know that the MS activation servers have acknowledged your Windows 7 key was upgraded to a Windows 10 key. Make sure you are compliant with the EULA before upgrading.
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@scottalanmiller https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12435/windows-10-upgrade-faq
Just because you can does not mean you are allowed. From MS own page
Do I still qualify for the free upgrade offer if I've already downloaded Windows 10 to a USB drive, but haven't yet upgraded my device?
All upgrades must have completed and reached the "Welcome" screen by 11:59 PM UTC-10 (Hawaii) on July 29, 2016; this is one worldwide point in time -
@wayneh_nz This specifically applies to the program that MS ran at the time. Read the additional details.
Is the Windows 10 free upgrade offer still available?
The Windows 10 free upgrade through the Get Windows 10 (GWX) app ended on July 29, 2016.
And thus that specific program is closed and the MCT method is the official path to getting Windows 10 for free.
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Here is the all important bit of information, directly on the MCT website.
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@DustinB3403 said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
Here is the all important bit of information, directly on the MCT website.
Right, which I interpret as you have a valid Windows 10 license AND you're upgrading from 7, 8, 8.1. Just like when you buy an Enterprise or Volume License, the machine must already have a valid copy of windows AND the new Volume license.
EDIT: I clearly don't get it and I'm no expert, just a layman reading things... I know, I know, your 7, 8, 8.1 license IS your 10 license... blah blah
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@DustinB3403 said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
Here is the all important bit of information, directly on the MCT website.
Also, this picture can be 100% ignored because it's not the EULA. This cannot be submitted as evidence. There is another page directly saying that the free upgrade period has ended and that you have to buy a Windows 10 license if you're upgrading from 7. Which was immediately dismissed as it's not EULA. :winking_face:
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@bnrstnr said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
@DustinB3403 said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
Here is the all important bit of information, directly on the MCT website.
Right, which I interpret as you have a valid Windows 10 license AND you're upgrading from 7, 8, 8.1. Just like when you buy an Enterprise or Volume License, the machine must already have a valid copy of windows AND the new Volume license.
EDIT: I clearly don't get it and I'm no expert, just a layman reading things... I know, I know, your 7, 8, 8.1 license IS your 10 license... blah blah
Exactly - and the EULA says the same thing - though it's more simply states - have a license - it doesn't say a license for what - and it doesn't mention upgrading until another section.
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@bnrstnr said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
Also, this picture can be 100% ignored because it's not the EULA. This cannot be submitted as evidence. There is another page directly saying that the free upgrade period has ended and that you have to buy a Windows 10 license if you're upgrading from 7. Which was immediately dismissed as it's not EULA.
That page is the allowance to download the MCT. When you run the MCT, it gives you the EULA. This is all covered in the thread. I'm not sure why pointing out something random is not the license, when we keep showing the actual license and explaining where it came from, comes up.
And correct, any random web page that isn't part of the license path doesn't matter. The one you just showed, though, is part of the path and if that page said that you could only download this and run it under certain circumstances, that would have legal teeth. But it does not, so while it is not the EULA, does matter, unlike a random web page you are under no obligation to read.
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@Dashrender said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
Exactly - and the EULA says the same thing - though it's more simply states - have a license - it doesn't say a license for what - and it doesn't mention upgrading until another section.
Yup, and since you have a license exactly as described by the EULA, the EULA is 100% valid. Hence why there isn't any gray area. You are properly licensed before, you do the upgrade as mentioned in the EULA, and the new EULA is your new license agreement.
Really simple. Every rule followed, everything described in the EULA is done.
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@wayneh_nz said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
@scottalanmiller https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12435/windows-10-upgrade-faq
Just because you can does not mean you are allowed. From MS own page
Do I still qualify for the free upgrade offer if I've already downloaded Windows 10 to a USB drive, but haven't yet upgraded my device?
All upgrades must have completed and reached the "Welcome" screen by 11:59 PM UTC-10 (Hawaii) on July 29, 2016; this is one worldwide point in timeThat's a different offer. This has been covered in the threads over and over. There are multiple programs like this that have ended. That other offers have ended, or that other unrelated pages say that there isn't an upgrade have nothing to do with the situation being discussed. None of that is relevant to this upgrade discussion, they are about an upgrade that was superseded by another in 2016, and superseded by this one in 2018. We even have a whole thread explaining why MS does this.
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@DustinB3403 said in Free Upgrade to Windows 10 in 2019 from Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1:
Here is the all important bit of information, directly on the MCT website.
That line is the strongest argument against the availability of the free upgrade, not for it. This is where I'd have to agree with @bnrstnr that that is suggestive that another license is required prior to downloading the MCT.
