A Year Later, You Can Still Upgrade to Windows 10 for Free

[NakiBest]

You are wrong saying " this activation workaround". You seem to be clueless on Windows 10 operation, so I am not quite sure how you got this job to write such articles anyway, when you lack such basic knowledge on the new Windows 10 OS.

The ability to activate Windows 10 with a Windows 7/8.0/8.1 key did not always exist. It was added as some point, and is a feature, which is known and is by design - it is NOT any workaround, but something Microsoft knowingly added.

 

[Davek]

CONSPIRACY THEORY:
My suspicion is that the crisis effort of Microsoft to get people to use Windows 10 is due to the American government and the NSA having talked Microsoft into including code in Windows 10 to make it easier for them (the NSA and our government) to spy on anyone using Windows 10.
With Windows XP and any other Windows operating systems since then, it would be too difficult (if not, impossible) to get this spy code into everyone's computer.
DISCLAIMER:
I have no proof whatsoever of my suspicions, only a gut feeling that this may very well be the case.

Marine57, you see that car across the street...

 

[Ben Myers]

One more thought worth repeating: When installing or upgrading to Windows 10, DO NOT click the "Express Settings" button. Instead, click the small "Custom Settings" button and see which surveillance options to turn on or off, depending on your own personal degree of paranoia with Microsoft collecting data about you, your computer, and how you use the computer. Also, do not register the computer with a Microsoft account, which DOES keep you away from the Microsoft Store and all the products and services they want to sell you.

 

[Ben Myers]

The continued free (except for all the time you spend) upgrade to Windows 10 operates in Microsoft's own selfish interest to proselytize everything Microsoft like the Microsoft Store, Bing, Office 365, the Microsoft cloud, etc etc. With all this stuff to sell people and a vehicle to do it better than any other Windows, why not the free upgrade to Windows 10? If Microsoft pulled to plug in the free upgrade, they would be shooting themselves in their feet. Satya Nadella is smart enough to have figured this out. The free-upgrade-within-the-first-year was simply another, but less lame, ploy to get everybody racing to Windows 10.

Here is what I have found out installing Windows 10 many times over:
You have a Windows 7 Home product key, so you can upgrade to Windows 10 Home.
You have a Windows 7 Pro product key, so you can upgrade to Windows 10 Pro.
Ditto for Windows 8.
If you have a Windows 8 or 8.1 system without a product key sticker, by arrangement between the name-brand manufacturer and Microsoft burns product key info into the BIOS. So when you upgrade one of these computers, the Windows 10 install ISO picks the right version of Windows 10 and activates it automatically.
I have no idea if, when and how to upgrade Windows 7 Starter or Windows 7 Ultimate. I do not see these versions very often at all.

Win 7 Starter will get you Win 10 Core and Win 7 Ultimate will get you Win 10 Pro.

The continued free (except for all the time you spend) upgrade to Windows 10 operates in Microsoft's own selfish interest to proselytize everything Microsoft like the Microsoft Store, Bing, Office 365, the Microsoft cloud, etc etc. With all this stuff to sell people and a vehicle to do it better than any other Windows, why not the free upgrade to Windows 10? If Microsoft pulled to plug in the free upgrade, they would be shooting themselves in their feet. Satya Nadella is smart enough to have figured this out. The free-upgrade-within-the-first-year was simply another, but less lame, ploy to get everybody racing to Windows 10.

Here is what I have found out installing Windows 10 many times over:
You have a Windows 7 Home product key, so you can upgrade to Windows 10 Home.
You have a Windows 7 Pro product key, so you can upgrade to Windows 10 Pro.
Ditto for Windows 8.
If you have a Windows 8 or 8.1 system without a product key sticker, by arrangement between the name-brand manufacturer and Microsoft burns product key info into the BIOS. So when you upgrade one of these computers, the Windows 10 install ISO picks the right version of Windows 10 and activates it automatically.
I have no idea if, when and how to upgrade Windows 7 Starter or Windows 7 Ultimate. I do not see these versions very often at all.

Win 7 Starter will get you Win 10 Core and Win 7 Ultimate will get you Win 10 Pro.

Thx. I'll know what happens should I run into these in the future.

 

[PCNET]

I am a video game programmer and IT technician of many years. Windows 10 does have bloatware they push and some abundance of communication in the background that doesn't need to be there but overall it's a good and stable OS. I created some batch files to go through and cleanup some of the settings, remove bloatware, and much more. I use these scripts on all Win10 machines I encounter with my job and they work well, although I add and remove things all the time. Anybody who is interested in checking out my cleanup scripts can ask, and I'll send you a copy. I also have tons of experience with Win10 issues if anybody has questions. As a side note: Never run random batch files without looking them over first! I expect people to at least be cautious of my files, although I can guarantee they are safe. Look me up on Facebook by searching for "PCcloud9 Tech News & Tips".

It's a solid OS, it just needs some tweaks!

 

[Gliderguider]

I am a video game programmer and IT technician of many years. Windows 10 does have bloatware they push and some abundance of communication in the background that doesn't need to be there but overall it's a good and stable OS. I created some batch files to go through and cleanup some of the settings, remove bloatware, and much more. I use these scripts on all Win10 machines I encounter with my job and they work well, although I add and remove things all the time. Anybody who is interested in checking out my cleanup scripts can ask, and I'll send you a copy. I also have tons of experience with Win10 issues if anybody has questions. As a side note: Never run random batch files without looking them over first! I expect people to at least be cautious of my files, although I can guarantee they are safe. Look me up on Facebook by searching for "PCcloud9 Tech News & Tips".

It's a solid OS, it just needs some tweaks!

Your cleanup scripts sound very interesting. Any chance you'd post an email address or direct link? I have no Facebook account and don't plan on getting one.

 

[Szarik]

Microsoft has been creating panic about free upgrade since it was released and aggressively updating users PC without their agreement. I wouldn't be surprised if Windows 10 upgrades will become free forever.
Windows 10 is a bad OS..actually is Not OS it's a Spyware by a mile and I wouldn't recommend to installing it even if is free. Actually it's not free ether..

 

[drjekelmrhyde]

Unless I'm mistaken, I've tried the assistive technologies bs & it never finished https://www.techspot.com/community/topics/access-denied.231744/ & here http://www.howtogeek.com/272201/all-the-ways-you-can-still-get-windows-10-for-free/
Correct me if I'm wrong.

I loaded it on about 30 PCs with no problem. This is a easy way to go from a non legit copy of 7 or 8 to a legit copy of 10.

 

[drjekelmrhyde]

I used the Win 7/8/8.1 key method to download Win 10 Pro on my Surface Pro 3 with Win 8.1 Pro. It never asked for an activation key number and I now have Win 10 Pro on my Surface Pro 3.

You key was stored in bios

 

[learninmypc]

I loaded it on about 30 PCs with no problem. This is a easy way to go from a non legit copy of 7 or 8 to a legit copy of 10.

Not everybody is as smart as you are, obviously.

 

[learninmypc]

For a person not having done this, how long could it take?
For a person that had it but no more, how long would it take? Just curious.

 

[cliffordcooley]

easy way to go from a non legit copy of 7 or 8 to a legit copy of 10.

Yeah you keep on thinking your Windows 10 is legit. As for everyone else, we know better. An upgrade doesn't turn a non-legit license into a legit license. Keep dreaming. If you are going to pirate then pirate, but stop lying to yourself by saying everything is fine now because I upgraded.

Edit:
Just came across this relevant link. - https://www.techspot.com/article/1002-windows-10-free-or-not-explained/

Users running pirated copies of Windows 7 and Windows 8 will be able to upgrade to Windows 10. However, their Windows license will remain invalid after the upgrade process is complete, meaning pirates won't be getting a "free" upgrade to Windows 10.

This will likely mean that non-genuine users will be subject to anti-piracy countermeasures after the upgrade, if previous versions are anything to go by. With this move, Microsoft gets the opportunity to "re-engage" pirates by making the upgrade path straightforward and have a wider adoption of its latest OS platform regardless if the user paid for a license or not.

 

[gooderguy]

I still install Windows 10 everyday, well 5 days a week, it never stopped working when using Windows 7 product keys. You can still download the ISO on Microsoft's website, then use the Universal USB Installer to create a bootable installation of Windows 10 on a USB stick.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO/
https://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/

 

[learninmypc]

I still install Windows 10 everyday, well 5 days a week, it never stopped working when using Windows 7 product keys. You can still download the ISO on Microsoft's website, then use the Universal USB Installer to create a bootable installation of Windows 10 on a USB stick.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO/
https://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/

Why can't there be a simple way to download it

 

[Adhmuz]

Where can I find the Windows key? Is anyone using Spybot's Anti Beacon?

Not sure what windows key your looking for? But I have anti beacon on all my personal W10 machines as well as Spybot S&D, the only issue I have had with anti beacon is related to obtaining achievements when playing xbox live games, this isn't a deal breaker considering all the other **** it does to prevent tracking and what have you. On the flip side Spybot S&D forces windows defender off which prevents it from detecting my activator.

Yeah you keep on thinking your Windows 10 is legit. As for everyone else, we know better. An upgrade doesn't turn a non-legit license into a legit license. Keep dreaming. If you are going to pirate then pirate, but stop lying to yourself by saying everything is fine now because I upgraded.

Any idea how long this should take to rear it's head? I have at least one computer that was running an illegitimate copy of W7 Ultimate but it was activated and never had any issues. I tried the free upgrade to see what happens and it shows as fully activated despite it having been upgraded from a non legit previous installation. This was over a year ago now and this PC is running with all the default settings, no Spybot Anti Beacon or S&D and has yet to trigger anything telling me it is running with an illegitimate key.

 

[learninmypc]

Will this install W10 ?? https://www.techspot.com/downloads/6667-windows-10.html

 

[cliffordcooley]

I have at least one computer that was running an illegitimate copy of W7 Ultimate but it was activated and never had any issues.

The machine may never be deactivated, but that doesn't mean the license is legit. This whole pirating turned legit is all a pirate's wishful thinking.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Will this install W10 ?? https://www.techspot.com/downloads/6667-windows-10.html

Yes it will. But since it is an ESD file format, I couldn't tell you how to process the file to make a DVD.

 

[learninmypc]

Yes it will. But since it is an ESD file format, I couldn't tell you how to process the file to make a DVD.

Ok, in a nutshell, I'm being lazy & looking for a way to simply click a link, download & install W10 like installing firefox or any thing

 

[cliffordcooley]

Well you can after you burn a disk from the ISO image that the media creation tool makes. Heck with a thumb drive you can skip all the burning and create the installation media straight to the thumb drive.

 

[learninmypc]

Well you can after you burn a disk from the ISO image that the media creation tool makes. Heck with a thumb drive you can skip all the burning and create the installation media straight to the thumb drive.

How big of a thumb drive?

 

[learninmypc]

If I remember correctly, I can't boot from a flashdrive because I tried it before

 

[cliffordcooley]

Systems older than 10 years may not, but the newer systems should boot to USB.

 

[learninmypc]

Ok, correction. I just went into the boot mode section & saw the PNY flashdrive there with the Media Creation Tool on it so IF I'm understanding this correctly, I go back there, use arrow keys to boot from it & tap enter & it will boot from it & install W10?? Removing W7?

 

[cliffordcooley]

You will have an option to upgrade or custom install. The custom install will allow you to clean install and format the drive if you wish.