Free Windows 10 upgrade offer’s days are numbered

[nlinecomputers]

I think Microsoft's eventual endgame is to somehow move everyone to a "Windows as a Service" type of plan.

M$ would like to do that and they certainly are doing that with Office but that is never going to fly with Windows. They have given away too many copies or get it "free"* with a new PC.

* Yes we all know it really isn't free but when a price tag is not listed on your computer invoice for Windows it seems to be free for most people.

Suddenly charging for Windows per year would cause a major backlash. After all, I can do work on a Chromebook, or an iPad or a Mac. Most people do NOT need Windows anymore. And Microsoft is making a big push to get Windows to run as good as Intel on ARM processors. In five years you will see PCs that have Windows embedded in firmware running on high-end ARM processors.

 

[ohio_grad_06]

With Windows, I think what you will see may not necessarily be subscription based, but you have already seen some of it, monetizing other parts of the OS.

Want a DVD player?--pay more
Want Windows games like soltaire?--pay more
Maybe something like, want to run dual monitors?--pay more

I'm not thinking of everything I know, but you've already seen them pull this a little. So it might be that they'll give you the base OS for free essentially, or for whatever base price, and then you have to pay for whatever extras you want.

As I'm thinking, if I were them, I might consider doing away with OEM/retail licenses. In other words single licensing scheme. New PC=buy new license. period. Whether that means that you are using a license the manufacturer attached to the system, or if you are a builder/hobbyist. Maybe leeway if repairing an old one, but not sure if that would be something they'd do or not.

 

[nlinecomputers]

New PC=buy new license. period.

It's been that way for 25 years. Most people get a new pc and thus a new OEM copy of Windows. Very few come to tech shops and have a whitebox built with a retail copy of Windows.

 

[fencepost]

Well I for one am hoping they did keep those activation records, because before the original July deadline I ran through just about any client machine that I figured was viable to be upgraded without hardware upgrades (i5-2xxx+ and 4GB+) and did a quick-n-dirty activation. Pop the drive, connect my SSD with the same version, boot, let it detect hardware, activate using either the sticker key or the UEFI key, shut down, put the original drive back, repeat. Oh, and slap a sticker on it indicating it was activated for Windows 10.

 

[NJW]

And if that were true I'd have 30 stations in Tuscon right now that wouldn't require reinstall with bare media, and could be deployed via image. The fact is, they cannot be reinstalled without stuffing in the Windows 7 key, despite the fact that each and every one of them ran through the upgrade process while it was open. Reinstall while clicking that I don't have a key button? yeah... that results in an installation that cannot ever be activated.

I'm not doubting your experience here, but deploying an image is not the same as installing by booting a MS installation DVD/USB/whatever.

But my direct experience with the way Windows 8 and 10 installs, especially in regards to how they handle the Windows Pro Pack anytime upgrades blew all that apart. They aren't tracking jack, they just hope people won't notice.

I have never had to reinstall a W10 Pro that was upgraded (Anytime) from Home, so I can't comment on that. Official MS documents as recent as a couple of weeks still refer to the 'digital license' that comes about after the first activation of the upgraded (Home -> Pro) installation. For example, this MS support document, dated 26 October 2017:

If you already installed and activated Windows 10 Pro on your device, you'll have a digital entitlement that lets you upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro without a product key.

Try installing on one of your 30 machines, but use the official media. It works for everyone else.

 

[Sky-Knight]

I did install using official media, I had to after the image failed. The official media (Creators) required me to input the Windows 7 key to activate the installations. Clicking the I don't have a key button resulted in installs that couldn't be activated, and MS Activation support couldn't tell me why.

15 stations had to be hand loaded to get them back into service because Microsoft put out an update in August that BROKE a bucket of stuff, it was then fixed in Sept's update. That's a HUGE chunk of time, not the client's fault, and yet we MS Partners don't get to bill MS for their screw ups.

My point is only that if MS removes the ability for the installer to use Win7 and Win8 keys, things are going to get ugly.

 

[NJW]

The official media (Creators) required me to input the Windows 7 key to activate the installations. Clicking the I don't have a key button resulted in installs that couldn't be activated, and MS Activation support couldn't tell me why.

I see your point. I have always crossed my fingers when activating any reinstallation since W7, but never had to go that far. In general, W10 is much easier, notwithstanding your case.

Broken updates is something of an occupational hazard with modern Windows. I'm surprised that you applied them so early. There's a whole industry grown up around analysing the pros and cons of each month's updates (e.g., askwoody.com), which I find astonishing. I bet all that isn't factored in to TCO figures.

 

[Your PCMD]

I wonder if this is also going to conclude the "stick a (legitimate) Windows 7/8.1 key in and have it activate" freebie as well. Can't say I haven't abused that one a bit over the last year on my own equipment.

I did 3 Windows 7 machines yesterday this exact way and I have 2 Windows 8 machines on the bench right now fixing to get the upgrade to Windows 10. Like @Barcelona above, I have done dozens like this just in the past couple months.

Yeah, when they try to use Windows 7 on new hardware and get CPU unsupported messages!

Had a customer in on Tuesday with a brand new computer from Worst-Buy with a i3-7100 along with a fresh wrapped Windows 7 Home Premium disk. I had to break the news to her that it would not work. For one, its a Kaby Lake and 2, the computer has no CD/DVD drive.

 

[nlinecomputers]

You can copy the CD to a flash drive and it will install on Kaby Lake but you may not get updates. But there is a registry hack to get around that.

 

[G8racingfool]

Had a customer in on Tuesday with a brand new computer from Worst-Buy with a i3-7100 along with a fresh wrapped Windows 7 Home Premium disk. I had to break the news to her that it would not work. For one, its a Kaby Lake and 2, the computer has no CD/DVD drive.

Please tell me you don't actually install Windows from CDs still...

 

[ohio_grad_06]

Had to do a couple about 2 weeks ago. Old HP systems with i5 760 and another with i7 860. Poor things would lock up every time I put the usb stick in the drive. I had to break down and create a disc and install the old way, so much slower lol.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Had to do a couple about 2 weeks ago. Old HP systems with i5 760 and another with i7 860. Poor things would lock up every time I put the usb stick in the drive. I had to break down and create a disc and install the old way, so much slower lol.

Two separate systems locking up, that sounds like your drive was bad.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Please tell me you don't actually install Windows from CDs still...

I use USB most of the time, but you'd be surprised how many boxes I still get in here that won't boot to USB reliably, and I have to fall back to optical. I just keep a few disks around to burn one just in case, but the numbers of these units are dwindling fast.

Oh the day when all installs are Win10 Pro on a USB 3.0 stick straight to an SSD... so quick... so easy.

 

[ohio_grad_06]

Two separate systems locking up, that sounds like your drive was bad.

Nope. I use this drive all the time. Works just fine on other boxes all the time.

 

[Jakob Søndergaard]

Happen new year everyone!

I have been waiting for 2018... Waiting to see if clean installation activation with a Windows 7/8/8.1 key would still be possible - unfortunately it seems that it is (just tested). Can you guys confirm the same?

I say "unfortunately" because I am a registered refurbisher and follows all the rules (uses new MAR licenses for all the refurbished computers I sell), and my problem is that some of my competitors do not

Can't really see any point in spending the extra money if this is true?

Anyone in the same boat?

 

[Jakob Søndergaard]

Did actually check the time, but didn't see Redmond was 'behind'... Well, okay I just have to wait..

Reg. the number of Windows 7, there's a lot in the refurb business, and that's where it hits my revenue. To spend 26 EUR on a MAR takes about one third of the profit on a refurbished machine. Therefore it's a big problem for my business.

Also, It does not make sense to me, that it will stop in later versions; why did MS then draw the line now...

 

[Your PCMD]

why did MS then draw the line now

Simple, money.

There is no money to be made with older versions of Windows. Microsoft created Windows 10 for two reasons. To collect as much data as they can so they can push as much advertisements as they can. The more people buy into them, the more money Microsoft makes. Also, subscription services like Office 365.

And to be honest, a lot of people fall for the tactics. Think about it as a mindset. Your a consumer and you need office, you look at the cost to purchase out-right ($200+) then you look at Office 365 at only $99. People think thats a better deal. But Microsoft knows they will make more money from the subscription than with you buying it out-right. Same concept for Adobe, Intuit Quickbooks, Sage 50, etc.

Also, there is a lot less chance of having compatibility issues when your software is hosted on the cloud. Making the manufacturers only having to develop for one platform. Think of the small office program that gets installed on your machine as being just a bunch of browsers that open specific programs from the cloud.

 

[fencepost]

I have a customer who's agreed to purchase all the systems from a practice that's closing. They're a mix of Dell Optiplexes that came with Win7Pro and Win8/8.1Pro, but they're all running Win7Pro. Handover in mid-January. I was really hoping to be able to get in there before the end of the year to be sure all of them were activated for Windows 10 Pro, because anything they're going to actually be using I want to be able to put Bitlocker on with no difficulties.

"No, we're still working and can't let you touch any of the systems" after I'd explained what I was going to be doing (boot an SSD with Win10, change key, reactivate). Not something worth fighting about, but mildly annoying. I was figuring probably 2-3 hours, mostly because I'd have been installing Win10 first using one of the machines since I don't have an Optiplex 3010/3020 handy.

Doesn't hit the refurbishing question, because this is strictly a user-to-user used equipment sale.

 

[nlinecomputers]

I've yet to test this because I don't have a free Windows 7 system but I doubt anything has changed today. I'd bet good money that nothing has changed.

The assessability upgrade has ALWAYS been a PR stunt. They never made any kind of requirements to verify and NO ONE who used this option got a copy of Windows 10 that they couldn't already qualify for just by having a valid copy of Windows 7 or 8. There are NO blind or deaf people out there whose only method of getting Windows 10 was via this program. NO ONE.

The only reason M$ did this was for PR. It sounds good to provide the handicapped a free product and it also was wink and nod marketing to that segment that would pull the trigger on this who were not handicapped and thus thought that they were pulling something over on the man. How many articles, by mainstream media, were published during this "offer" that outlined how ANYONE regardless of lack of disability could take advantage of this and get a free upgrade? Indeed even some techs on this forum were under the false illusion that this was the only method to snag a free upgrade. And did Microsoft ever contact those publications and demand they retract that or claim that they were promoting piracy or gray market licensing? That accessibility upgrade website is STILL up in spite of the fact that Microsoft is more than capable of writing code to automatically shut it down at Midnight 12/31/17. And I not really worried that I will not be able to perform a standard upgrade to Windows 10. Microsoft has no reason to discontinue it. They want and frankly, for the future of the company NEED to have EVERYONE possible running Windows 10.

 

[Your PCMD]

The assessability upgrade has ALWAYS been a PR stunt.

I broke out my iODD with all versions of Windows on it. Took one of my old HP ProBook which were a donation from a school, but has Windows 7 Pro on it. Connected the iODD as a CDROM with Windows 10 1709. Ran the installer/upgrader to see what happens. All the while connected to the internet. It just got finished about 10 minutes ago. Nice new install of Windows 10 Pro. Activated as well. Now, for those other 11 ProBooks I have.