Free Windows 10 upgrade offer’s days are numbered

[Your PCMD]

It does work if you run the upgrade from within Windows 7 or 8.

This is true.

Yet 2 more Windows 7 Pro ProBooks upgraded to Windows 10 Pro today (17th). 1 through an upgrade using the ISO and the other a clean install using the Windows 7 Pro COA on the bottom. Both connected to the internet and both activated. I don't know whether or not to do the other 8 ProBooks or not. I may, just for the hell of it.

 

[urcomputech]

Just last week, I installed Win10 on a machine with a new SSD drive. I used the media creation tool to download a win10 image directly from MS and copy to USB. Fresh install went flawlessly. It self activated as Win10 Pro. The machine was previously running Win7 Pro, never had Win10 prior to that. Here's a link:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

 

[fencepost]

How old a computer? I suspect it was running Win7Pro via 8/8.1/10 downgrade rights, so for Intel probably i3/i5/i7-4xxx or higher. Anything with downgrade rights would have the license key saved in the BIOS/UEFI data, so Win10 will recognize that and activate.

 

[Mainstay]

I guess I am the lone wolf here... if we want W10, we buy it.

 

[urcomputech]

How old a computer? I suspect it was running Win7Pro via 8/8.1/10 downgrade rights, so for Intel probably i3/i5/i7-4xxx or higher. Anything with downgrade rights would have the license key saved in the BIOS/UEFI data, so Win10 will recognize that and activate.

6/2012, I only know because I checked the warranty status on it. The processor is i7. You may be correct about your theory. I'm presuming the client was not wrong about whether it ever saw Win10.

 

[GTP]

January 18th here...
I just did a fresh install of Windows 10 Home on an older system running Win 7 Home. it didn't even ask for a licence key. When connected to the 'net It activated within 2 minutes.

 

[urcomputech]

January 18th here...
I just did a fresh install of Windows 10 Home on an older system running Win 7 Home. it didn't even ask for a licence key. When connected to the 'net It activated within 2 minutes.

Pretty much same experience here FYI.

 

[Mick]

January 18th here...
I just did a fresh install of Windows 10 Home on an older system running Win 7 Home. it didn't even ask for a licence key. When connected to the 'net It activated within 2 minutes.

Just so I'm clear on this: When you say 'fresh install' - do you mean 'fresh install' as in 'I treated this disk as if it was fresh out of the box and had no previous OS installed', or do you mean 'I upgraded from the existing Win 7 OS'?

 

[GTP]

Just so I'm clear on this: When you say 'fresh install' - do you mean 'fresh install' as in 'I treated this disk as if it was fresh out of the box and had no previous OS installed', or do you mean 'I upgraded from the existing Win 7 OS'?

I mean it was reformatted so there was nothing on the disk. Then Win 10 was installed from my USB key as a "new" installation.
I was waiting to be asked for an activation key so was a little surprised that it didn't ask.
When I checked about two minutes after the initial bootup it said "This copy of Windows is Activated with a Digital License."

Edit: This computer was a mess. Malware, crap programs and myriad PuP's. The client had nothing worth saving and so I decided to just wipe it rather than drag all that registry crap into a Windows 10 "upgrade" install as opposed to a new installation on a clean disk.

 

[Mick]

Got it! Thanks a lot. I have one to do right now - just wanted to be sure what was letting myself in for. I only have one problem: I already quoted the customer the price for an upgrade, which included the cost of the s/w. If it now turns out the cost of the s/w is nil...do I keep quiet and pocket the difference or give him a lovely surprise...my heart says 'tell him'; my head says 'you deserve a break'....

 

[fencepost]

If it turns out that you're able to activate it with his existing license key, say "I checked and was actually able to use your existing Windows licensing for the upgrade even though Microsoft has supposedly ended that program, so I saved you $xxx on that."

Then try to upsell on something else, or just hope this person is one who's going to keep coming back because clearly you're working for their benefit.

 

[GTP]

You have a conundrum. Personally I would tell the customer rather than him find out that he could have gotten it for free.
Give him the surprise. You'll feel better and the client will appreciate it I'm sure. my 02

 

[Mick]

Well - that's that decision taken out of my hands...just did the install and it's refusing to activate! Original OS was Win 8.1 pro.in a really shocking state of disrepair. Case sticker says 'Win 7', so maybe whoever did the uplift to 8.1 wasn't being entirely scrupulous. I FABed the files/drivers etc, then did the install. I think you're both right though - honesty always turns out to be the best policy!

 

[Porthos]

Case sticker says 'Win 7

Did you try to activate Win 10 with the Win 7 key?
I did one yesterday no issue.

 

[fencepost]

I'm hoping it still works, I'm getting push from the IT folks at a group taking over a client from us that now "All PCs and laptops need to have drives encrypted." Thanks, you couldn't have pushed this when the upgrade was a more viable choice?

I think this is an OPM problem - Some of the machines are very much at the "DNR" stage, and now this guy wants 1st-gen i5s and at least one Core 2 Duo upgraded and encrypted? I responded that it might be able to happen IF I'm still able to activate them, but if not then it's going to be probably 18 copies of Windows 10 Pro upgrade. Response? "I'm going to need a quote."

I have not yet snarked back "I'm sure I can get you a quote on that before the end of next week." Note that the final transfer to "no longer our customer/responsibility" is supposed to happen on 1/31. I did point out that it made no sense to set up volume licensing for a corporate entity that's supposed to cease to exist in 2 weeks, just to get licensing, etc. that will likely be discarded because it doesn't fit in with the new organization's IT ordering processes. Oh, and to do bitlocker encryption linked to a domain that's going to be nuked with the systems moved to the purchaser's domain setup.

rant gripe rant gripe feh.

 

[nlinecomputers]

I mean it was reformatted so there was nothing on the disk. Then Win 10 was installed from my USB key as a "new" installation.
I was waiting to be asked for an activation key so was a little surprised that it didn't ask.
When I checked about two minutes after the initial bootup it said "This copy of Windows is Activated with a Digital License."

Edit: This computer was a mess. Malware, crap programs and myriad PuP's. The client had nothing worth saving and so I decided to just wipe it rather than drag all that registry crap into a Windows 10 "upgrade" install as opposed to a new installation on a clean disk.

EIther that system has previously had Win 10 on it. Or it has a Windows 8 key in the bios and they downgraded it to 7 in the past.

 

[fincoder]

Win 10 was installed from my USB key as a "new" installation.
I was waiting to be asked for an activation key so was a little surprised that it didn't ask.

This only happens when there's an embedded Windows 8 or 10 key in the BIOS (as @nlinecomputers said above). If it was a business-grade computer it could have had Windows 7 Pro installed but with a Windows 8 Pro license, most did (allowed under downgrade rights).

 

[GTP]

EIther that system has previously had Win 10 on it. Or it has a Windows 8 key in the bios and they downgraded it to 7 in the past.

Now this is becoming very intriguing!
I actually built the system from sourced parts several years ago for the client. Windows 7 was installed and has never been upgraded to my knowledge.
I had not seen or heard from the client for about 8 months prior to this so a family member or someone else may have upgraded it then rolled it back for him?
Maybe the thought was to upgrade to Windows ** to remove the viral/malware infection. Who knows.
The client would not be capable of doing such and upgrade himself.
I am puzzled as to why it did not ask for any key, but obviously there must have been an upgrade at some time that I am unaware of. The client never mentioned it, so I never asked.

Edit: Looking back at my records the computer was built in March 2013. There was an issue during the build where there was a problem with the Motherboard. (I didn't record what the problem was though). I sent it back for a replacement so maybe I got a used one in return?
That was before Windows 10 so maybe the replacement board was from a computer that had had Windows 8 installed.
Now that's opened another can of worms re license legality! Not to mention an uscrupulous supplier sending me a used? board!
He might be purchasing a retail copy of Windows 10!

Second edit: But back then it wouldn't have been an UEFI board???

 

[GTP]

So...this got me thinking how could it not ask for a key on a non UEFI board?
I decided to call the client on the premise of asking "how it was going?"
He's happy with the upgrade and seems to be finding his way around Windows 10.
So I told him of my puzzlement about Windows Activation and why it never asked for a key.
After a brief discussion he revealed that in 2016 he had some issues with the computer and took it to another IT person.
They apparently replaced the motherboard, CPU and ram and upgraded it to Windows 10, presumably to reserve a copy of Win 10? Then immediately rolled it back to Windows 7 so that he could "update it to Win 10 in the future if needed."
In the clients own words "they said they would upgrade it for me. But I told them I didn't want it upgraded to Windows 10 so they put it back the way it was."
I asked him why he was ok with Windows 10 now? He said, " because he was told that Windows 7 was finished and he had to."

In hindsight I should have checked all the hardware to see if anything had changed. I checked the HDD for its overall health but never thought to look further.
All's well that ends well.

 

[Porthos]

so a family member or someone else may have upgraded it then rolled it back for him?

Very possible. Seen some of those as well. Might want to ask.