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Windows 10 Will Be Free To Users Who Test It
An anonymous reader writes: Microsoft has been making a big push to change its business model for Windows — likely due to the low/no cost updates you can get for competing operating systems. The company surprised everyone when it said legit copies of Windows 7 and 8 would be supplied with free upgrades, but now they're extending that even further: anyone who tests the Windows 10 Technical Preview will get a free upgrade to the full version of Windows 10 when it comes out. In a blog post, Microsoft's Gabe Aul said, "As long as you are running an Insider Preview build and connected with the [Microsoft account] you used to register, you will receive the Windows 10 final release build and remain activated. Once you have successfully installed this build and activated, you will also be able to clean install on that PC from final media if you want to start over fresh."
Will I get Windows 10 Ultimate??
Because we've all been beta-testing Windows since forever.
Who wants to trash a valid working version of 7 or 8 rather than beta test a fresh install of Windows 10. This would be great if the free license was for those who install and beta test a fresh version of Windows 10 on a PC without having to upgrade an existing copy first.
By "final media" do they mean bittorrent? Because that's where I've historically gotten all of my windows media from
Can't even give it away huh?
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
It's not really all that surprising that MS wants additional testing badly enough to give away copies of Win10 for free to get it. Remember the fact that part of Microsoft's 2014 layoffs included elimination of all the SDETs in the Windows division. Those that were deemed worthy to stay were converted to SDEs and the rest were told to hit the road.
Needless to say, the result is likely to be exactly what one would expect of canning the entire test team suddenly, if the state of the technical previews has been any indication...
Dunno what your problem was - I've been running Windows 10 via KVM and VirtualBox since 10041. Works well with the KVM virtio drivers.
I have a bad feeling about Windows 10. Maybe it's just my paranoia working over-time.
I see we now have a balloon, a stained glass window icon and the real-life Microsoft logo appearing in-line with the headline.
Thankfully without obscuring the text. This time.
Then my computer will have Windows 10??
http://saveie6.com/
"...you will also be able to clean install on *that* PC from final media if you want to start over fresh."
What if I get a new computer or upgrade my CPU/motherboard?
build and connected with the [Microsoft account] you used to register, you will receive the Windows 10 final release build and remain activated.
Is this like Windows 8 where it nags you to sign in with a @msn or @hotmail account?
Because I'm very much uninterested in having Microsoft follow along with my daily activities.
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
"It will be free for XXXX" they are not showing you the fine print which says "for the first 90 days."
I'm skeptical.
Its not quite that - more that "free" in this case means "in exchange for unprecedented amounts of your personal information."
If you're interested in facts I'll tell you what they are and I'll give you sources - Chomsky on The Big Idea
... I'm sure the PC makers would love it if I would "upgrade" to Windows 10, discover that my PC just won't cut it, and then buy a new PC (which coincidentally will have Windows 10 bundled).
Dunno what your problem was - I've been running Windows 10 via KVM and VirtualBox since 10041. Works well with the KVM virtio drivers.
One real problem is once you "upgrade" to Windows 10 from say Windows 7 - there is no going back Having checked it out on their website, My Windows 7 copy is no longer registrable.
So if Windows 10 is the steaming smelly pile of elephant shit that Windows 8 is, I would have no choice than to buy another copy of Windows 7 Pro.
I'm not going to spend good money beta testing that one way trip.
I think I might wait until about day 364 to decide if I want that free upgrade or downgrade as the case may be.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
... just don't install it on hardware.
When you register it, your Windows 7 hardware install is no longer "Genuine Microsoft". But if you want to donate one of yours......
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
Can't most X11 window managers in Linux distros be configured to look similar enough to Windows to feel like "home"?
Yes, I have a Linux Mint install configured to look and mostly act like XP. It's still Linux underneath. An XP or W7 user would be able to find their way around, until they operned a terminal.
I haven't seen any W7 imitations, but I wouldn't be surprised.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
Have you tried calling Microsoft's customer support about this? In the past, they have always been super friendly whenever I talked to them. They know that their licensing is super confusing and it is easily possible to trip up the automated license enforcement mechanisms. But in my experience they are usually willing to work with you. If your complaint sounds at least somewhat plausible, they will either figure out how to undo the damage you did, or they will send you a new license.
Of course, if you just make up bull shit to try to get a free license for the copy of Windows that you downloaded from Bittorrent, don't expect that they'll be able or willing to help.
Only if they can play all the Windows-only games that exist, and since Linux cannot, it will not take off like people such as yourself would like...
bork bork bork!
Old Olsonic hasn't used anything from Microsoft since Windows 3.1. That's a very bitter slashbotter.
Believe it or not, some people run a computer for other than cosmetic reasons. It wouldn't be enough to make the desktop 'look' like Windows.
So while you might enjoy running whatever Window Manager is in vogue at the coffeehouse, the rest of us are loading other stuff on our computers like word processors, spreadsheets, and browsers.
If you're running X11 isn't the Tab Windows Manager good enough? It wasn't for me, so I've upgraded to FVWM2 but twm is a decent and usable Window Manager, too. It's installed as part of the base X11 install on NetBSD. Your results may vary if you run a clone like Linux.
Can't most X11 window managers in Linux distros be configured to look similar enough to Windows to feel like "home"?
Yes. On a related matter you can buy a car that looks very similar to a Lamborghini for a fraction of the price. As for handling and performance I assume its just as good. I mean, it looks the same, so why shouldn't it be?
You can't spell "oneiromancy" without "roman".
Then your understanding is wrong. As per Gabe Aul, you own it.
The "one year" thing is to push people into upgrading sooner rather than later. If you upgrade within the first year, Windows 10 is free for the life of the device (and that includes reinstalls; so long as you have a Microsoft account and your Windows user is connected to that account, you can reinstall on that device to your heart's content.
If you delay in upgrading past that one year mark, you need to go buy a copy.
Shouldn't we call it "free trial" rather than "free"? As far as I understand it, we're going to have to pay up after the first year of "trial". This goes for everyone including us who got a full Windows installation.
You understand incorrectly.
Once you have a Windows 10 key, its yours.
To make it more obvious, the price for the foist year will be $0.00, and if you "buy" it during this time for the low, low price of $0.00 then you get a key that doesn't expire.
If you buy it after that year the price will be more than $0.00 (let's say $x, where x is not zero) and you will get a key that doesn't expire.
What will almost certainly happen though is that the period where it is available for free will be extended indefinitely. It's clear they want to push adoption of the Windows ecosystem to make it more homogenous and the best way to do that rapidly is to make it look like the window for the free upgrade is limited. I suspect it will be free forevermore, but they want a rapid uptake of users rather than a slow trickle.
With the ongoing convergence of Xbox and Windows 10, it is only going to get worse for Linux gamers. Better download Virtual Box. In fact, right now would be a great time to download Virtual Box, because you can install the Widows 10 preview and get it 'validated' when you install it as a VM on your Linux box. Then you're set, and you've not had to pay the Microsoft Tax.
Oh but you get to pay for a new version of Office....... so not totally free.
Self Defense - A Human Right www.a-human-right.com
After my girlfriend broke up with me I had a Real Doll created that looks just like her. Lower maintenance cost, fewer viruses, better documentation, infinitely more user friendly, and she completely respects my privacy.
You can't spell "oneiromancy" without "roman".
Let me know when I can run SolidWorks, Altium, and Adobe Premiere in Linux because those are just a few applications I happen to dabble with.
Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
Thank you for clarifying and correcting me on this one ... and I'm glad that I was wrong.
Just like in an empire or communist party, the conflicting reports/retractions make it increasingly obvious that some infighting is going on in Redmond. Interesting is who gets purged.
Thanks for the detailed explanation. Sorry if I mislead anyone (it was my honest belief).
Free Windows upgrade for testing sounds like barter system. If you want to provide feedback, you will sign on. If not, you won't. If you get paid to test, then don't participate.
Are you going for insightful? Or interesting? Or maybe informative?
Glad to know that you are not part of the ecosystem involved, based on your answer, so, and I say this with the utmost respect because I have no other basis to tear you a new aresehole, fuck off and die please for the betterment of humanity.
Old Olsonic hasn't used anything from Microsoft since Windows 3.1. That's a very bitter slashbotter.
Truth be told, I stopped at Windows 8.1 when my wife refused to use her laptop any more.
But after that (blessed) hiatus, I needed a copy of some form of Windows from 7 or up, when I bought a Software defined FlexRadio, and although there is an API for OSX, it doesn't have the full command set.
So I bought a fresh copy of Windows 7 pro in order to use their fully fleshed out program, that also has remote operation, SmartSDR.
Runs quite nicely with Bootcamp.
But I have no intention of putting up with a Windows 8 dog's breakfast, and the Windows 10 previews seem to be either "Greatest thing ever! Not one single problem!". Or the people who point out specific problems and get screamed at by the "BEST OS EVER!" peeps. I recall they were out in full force during Vista and Windows 8 rollouts as well. Who ya gonna believe?
So I'm a little reluctant to put up with a bad OS just to do what I'm already doing.
Another point of reference is I only used 3.1 for a very short time. I was using almost all DOS until W95. Having used the Amiga and Early Mac systems, W 3.1 just made me giggle. But Bing - your story is pretty good, so you can roll with that. I won't snitch on ya.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
A small price to pay to get a free OS for my gaming PC that won't be used for anything else.
Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
So make an image of your Windows 7 setup before you upgrade.
No problem. There was a lot of mixed information about how the free Windows keys would work due to a lack of info from MS themselves when they announced it, whether it would be one year only, and whether you'd be able to do a clean install or just an upgrade only etc.
Microsoft has clarified that it's a full Windows key that can be used for clean installs and that once you have it, it's the same as buying a copy of Windows today.
After my girlfriend broke up with me I had a Real Doll created that looks just like her. Lower maintenance cost, fewer viruses, better documentation, infinitely more user friendly, and she completely respects my privacy.
Umm, well that was entertaining. The've actually managed to cross the bottom of the uncanny valley.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
One real problem is once you "upgrade" to Windows 10 from say Windows 7 - there is no going back Having checked it out on their website, My Windows 7 copy is no longer registrable.
The free program Advanced Tokens Manager allows you to back up your activation and reapply it at as many times as you want.
Shame you can't make an image of MS' activation servers, too, because that's the problem.
For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
You must have the correct SLIC (Software Licensing Description Table) for OEM activations.
Does this mean there's some sort of hardware ID magic that happens when you use an OEM copy, or is this saying you must have an OEM copy for the tool to work?
For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
I would imagine that if you don't immerse it in hot water for a while before use it'd be uncannily similar to fucking a corpse.
You can't spell "oneiromancy" without "roman".
So make an image of your Windows 7 setup before you upgrade.
From Microsoft:
http://answers.microsoft.com/e...
Specifically :If you upgrade from a OEM or retail version of Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 to the free Windows 10 upgrade this summer, the license is consumed into it. Because the free upgrade is derived from the base qualifying license, Windows 10 will carry that licensing too.
Try it and tell me how it works for you?
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
I would imagine that if you don't immerse it in hot water for a while before use it'd be uncannily similar to fucking a corpse.
But I suppose it will allow you to drive in the HOV lanes.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
Oh, just shut the fuck up. You keep spouting all of this FUD when it's painfully obvious that you don't have a fucking clue what you are talking about.
From Microsoft:
If you upgrade from a OEM or retail version of Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 to the free Windows 10 upgrade this summer, the license is consumed into it. Because the free upgrade is derived from the base qualifying license, Windows 10 will carry that licensing too.
The specific page:
http://answers.microsoft.com/e...
Now play nice.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
"there is no going back Having checked it out on their website, My Windows 7 copy is no longer registrable."
Oh you absolutely can go back.
Install an OEM version with DAZ windows loader 2.2.2, then edit the registry to use your KEY.
You are back to a legal version that matches your COA.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
"there is no going back Having checked it out on their website, My Windows 7 copy is no longer registrable." Oh you absolutely can go back.
Install an OEM version with DAZ windows loader 2.2.2, then edit the registry to use your KEY.
You are back to a legal version that matches your COA.
Good grief, if W10 is good, I'll install it. But if it's shit, I'll just stick with 7. Really shouldn't be any need to fuss around. All this activity has been about workaraounds and people not accepting what Microsoft says.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
I use not Linux, but PC-BSD, and while I'm happy w/ it, there are some things which I can't do, which is why I got the $100 Winbook on the side for those missing apps. Aside from being able to open and edit Office documents (I use Calligra rather than Libre Office), there are times I need to do things like GoToMeeting or other apps that just don't work outside Windows or Android/OS-X. Also, there are some web sites that recognize your environment and throw up their arms in despair if you try to run them.
However, PC-BSD works great, since most of the sites I visit are viewable under either Chromium or FireFox, and the only major game I play is FreeCiv. On the Winbook, I did get Steam and Civ4. It would be nice if there were a Steam VM under PC-BSD where I could play Civ 4 as well.
Then your understanding is wrong. As per Gabe Aul, you own it.
The "one year" thing is to push people into upgrading sooner rather than later. If you upgrade within the first year, Windows 10 is free for the life of the device (and that includes reinstalls; so long as you have a Microsoft account and your Windows user is connected to that account, you can reinstall on that device to your heart's content.
If you delay in upgrading past that one year mark, you need to go buy a copy.
Hopefully they release SP1 within that first year.
Well truth be told to you and the grandparent here that Windows 7 is heading towards another WIndows XP. It is legacy now and in a short time will go EOL. Windows 7 won't be around forever.
Windows 10 is the last OS by Microsoft. Future versions will be MacOSX like 10.1, 10.2, etc.
I forced myself a few months ago to switch to Windows 8.1. Actually I found out I just did not like change mostly and didn't realize it. I put in a start menu replacement and modernMIX to make apps act like applications and found glass8. I have a surface now too which I am now getting comfortable without aero and the new flat look.
Windows 8.1 & 10 are less heavy and boot fast if you disable bios/CSM and go straight into uEFI. UEFI is wonderful! It just works and is very fast.
Cons: .1 release
- Windows 10 is not stable and in my opinion very beta quality as No QA team is left at Microsoft and were laid off
- They will be very frequent updates with only the pro version giving you the choise to skip every other update aka
So if anyone reading this is using Windows 7 I would think about switching ... next summer after bloodstone and 10.1 get released and the nasty bugs get fixed. The applets are pretty cool if they are not full screen and it is nice to have a book reader for my MCSE books and pandora or Netflix going. Under Windows 7 I needed a browser and a million tabs to sort. A pain.
http://saveie6.com/
I just want to have the old XP interface back. Hell, I'd pay double retail for that option. I love the internals of 7 and 8, but so hate the interface.
Because it works!
It comes with their computer. It was they use at work. Their documents do not look funny on other computers. It is stable (yes slashdotters it is not 1998 anymore as WIndows uses an NT kernel now), and most important RUNS ALL THEIR SOFTWARE. No WINE. No hacks, No clones of what they used on their work pcs.
Why would someone want to change? Why put up with xorg.conf files, drivers breaking after a release update, finding drivers, etc. I left linux a few years ago as my main OS and unless things have radically changed the lack of an ABI meant after a release update or 2 the distro would BREAK. ATI drivers would stop working etc.
So the answer is unless you run a server, do crazy development work in computer science or strange mathematical apis, then there is no reason to change. In 1998 Unix had the best development tools. In 2015 Vistual Studio 2015 has clang, java support, android SDK, typescript, and the same libraries.
http://saveie6.com/
To say nothing of all the other crap they do, MS is still pushing DRM. Windows 10 is no change of direction on that point. If they want my business, they must rip out all the DRM. No more activation keys like they started in Windows 95, no more phoning home like they started in XP, and definitely no more policing of 3rd party media like they tried in Vista. No more Windows Genuine Advantage, OOXML and J++ and ActiveX and other deliberate attempts to sabotage standards, and file format and other lock ins. No more legal debacles like the stunt they tried with SCO.
Let MS admit they were wrong to go along with the sophistry of Big Media concerning piracy, and start behaving like a tech leader again. They tell Big Media how to handle tech, not the other way around. What a weak move that was, following those greedy fools of Big Media, and showing the tech savvy that they don't deserve any respect, don't have any sense of technology, which is supposed to be their core competence. RMS criticizes Torvalds for being just an engineer. That goes double for MS, in their efforts to be just an engineering company and agreeing to implement DRM. But they went further than that, really seemed to believe they could make DRM work for themselves, and when they at last got into politics, pushed for stronger intellectual property laws, not better ones. They're not even a decent engineering shop, they're little more than an abusive monopolist desperately clinging to a broken business model.
Intellectual Property is a monopolistic, selfish, and defective concept. It is "tyranny over the mind of man"
My concern is this: only the more expensive ("pro") versions will let you control your upgrades. Upgrades are pretty filthy- routinely booting you out of games, crashing stuff you need to have happen, messing up everything- and disabling that and only doing it when YOU want is a pretty big deal.
More importantly, making this a "premium only" feature means that, once you have 10, your choices are
1- Take exactly the upgrades they want on your machine, when they want it, forever,
2- Some kind of hack
3- Pay for the upper version to get basic admin rights on your machine back
But that's what a "premium only" feature means- what does it imply?
Combined with all the "get 10 for free" crap we see going around (on top of the fact that 10 will become a mandatory pack-in on most hardware and essentially all laptops), and we see a Microsoft that is absolutely desperate to get you away from a Windows box you have full control over, and onto one that THEY control... and that means they see forsee a great deal of profit for doing that.
Exactly what else will get patched into 10? What's on their upgrade cycle? Everyone with a free copy of 10 gets to find out what the price they actually paid was later... just give them a little time.
The latest 7 patch puts an advertisement for a product on your box- the 10 button. I'd hazard a guess that this won't be the only time you have advertisements spamming your GUI in the near future. Just look at the X-Box interface for a preview of "check this shit out bro".
I could be wrong. I hope I am. But I'll wait a few months to see if it is good, and then I'll buy the premium version that keeps my admin control, and if I'm wrong I'm out a bit of cash, but if I'm right, I'll be able to use my PC without whatever the hell this mandatory software injection scheme they have is... maybe.
Or I stay on 7. Which appears to have only gotten better with time, based on Microsoft's devout refusal to produce a version that isn't garbage.
Why the fuck would I call Microsoft about a free copy of Windows from Bittorrent? Or ever, for anything? Have fun with your life of slavery.
You've still got to deal with the slowness of X, which rapes the CPU even when doing something as simple as moving a window and still makes disabaling desktop composition necessary to maintain decent frame rates in modern games.
Compiz has solved both problems for years. The default is now to unredirect all fullscreen windows, which makes most games work fine without any additional trickery.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Except that's fucking bullshit. It's the job of the person making the assertion to back it up with evidence, not the audience. Otherwise I'll casually assert that you like have sex with goats. Is it my job to prove that assertion, or your job to disprove it?
Not sure on this particular piece of software (though it looks handy!), but recommend you take a look at this Windows 7 OEM Activation article.
There normally is hardware magic for the OEM copies, but I'm not really sure how this one deals with SLIC.
SWM seeks new sig for a brief fling
The real questions that needs to be answered is what the support lifecycle for Windows 10 is. With Windows 7 we are right to 2020, with Windows 8.1 it is good until 2023 ... with Windows 10 .. well there is just a bunch of talk about software as a service and nothing at all about the length of support.
The opt-in testing is a big question mark..
Home users get forced updates, like you can read here:
http://www.howtogeek.com/219166/you-won%E2%80%99t-be-able-to-disable-or-delay-windows-updates-on-windows-10-home/
Who tests these updates? Are the "happy" Insiders unwilling test subjects? Will you just get notifications, like:
"Windows installed some potentially unstable updates on your computer. Please provide feedback and error logs before we release these to real users. Thank you for your co-operation."
As an ex-hardcore gamer let me know when ALL my favorite games run natively under Linux; not emulated with a performance hit, or buggy implementation of Wine.
I prefer OSX and Linux for development but the reality is that Windows is the where the majority of new games are (only) released on.
You are one of those stupid people.
I know you are but what am I?
You can't spell "oneiromancy" without "roman".
Thankfully I don't have to reload Windows for people. That's pleb work.
You can't spell "oneiromancy" without "roman".
Excellent, I was going to pony up £80 for a new license for the new PC I'm building. Now I'll spend more on the hardware. I hope this works on Virtual Box so I don't mess up my current machine.
No QA team is left at Microsoft and were laid off
No QA team? Sure, some QA people were laid off, but I'm quite sure Microsoft still has a nicely sized QA department. :)
I followed the instructions (forget where) to get rid of it, but it came back.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
OK so wait, their first announcement that if you upgraded to Win10 now, you could have it for free.
Now they say that if you are willing to test it, you can have it for free forever ...which would imply that the PREVIOUS announcement *wasn't* 'forever'.
-Styopa
Where is AutoCAD for Linux
Where is RAM/Elements for OSX
Where is Photoshop for Linux
Where is ProTools for Linux
Where is Pro/Engineer for OSX
I'm not looking for some "alternative" - I have 20 years of designs, arts, compositions in those native formats and it costs me $200/hr to convert, change and retrain.
The cost of switching from Windows to another OS which HAS an equivalent program is going to be into 5 figures for every employee. The cost to switch to a different program (many of which take 2-3000 hours to become truly proficient) is going to be much higher.
The OS may look the same, but it will operate differently (time to fire my IT guy and hire a different one, along with the tens of thousands of dollars such a move costs) and my industry specific programs will no longer run the way they did under the original OS. It's a fucking nightmare from a business perspective, no matter how much easier it will be for you to use a command line to load and troll slashdot.
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
Linux has done such a "fine job" there on the desktop & only reason it's used on servers + smartphones is that it is FREE, keeping per unit costs down - & THAT is the ONLY real reason!
(It's certainly not 'superiority', since face facts: Device drivers of solid quality for peripherals happens for Windows for sure, & it is what truly separates Windows & sets it ABOVE Linux - it's nigh guaranteed since Windows "rules the roost" marketshare-wise on BOTH PC desktops + servers combined).
Fact: Linux had to seek alternate markets-outlets (smartphones) since it failed on the largest market in computing prior to this in PC desktops especially!
Truth: Windows OWNS that for decades @ what? Roughly 94.5++ % of marketshare?? Yes.
You "Pro-*NIX Penguins" had to GIVE AWAY your OS in order for it to have ANY share of market... MS didn't.
APK
P.S.=> It's always NICE dispelling your illusions & "FUD" bs you "Open SORES" people spew around here, but then again?
ANDROID (yes, a Linux) DOES THE JOB EVEN BETTER vs. the YEARS OF "FUD" BS SPEWED HERE ON /. ESPECIALLY OF "Windows != Secure, Linux = Secure" when it's purest LIES from you fools, & Linux was hiding behind "security by obscurity" (not being used as much, thus, hacker/cracker types wouldn't target it anymore than pickpockets target 1 person only - it's not worth their efforts, & LOW "ROI") being shown for a decade++ now to be untrue since ANDROID gets exploited weekly practically, lol... so much for your "marketing bs" boys - it doesn't stand up to reality! apk
It is certainly not the job of every poster to anticipate how uninformed you are and then provide links to help you combat your own ignorance. If you couldn't get proof by simply googling it would then - at that point - it be reasonable to ask for some kind of citation. As it stands now you are just another sad and pathetic variation of the Citation Needed weenie.
Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
- If I do a clean install of Windows 10 Preview onto a computer, that will turn into a full license of Windows 10 on July 29, no upgrade from a previous version of Windows is necessary? Or does this only apply if I've installed Windows 10 Preview onto an installation of Windows 7 or 8.1?
(http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/2015/06/19/upcoming-changes-to-windows-10-insider-preview-builds/ is unclear on this, saying "As long as you are running an Insider Preview build and connected with the MSA you used to register, you will receive the Windows 10 final release builld" but then "It’s important to note that only people running Genuine Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 can upgrade to Windows 10 as part of the free upgrade offer.")
- I only see Windows 10 Preview releases for x86 and x64. How do I get the Pro version instead of the Home version?
I see this as a good way that I can get free up-to-date Windows licenses for old computers I have that are running XP and Vista; all I need is to wipe them and put Windows 10 Preview on them, and link them to my Microsoft account. I just want to make sure that this will work, and I'd like to have the Pro version.
From TFA:
I bet /. comments helped encourage this.
Building Better Software
http://www.businessinsider.com...
According to the above link the development team does both so no qa team. The real question is how they are evaluated? Right now there is no incentive and it shows. No,code freeze and ship first and ask questions later is how it appears
http://saveie6.com/
A small price to pay to get a free OS for my gaming PC that won't be used for anything else.
Ah it doubles as a nice Chromebook!
WARNING! This girl exceeds the MAXIMUM SAFE standards established by the FDA for BRATTINESS
Free upgrade? My Ubuntu 4.04, 6.04, 8.04, 10.04 and 12.04 was free. Both types, libre and gratis. So was my 14.04.
Win10 boot is plenty slow through either BIOS or UEFI. The trick it does with UEFI however is keeping the UEFI boot screen active while booting the entire OS. On a brand new 32-core Intel Xeon machine with NVM SSD and 64GB RAM it takes about 30-45s to get to the login screen after UEFI has handed over control. That's slow. In comparison, Fedora with SELinux and systemd takes ~5-10s
Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
You're also spending 5-6, if not more digits on licenses on a yearly basis. In the long term it might be cheaper to convert.
Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
I'd had Linux on it. I put the disc in, loaded it up. Everything worked, and worked well. Then I loaded Vista on it. It took me a few hours to find the network drivers (because the model wasn't listed on the manufacturer's website (Lenovo)), and then a few days to find the SM Bus drivers. I still haven't found the audio drivers for it. I did install the nVidia drivers on it, that took three reboots to get them going. The updates took me 9 hours to download (for some reason, under Vista, the download speed is almost a quarter of what it is under Linux) and install. This is what you'd have me leave Linux for? I thought Windows "just worked," and ran everything!
Which version of Linux (release date / year)? If it is a more recent build than from 2007, comparing it to Windows Vista (which was released in January 2007) is hardly fair... I'm not surprised 8.5 YEARS of updates took a while to download.
I'd had Linux on it. I put the disc in, loaded it up. Everything worked, and worked well.
Then I loaded Vista on it. It took me a few hours to find the network drivers (because the model wasn't listed on the manufacturer's website (Lenovo)), and then a few days to find the SM Bus drivers. I still haven't found the audio drivers for it. I did install the nVidia drivers on it, that took three reboots to get them going. The updates took me 9 hours to download (for some reason, under Vista, the download speed is almost a quarter of what it is under Linux) and install.
This is what you'd have me leave Linux for? I thought Windows "just worked," and ran everything!
Which version of Linux (release date / year)? If it is a more recent build than from 2007, comparing it to Windows Vista (which was released in January 2007) is hardly fair... I'm not surprised 8.5 YEARS of updates took a while to download.
I am not a WIndows fanboy but 8.1 install will find hardware automatically. Windows 7 can for most too including 3rd party bluetooth. I didn't even have to do an update. It just started installing itself within minutes of a fresh setup.
Funny how the parent thinks I am trying to enforce my opinion on others when the grandparent talked about how to trick users into thinking xorg is Win7 or how to evangalize Windows users.
http://saveie6.com/
Ever more severe correction:
"Once you have successfully installed this build, you will also be able to clean install on that PC from final media if you want to start over fresh. It’s important to note that only people running Genuine Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 can upgrade to Windows 10 as part of the free upgrade offer.*"
Basically, Windows 10 is not *intended* to be free for anyone who wasn't going to get it for free already. MS may not be able to reasonably stop free editions of 10 stemming from free installs of 10 preview, but it certainly seems to reserve the right to try and say that it is invalid per their license terms.
I strongly suspect the initial description will stand. Windows 10 preview activations weren't linked to anything at all, and all signs point to MS not having the ability to discern the history of an activation to see if there is any weirdness that may invalidate. So they are likely in the situation of either letting 'insiders' get 10 for free that were not running genuine 7, 8, 8.1 or screwing over 'insiders' that installed Windows 10 and no longer have the ability to easily prove their Windows 7/8/8.1 genuine status.
XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
That isn't actually from Microsoft. That's a volunteer (aka random guy) who, I believe, is quoting a mixture of the Microsoft FAQ and ToS.
The legality of Microsoft licenses doesn't always follow how they actually work on computers.
So what about domain connected computers that don't use a Microsoft account as typically found in most businesses; can they be upgraded?
46137
That isn't actually from Microsoft. That's a volunteer (aka random guy) who, I believe, is quoting a mixture of the Microsoft FAQ and ToS.
The legality of Microsoft licenses doesn't always follow how they actually work on computers.
This is sort of the problem. As a Community moderator and Wiki Author, if he isn't telling the truth, Microsoft should correct him. And after using their products for a long time, I don't make up my mind on what is what, until after their products are out a long enough time.
Example: Windows 8 consumer preview.
If you installed it on a Windows 7 machine, you could go back to your W7 install..
If you installed it on a Vista Machine - there was no going back.Your Vista OS was hosed.
That nugget was to be found on only one little webpage, which wasn't the one you downloaded it from.
And given that it was called "Consumer Preview" a lot of consumer level people installed it on Vista machines without running it in a VM. Which not a whole lot of consumer level folks even know what a VM is.
Basically, if what all the people here who know everything about Microsoft products are right, I'll be swimming in daisies, able to switch back and forth forever.
Uintil I see exactly where someone does that, I'll assume that at the very least, given the completely opposing information coming out between people here, and a Microsoft site, perhaps caution would be indicated.
Unless of course, someone who was absolutely certain would promise to buy me a copy of Win 7 Pro. After all, how could they lose?
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
Windows 7/8 Enterprise is NOT able to upgrade (for free) to Windows 10.
Look at the fine-print here:
It is our intent that most of these devices will qualify, but some hardware/software requirements apply and feature availability may vary by device. Devices must be connected to the internet and have Windows Update enabled. ISP fees may apply. Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1 Update required. Some editions are excluded: Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8/8.1 Enterprise, and Windows RT/RT 8.1. Active Software Assurance customers in volume licensing have the benefit to upgrade to Windows 10 enterprise offerings outside of this offer. We will be sharing more information and additional offer and support terms in coming months.
Alternative theory: One could just not have moved their OS to a newer version and have just taken over their own security. Then the applications they would have purchased would still work. Crappy software vendors is not a very good reason to blame an operating system. If your mechanic puts on crappy wiper blades do you think your car is junk?
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
The free program Advanced Tokens Manager allows you to back up your activation and reapply it at as many times as you want.
So what you are saying is tht Microsoft will allow two separate versions of Windows to run from the exact same activation code?
And are you guaranteeing that? Seems like something a little confusing for them to do that, Two identical numbers referring to Windows 7 and Windows 10 concurrently. So I will be able to run both. I will be able to dual boot in either 7 or 10. Because Windows will allow me to do that.
What a wonderful generous group of folks to give me two OS's for the price of one.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
First off - thanks for the glass8 thought. I'm going to try that on my Windows 8 machines.
Second thought - Currently my policy at home (and home based users) is upgrade 8.x to 10, and leave 7 in place for now.
I'm starting to think GNU is the problem with "GNU/Linux" these days.
It's not my job to go along with your strawman, as the only one blathering on about "anticipation" is you. Now where are all those citations proving that you do not in fact have sex with goats? Or are you always this "lazy"?
Not for their Q/A team at the same time they've been prepping for a major release, it's not. It was rather more specific than a vague "Microsoft has had layoffs".
I have no doubt that you can't figure out the difference between trying to find a citation that something is true, versus trying to find a citation that proves a negative. Congratulations, in one single statement you graduated to the top of the moron list here on Slashdot. Kudos, as that is no easy feat.
Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
What about all the users who Windows tests?
they want you to use a mircrosoft account instead of a local account. you pay with your data.
No one is going to know what is true until it is proven, fuckwit. And it is your job, as the person making the assertion, to back it up. Skepticism isn't lazy, expecting other people to prove your points for you, is.