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'UpgradeSubscription.exe' File In Preview Build Hints At Windows 10 Subscriptions (zdnet.com)
An anonymous reader writes: A file named "UpgradeSubscription.exe" is found buried in the System32 folder of Windows 10 build 14376, alongside 590 other .exe files. ZDNet reports the file has been part of other recent preview builds, but just recently uncovered. "In the file's properties, it's described as the Windows Upgrade to Subscription Tool, and its date and time stamp corresponds to other administrative tools in the same build," reports ZDNet. You can view the screenshot here. Microsoft responded to ZDNet saying: "The Windows Upgrade to Subscription tool, found in the latest Windows Insider builds, helps to manage certain volume licensing upgrades from Windows 10 Pro Anniversary Update to Windows 10 Enterprise. This binary file is not associated with the free consumer upgrade offering nor is it applicable to consumer Windows editions." When pressed for additional details, Microsoft responded with, "No further comment." While the file does nothing, it does appear to confirm that it's related to licensing, referencing a registry value called AllowWindowsSubscription. Build 14376 reveals a few references to servicing packages named Microsoft-Client-License-Platform-Upgrade-Subscription-Package. Last year, there was some talk about Windows 10 being the last version of Windows as Microsoft is pushing a "Windows as a service" vision. When news broke in April about Windows Phone's sharp revenue declines, PCWorld reported that CEO Satya Nadella's strategy is to grow Microsoft's revenues by convincing customers to adopt its paid subscription services.
Welcome the Windows refugees with open arms.
The first one is always free.
Suckers.
Windows 10, according to Microsoft, has always had mainstream support ending October 13, 2020, and extended support ending October 14, 2025. Various sites reported this a year ago, but people forgot, I guess.
Since this was the "last windows you'll ever buy", that meant that the next one would have to be a "rental-only" version.
I wouldn't be surprised if 10 includes a time bomb to deactivate at it after it goes out of support.
"Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
I subscribe to Office 365, I quite like the model actually...
I have multiple computers and being able to install Office and have it always up to date, along with 5 OneDrive accounts with plenty of storage is totally worth it to me.
Windows as a service could work, if done right. The key is to take into account those people who have more than 2 or 3 computers and to provide an inexpensive way to grow that number (which Office 365 really doesn't under one account).
But really it needs to be on a per-user basis, so I can install Windows on as many computers as I want, so long as my first log-in is and remains the primary account. Remove that account and the "activation" goes away. Perhaps the primary account needs to log-in once every 30 days to keep it active?
It sounds like you almost already have.
I can see a time when you go buy a new computer and it comes with Windows on it and 3 years of "free" updates and support, with the option to pay X dollars per year after that to get continued updates...
This way people who don't need to buy a new computer can, at least for awhile, continue to use that machine and keep it current...
The question is, how much per machine, or per user, per year?
$5 per machine per year might be reasonable, or perhaps $20 per user for up to 5 machines, or perhaps a family licence for $50 per year for 25 machines and 10 users...
I imagine they won't be that generous, but they would be smart to do so to soften the blow when they roll it out. Either way, the idea of selling Windows and giving away 10 years of free updates is probably not going to survive, whatever comes next...
That's what I've been saying since 10 was announced as a "free" upgrade from 7/8. Soon as they get enough people updated, via hook or crook, they'll adopt a PAID subscription. Adobe did it. On one had, it's not a bad business model, as you can pretty much know what your revenue stream from month to month, year to year will be, but, as with Adobe Photoshop, I'll just hang onto CC6 for a while longer.
It will encrypt all your data until you buy a license key. If you kept backups, the FBI will arrest you as a terrorist and you'll go to jail for 20 years. Hans Reiser will be your cell mate. Richard Stallman will visit every 3rd Tuesday to gloat about how he warned you in 1997 and you didn't listen.
Then you can change your name to WindowsIsGarbager.
It is all about rent seeking, the ultimate business model! Let's see what happens to all those free upgrades from pirated editions, popcorn ready.
MS is poised to once again make a Moderately funny joke into reality.
You could always use OSX. However I don't trust that one day Apple won't start verifying the hardware is genuine and your install stops working.
Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
I would be interested in Windows subscriptions if it included full virtualization rights. As it is now, licensing Widows for virtualization is a clusterfsck.
That is already happening. I can't open my old Cubase files. So far Microsoft has been pretty good about that. I can still open documents made in Office 4.3. Anyway, so why not reduce the in-house bureaucratic workload? And besides, it will be easier to hold Microsoft responsible for any security problems. Leasing software is the best options for a business, not only for bureaucracy, but liability also. It's much easier to pass the blame, and kick the lawsuits down the road.
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
It's not too shocking right?
I'm in the market for a new kitchen table. Any ideas on where I can rent one for the next 20–30 years?
I I told you all this was coming last year and you laughed at me.
Mostly because you're a silly punce.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
Yeah yeah, this is what people were saying they were going to do when Windows Me came out...switch to Linux. Then again when Windows Vista came out. Then again when Windows 8 came out. Then again when Windows 10 came out. But it doesn't happen, still any Windows story on here gets the same comments and the same furious people with the empty threat of saying they will move to other operating systems.
Seriously for all the pontificating about how great Linux (and FreeBSD) is and all the anecdotes about "i put it on my family members' computer and they love it" the stories about Windows should be pretty devoid of those furious comments by now. I'm predicting that much like every other thing Microsoft has done that has created the faux backlash here, this won't change their usage share at all. They could ship Windows with a camera that they shove up your ass and ultimately you'd still use it, it's sad that that is the case and effort and money should instead be spent on making desktop Linux (or FreeBSD) a truly viable alternative but I doubt that will happen.
Nadella - if you are reading this thread?
Piss off.
There is no way on God's Green Earth that I will ever pay a subscription fee for an operating system.
_ _ _ Go for the eyes Boo! GO FOR THE EYES!
From the context, it's supposed to be read as "it's not a bad business model for the companies doing it", what with the mention of revenue streams.
My use of Windows has decreased so much that I boot my Windows partition once a month or less. Very little I can't do on Linux Mint except maybe play some games, which frankly don't make it worth the effort to boot Windows and worry about stealth updates, telemetry, and all the rest. Subscription model? They'll never get a cent from me for subscriptions.
It's not too shocking right?
I'm in the market for a new kitchen table. Any ideas on where I can rent one for the next 20–30 years?
I recommend getting the pro version, I got the home premium one first but it was too wobbly because they disable one leg.
Hello FreeBSD
And hello, Linux Mint.
I could be wrong, but I just don't think most people want to pay and pay and pay for Windows forever.
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
Rent seeking is not what you think it is. But I get your point. Such a "rental" model isn't going to last long when we're in the final days of the unholy Roman empire. In the jobless future, the only business that'll matter is show business. Yes, games and porn, the better to keep the masses from revolting.
So here's my advice to Nadella, Sell off Office and your other enterprise software businesses soon be made obsolete by Big Data AI. Focus on the Xbox, VR, etc. Your main costumer is going to be the government, the .001 percent, who will do everything in their power to remain in power. An entertained population fed with the minimum necessary to keep their stomachs growling will the prime objective.
Win 10 let's us do Workplace Join which can let us upgrade and activate an edition upgrade from Windows Home or Windows Pro to Windows Enterprise. This let's folks use their home computer but still use things like Bitlocker and DirectAccess which aren't part of Home. The way it works is we provide an edition change package, look up the Windows 10 Provisioning Package. Rather than relying on your home computer talking to the on-prem KMS, it uses essentially an old school MAC key for temporarily activating an upgrade. Once the PC is removed from the company's workplace join, it removes that edition. The goal is to let employees use any device they care to in order to get their work done and allow the company to reclaim that edition upgrade once they leave that role. Why MS insists on calling it a subscription, I'm not sure, but it probably has more to do with the fact that to have the Enterprise version, you have to have an EA agreement and a Software Assurance. Basically no, it's not what you think and the Microsoft response is reasonably accurate it's just the word subscription that should be replaced with the word "Activation." [Note, I'm a consultant who does Intune/Configuration Manager so I'm actively deploying these packages that do this with clients today.]
The day I loaded Windows ME is the last time Microsoft got a penny of my money. I have actually been pretty happy with Macs and Linux over the years. I use Windows at work so I'm not totally out of the loop. On a whim I put Windows 10 on a virtual machine. Honestly... I think it's the best, most stable, operating system Microsoft has come out with in a long time. Once you rip out Cortana and remove all the spyware Microsoft puts in there, it is quite nice.
,,,or, Windows users could opt to stick with Windows 7 indefinitely. A successful Windows 10 subscription model assumes that people want to stay current with new Windows features. But if all the Windows-specific apps they use are legacy Win32 apps, there will never be a meaningful Windows upgrade for those users. Since most new apps are browser, Android or iOS based, Win32 + Chrome is the desktop platform with the apps.
Microsoft has not succeeded in getting the lions share of developers to rewrite their apps to the new Metro API's, so Windows 7 will continue to run any Win32 app as well (or better, depending on the continued commitment to backward compatibility) as Windows 10 or its successors. We're coming to a time where there is no market for operating systems that you have to pay for. Yes, new computers come with an OS that was paid for, and in most cases, that's still Windows. Assuming that the subscription model for upgrades is optional, nobody will buy it - because the OS that came with their computers is fine, as long as it gets security patches. And if Microsoft starts requiring a paid subscription for security patches, they may find a lot of resistance.
Posted from my Android phone. Oh, I can change this? There, that's better...
While some may find it annoying that there are not two keys dedicated to the function, despite persistent claims to the contrary you can both backspace and delete on a mac. It is achieved by using a modifier key (the apple key, in this case). Really, a worse complaint is the lack of arrow keys. In both cases it comes down to how many keys you can fit onto a keyboard of a certain size while keeping the keys large enough to be useful.
In other news, apple doesn't put a top row of special keys on the keyboard (like Dell does) and instead uses the function keys. To actually get a function key you have to use the Function modifier key. I find this annoying and it makes it easy to change display brightness when trying to contort for some god-awful keyboard shortcut (there's one I use frequently that is a horrible mashup of *four* modifier keys plus the key being modified -- and there is no menu equivalent, it is the keyboard or nothing).
Backspace and delete? Only weenies who don't use apple computers would complain about that.
But it doesn't happen, still any Windows story on here gets the same comments and the same furious people with the empty threat of saying they will move to other operating systems.
Or, y'know, they actually are moving to other OSs and it's different people posting that they're leaving this time.
Unity? Screw that: XFCE. Slashdot Beta? Screw that: SoylentNews. Australis? Screw that: Pale Moon. UX developers DIAF
In other news, apple doesn't put a top row of special keys on the keyboard (like Dell does) and instead uses the function keys. To actually get a function key you have to use the Function modifier key. I find this annoying and it makes it easy to change display brightness when trying to contort for some god-awful keyboard shortcut (there's one I use frequently that is a horrible mashup of *four* modifier keys plus the key being modified -- and there is no menu equivalent, it is the keyboard or nothing).
You do realize you can reverse the "Fn" behavior, right?
OS X/macOS will let you do it globally, or you can use the F/OSS (Donationware) "Function Flip" to do it individually for each Function key.
You're welcome.