Windows 10 is free for life?

True, just like we don't know what the "supported lifetime" of Windows 7 or Windows 8.x means yet.

NO, its only Windows 7+ that will update to Windows 10, but you can update any compatible PC with a clean install.

If/when this happens it will be Windows 11+
An if Microsoft stick to the freemium route they are on, it will be something like Windows 'Starter' that will be free with the Professional/Enterprise features will be by subscription.

And as a side note:
Getting everyone including 'pirate' and 'non-genuine' install all on to one version of Windows e.g. a FREE Windows 10 makes that a lot easier to introduce.

 

didnt they say that pirated versions could update but still had to buy a license?

 

What ever way they will go with windows 10 They are in need of $$ so my guess is also that pirated versions can upgrade but must pay the price

 

I am curious as to how -- if at all -- Microsoft'd be able to tell the difference between legitimate and... other... OEM Windows 7 installs. All I can think is either:

* A gigantic DB from all the OEMs containing who shipped what where or,
* Dig to the BIOS and make sure SLIC is really there before proceeding with the upgrade.

My reasoning for the later being that the number of installs with actual modded BIOSes as opposed to loaders is probably limited -- not to mention that such hardcore pirates would almost certainly find a way anyway -- so not really worth the extra effort on Microsoft's part to weed them out.

Unless, of course, I am missing something glaringly obvious...

About Enterprise not being included in the free upgrades: I have volume licensing with SA as well. Now, I'm not sure if the details differ in other parts of the world, etc., but the way it works for me is that I am effectively renting my software and thus am always entitled to the latest updates anyway as long as the contract is current and Microsoft are happy with me. I'm guessing the only Enterprise users who would be left out in the cold are those who outright bought their software. And I doubt many of them -- though there always are exceptions, of course -- would be interested in upgrading to 10 any time soon. They're probably just now upgrading to 7, after all!

 

@TripleA:

For Windows 7 MS will not be able to differ between legitimate and pirated as long as the OS isn't an 'Frankenbuild'! Modded Bios and the use of Certs, SLICs and related P-Keys could not be checked online, only via direct inspection of the single machine and compare the COA which must be attached to the machine.


With the change of the Activation process of Windows 8, that loophole were closed.


Corporate versions (Enterprise) are all times excluded. Regarding RT, I really don't know and even isn't interesting at all for me.


Overall, in the way MS seems like to go, they'll have a much better control. From the Firewall log of the router I've the laptop connected to the internet, I could see that at least about every 2h the laptop connects to some MS Server and send a few small packages and that looks like that the computers activation is checked that way running Windows 10TP. On that way, MS would be able just to de-activate the OS of the computer if 'needed'.

 

Enterprise is only available with SA subscription, and rights to use it expire with the contract.

 

You wouldn't need a gigantic DB of all the shipped licences, a smaller DB of the major manufactures models that shipped with Windows 7 would cover 80% of PC's out there, and then a Windows Update to read the BIOS for the PC's Model Name/Number would be enough, and very easy to do.

People only added SLIC's to the BIOS's of PC's that didn't have them and I doubt any of those people changed the Model Name/Number to match a PC that did have a SLLIC as standard.

Plus as pisthai says any PC's activated with a loader will be spotted straight away, it doesn't really apply to Windows 8.x because any versions activated via KMS will be classed as Enterprise and won't be offered the 'Free' update.

 

When all is said and done...will be interesting to see what actually is done as far as free upgrades to 10. Who gets'm and who doesn't.

 

I wanna see what sort of Hacks and Cracks people come with in order to pirate a free OS.

 

That's what I originally though, but I had some doubts due to Microsoft exclusion of Enterprise from the upgrade scheme and the reaction to it.

So all legitimate Windows Enterprise users would be getting a "free" upgrade anyway, regardless of this Windows 10-specific upgrade scheme, correct? Making Microsoft's specifically mentioning that they're excluding Enterprise a direct message to pirates.

Correct.

And if this were an "internal" MS-to-OEM interaction, I am sure they would go this way; if not offload the whole mess onto the OEMs and let them manage.

But this will be a direct-to-consumers upgrade scheme, as it sounds right now. And I am thinking that it probably isn't worth risking all the angry phonecalls and acompanying bad press -- not to mention the extra complexity of a DB lookup and so on -- to just catch a few determined pirates when a simple BIOS check will filter out the vast majority of freeloaders out there.

In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if there is a faction inside MS advocating side-stepping the whole issue and just offering the consumer edition of Windows 10 free for everyone, no questions asked, for the first year. How to stop commercial use? Simple: just don't allow it to join domains...

 

it is most probable as well for MTK activated VL machines that there will be a new algorithm for volume activation and current 8.1 rigs upgraded to W10 loose it until someone brings in something new. I can visualize them crying for open servers as usual until cody has a new idea

 

They'll "hack it" back to Win 8.1, so they can "re-hack it" to Win 10, all while pizzing and moaning about the start menu and the recycle bin icon...

 

I think there might be some confusion because the word "upgrade" seems to be used to mean two different things depending on context:

* A licence upgrade.
* An in-place upgrade of the OS.

I believe the latter sense is what is meant by "With Windows 10, although non-Genuine PCs may be able to upgrade to Windows 10, the upgrade will not change the genuine state of the license."

I would be extremely surprised if Windows 10 depended on SLIC v2.1 or v2.2 for anything but a validation of the current licence status when the user requests their free OS upgrade from Microsoft. Some tool would validate the license status, and if it passes then a new retail Windows 10 key would be issued. This would have the advantage of addressing what happens if Windows needs to be reinstalled at a later date, as well.

 

An in-place upgrade of the OS would not. It's a completely different thing that has nothing to do with licensing: one can take a non-genuine Windows 8.1 and upgrade it to a non-genuine Windows 10.
At least, that's what I understand from the bit you quoted earlier.

And OA3.0 is what I meant by SLIC 2.2. My apologies for the mistake and any resulting confusion.

 

Ecosystem

Giving Windows 10 away either free or as an upgrade makes perfect sense; As apple has shown it's about your ecosystem and not the OS necessarily.
Make some money on your hardware and even more on the locked down ecosystem that goes with it and added pay for services.
People like the idea of free, even if in the long run you pay twice as much. It's all about clever marketing.