Specific upgrade paths to get to all versions of Windows 10

[Brink]

If you have a device with an older version of Windows or Windows Phone, Microsoft has now revealed more information on the specific upgrade paths that will available to get to Windows 10.

The company first revealed the seven Windows 10 SKUs last week, and a new blog post on the Windows Australia Partner Network has more details on the upgrade paths for Windows 7 and 8.1 users, along with Windows Phone 8.1:

• Microsoft will offer a free upgrade to Windows 10 for qualified Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.1 devices in the first year. After the first year, upgrades will be paid via boxed product and VL Upgrades.
• Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 7 Home Basic and Home Premium devices upgrade to Windows 10 Home
• Windows 8/8.1 Pro and Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate devices upgrade to Windows 10 Pro
• If upgraded within the first 12 months following launch, the device will receive ongoing Windows 10 updates for free for the life of that device
• Excludes Windows Enterprise and RT devices
• The free Windows 10 upgrade is delivered through Windows Update; domain-joined machines can manually get the update via Windows Update. The upgrade cannot be deployed through WSUS.

As previously announced, Microsoft's free upgrade to Windows 10 for Windows 7, 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 users will only last a year after the OS officially launches. Microsoft has yet to reveal pricing for the full version of Windows 10. Surface and Surface 2 owners with Windows RT are supposed to get an update that will add some features of Windows 10, but specifics about that update have not been revealed.

Read more: Here are the specific upgrade paths to get to all versions of Windows 10 | Windows Central

 

[z3r010]

No mention of the Windows 8.1 with bing upgrade path.

 

[Brink]

Nope, but maybe you'll get lucky and it'll still upgrade.

 

[Wandering one]

" If upgraded within the first 12 months following launch, the device will receive ongoing Windows 10 updates for free for the life of that device "

Does this mean your retail converts to OEM ?
Art.

 

[z3r010]

" If upgraded within the first 12 months following launch, the device will receive ongoing Windows 10 updates for free for the life of that device "

Does this mean your retail converts to OEM ?
Art.

Yep, retail died with Windows 7, as of Windows 8 there are no transferable licenses.

 

[ThrashZone]

No mention of the Windows 8.1 with bing upgrade path.

?
Not sure at all what that means
Glad Shawn knows

 

[z3r010]

"Windows 8.1 with Bing" is a low cost version of Windows 8.1 that ship with some tables and compute sticks etc.

Windows 8.1 with Bing licensing model explained, essentially free for some tablets

 

[ThrashZone]

Okay thanks
I've seen many versions of internet explorer optimized for bing but never a version of windows
Although bing is pretty much built into windows 8 and 8.1 and of course 10tp so I can't imagine why it would make a difference on a upgrade to 10.

 

[andrew129260]

" If upgraded within the first 12 months following launch, the device will receive ongoing Windows 10 updates for free for the life of that device "

Does this mean your retail converts to OEM ?
Art.

Yep, retail died with Windows 7, as of Windows 8 there are no transferable licenses.

Really? I did not know that. That really sucks.

 

[ThrashZone]

Yep seems it could come down to a call to M$ to ask mother may I reinstall what ever os because of a failed mother board.......
Building could be a bit of a tricky thing now days
Might be best to test builds using Linux rather than the real possibility defective hardware pops up.

As far as I've noticed until windows is activated you can't update it or only so much ?

 

[groze]

Hmm. What this then? I wouldn't trust the open box though.

Amazon.com: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - Full Version


Sorry z3r010

 

[Brds7t7]

" If upgraded within the first 12 months following launch, the device will receive ongoing Windows 10 updates for free for the life of that device "

Does this mean your retail converts to OEM ?
Art.

Yep, retail died with Windows 7, as of Windows 8 there are no transferable licenses.

I've never heard this mentioned before. What about the boxed versions of Windows 8/8.1? Those aren't transferable either? I've known people who have transferred W8 from one pc to another before.

Looks like I'll be skipping Windows 10 then. There's no way I'm giving up my boxed retail pro licence for a non-transferable oem licence.

 

[groze]

" If upgraded within the first 12 months following launch, the device will receive ongoing Windows 10 updates for free for the life of that device "

Does this mean your retail converts to OEM ?
Art.

Yep, retail died with Windows 7, as of Windows 8 there are no transferable licenses.

I've never heard this mentioned before. What about the boxed versions of Windows 8/8.1? Those aren't transferable either? I've known people who have transferred W8 from one pc to another before.

Looks like I'll be skipping Windows 10 then. There's no way I'm giving up my boxed retail pro licence for a non-transferable oem licence.

I don't know about the current 8.1 version that I listed in my other post.

I do remember Microsoft doing an odd thing. There was a strange version of windows 8.1 it would upgrade windows 8 and it would it do full install on windows 7. But you had to have 8 installed or windows 7 installed. I think the disk allowed a clean install if you had the windows 7 retail or oem key but I am not sure. I'm also not sure if it allowed a clean install on windows 8.

 

[alphanumeric]

No mention of the Windows 8.1 with bing upgrade path.

No mention of Windows 7 Starter either.

 

[alphanumeric]

" If upgraded within the first 12 months following launch, the device will receive ongoing Windows 10 updates for free for the life of that device "

Does this mean your retail converts to OEM ?
Art.

Yep, retail died with Windows 7, as of Windows 8 there are no transferable licenses.

My MSDN keys are listed as Retail keys?

EDIT: I'm not saying your wrong, just that I'm confused?

 

[DavidE]

I have a Win 8 License and it is my understanding my license is transferable.
I'm very interested, as i may be transferring this 8 OS/license to a different PC.

I found this about the 8.x EULA

Can I transfer the software to another computer or user?
You may transfer the software to another computer that belongs to you. You may also transfer the software (together with the license) to a computer owned by someone else if a) you are the first licensed user of the software and b) the new user agrees to the terms of this agreement. To make that transfer, you must transfer the original media, the certificate of authenticity, the product key and the proof of purchase directly to that other person, without retaining any copies of the software. You may use the backup copy we allow you to make or the media that the software came on to transfer the software. Anytime you transfer the software to a new computer, you must remove the software from the prior computer. You may not transfer the software to share licenses between computers. You may transfer Get Genuine Windows software, Pro Pack or Media Center Pack software only together with the licensed computer.

Source: Windows 8 EULA

 

[smiths22]

" If upgraded within the first 12 months following launch, the device will receive ongoing Windows 10 updates for free for the life of that device "

Does this mean your retail converts to OEM ?
Art.

Yep, retail died with Windows 7, as of Windows 8 there are no transferable licenses.

I've never heard this mentioned before. What about the boxed versions of Windows 8/8.1? Those aren't transferable either? I've known people who have transferred W8 from one pc to another before.

^This.

As far as i know the rule is one license on 1 machine at a time.

 

[groze]

Yep, retail died with Windows 7, as of Windows 8 there are no transferable licenses.

I've never heard this mentioned before. What about the boxed versions of Windows 8/8.1? Those aren't transferable either? I've known people who have transferred W8 from one pc to another before.

^This.

As far as i know the rule is one license on 1 machine at a time.

Oem install must stay on the machine it was installed on.

System Builders Oems must stay on the machine and you are suppose to resell the computer and provide support but I suppose you can buy the system yourself for $1.00 and support yourself.

Retail version can be installed on one system at a time. Your computer quits and can't be fixed, you can move that retail versions to another system but you can not do that with OEMS.

Motherboard can be replaced if defective or quits without having to get a new retail disk.

 

[smiths22]

I've never heard this mentioned before. What about the boxed versions of Windows 8/8.1? Those aren't transferable either? I've known people who have transferred W8 from one pc to another before.

^This.

As far as i know the rule is one license on 1 machine at a time.

Oem install must stay on the machine it was installed on.

System Builders Oems must stay on the machine and you are suppose to resell the computer and provide support but I suppose you can buy the system yourself for $1.00 and support yourself.

Retail version can be installed on one system at a time. Your computer quits and can't be fixed, you can move that retail versions to another system but you can not do that with OEMS.

Motherboard can be replaced if defective or quits without having to get a new retail disk.

move = asking for permission to Microsoft by phone....simply annoying. That's Windows...sigh.

 

[Brds7t7]

I can handle phone activation, as long as I'm still able to move my retail (or whatever MS wants to call them now) licence to a new pc when I build one. I've only Activated my Windows 7 licence twice since 2009 so not something I'm going to do regularly. But there's no way I'm giving up a retail licence for an OEM licence.
If that's the case, I'll just stick to Windows 7 and move it to the next pc I build.