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The time is nigh. Friday is the last day you can score Windows 10 for free.
Windows 10’s free upgrade offer is over, according to Microsoft. But this isn’t completely true. There are a bunch of ways you can still upgrade to Windows 10 for free and get a legitimate license, or just install Windows 10 and use it for free. Start fresh with a clean installation of Windows 10 Use this tool to install a clean copy of the latest version of Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro, and remove apps that you installed or came pre-installed on your PC. Reinstall windows 10 free download - Windows 10, Apple Safari, PDF Reader for Windows 10, and many more programs.
Or is it?
What if you don't want to upgrade to Windows 10 right now but may want to do so down the road? There is a way.
You will need to complete several steps before July 29 comes to a close. Once you do, you can upgrade to Windows 10 at no cost whenever you like, instead of according to Microsoft's deadline.
Following Windows 8's failure to win over consumers, Microsoft has been trying hard to push people to jump to Windows 10. Since its official release a year ago, Windows 10 has been a free upgrade to Windows 7 and 8.1 users. When that freebie ends today, you technically will be forced to shell out $119 for the regular edition of Windows 10 and $199 for the Pro flavor if you want to upgrade. Fortunately, though, Microsoft has built in a safeguard through which you can avoid that scenario.
Here's how to conjure up this bit of wizardry.
First, you'll need to upgrade your Windows 7 or 8.1 computer to Windows 10. (Don't worry this is only temporary.)
To do so, you can follow the steps in this CNET article appropriately named 'Here's how to upgrade to Windows 10,' or in this article dubbed 'Windows 10 is only free for one more day. Here's how to get it.'
You'll also want to snag a copy of Windows 10 that you can install on your own without having to grab it from Microsoft's website. Your best bet is to use Microsoft's media creation tool, available on the Get Windows 10 website. With the tool, you can place a copy of Windows 10 on a DVD or USB drive to install the OS as an upgrade or as a clean installation at any time.
OK, now Windows 10 is firmly in place on your PC. Your next step is to make sure the software is registered properly. To do this, click on the Start button and then click on the Settings command.
In the Settings screen, click on the category for Update & Security.
In the Update & Security screen, click on the setting for Activation. On the right pane, you should see a bit of text next to the Product Key entry that reads: 'Windows 10 on this device is activated with a digital entitlement.' Don't worry, I'll explain what this means.
But, you protest, you don't want Windows 10 right now. Well, that brings us to the next step. You can roll your PC back to Windows 7 or 8.1. Here's how..
In Windows 10, click on the Start button and then click on the Settings command.
In the Settings screen, click on the category for Update & Security.
In the Update & Security screen, click on the setting for Recovery. On the right pane, you'll see an option to go back to Windows 7 or 8.1. Click on the Get Started button for that option, and your PC will bounce back to your previous version of Windows.
Naturally, the rollback process will take some time, but it should proceed smoothly. So, will your previous version of Windows work without any problems? That depends. I've tried this process on some Windows 8.1 PCs, and it worked smoothly. I tried it on an old Windows 7 computer and did run into a couple of glitches where I had to reinstall certain drivers to get Windows back in gear.
So you'll definitely want to nose around the OS to make sure your applications and files are intact and working.
Now let's travel into the future, maybe six months from now. You've decided you want to upgrade to Windows 10 after all, and you don't want to pay for the privilege. You're in luck. Since you already installed Windows 10 once on your PC, the software has been given what Microsoft calls a 'digital entitlement.' Yep, that's the same piece of text that's listed next to the Product Key entry.
The digital entitlement ties your Windows 10 license to that specific computer. In a nutshell, this means you can freely reinstall Windows 10 on that PC even after reverting back to Windows 7 or 8.1, as long as you have already installed Windows 10 previously.
Now use the media creation tool you created six months prior to upgrade your current copy of Windows to Windows 10. Follow the steps to install Windows 10 as you had earlier, and the software will find its way onto your PC once again. If you want to be on the safe side, you can back up your PC at various steps in this entire process.
A spokeswoman from Microsoft confirmed that this method of upgrading to Windows 10 would work.
Yes, these steps take some time and you'll have to complete the first part of the process before today is over. But at least now you can keep your current version of Windows alive and jump to Windows 10 whenever you choose.
(Via ZDNet and HowtoGeek)
Windows 10’s free upgrade offer is over, according to Microsoft. But this isn’t completely true. There are a bunch of ways you can still upgrade to Windows 10 for free and get a legitimate license, or just install Windows 10 and use it for free.
There are a few ways you can still get Windows 10 for free, without using a pirated license: you can install Windows 10 with a 7 or 8 key, or install Windows without a key—it will work just fine, save for a small watermark reminding you to purchase a license.
Here’s how each of those methods work.
Provide a Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 Key
RELATED:You Can Still Get Windows 10 for Free With a Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 Key
While you can no longer use the “Get Windows 10” tool to upgrade from within Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, it is still possible to download Windows 10 installation media from Microsoft and then provide a Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 key when you install it. We tested this method once again on January 5, 2018, and it still works.
Windows will contact Microsoft’s activation servers and confirm the key to the previous version of Windows is real. If it is, Windows 10 will be installed and activated on your PC. Your PC acquires a “digital license” and you can continue using and reinstalling Windows 10 on it in the future. If you head to Settings > Update & security > Activation after installing Windows in this way, you’ll see the words “Windows is activated with a digital license”.
Microsoft hasn’t communicated what’s going on here, or whether it will block this method in the future. But it still works right now. Even if Microsoft blocks this trick in the future, your PC will keep its digital license and Windows 10 will remain activated.
Reinstall Windows 10 if You’ve Already Upgraded
RELATED:How to Use Your Free Windows 10 License After Changing Your PC’s Hardware
If you’ve taken advantage of any free upgrade offer–either the original free upgrade offer during the first year, the accessibility offer, or by installing Windows 10 and providing a key for an eligible previous version of Windows–you can continue to “get Windows 10 for free” on the same hardware.
Windows 10 Free Upgrade What If I Need To Reinstall
To do this, just download the Windows 10 installation media and install it on that computer. Don’t provide any key during the installation process. It should automatically activate after it contacts Microsoft’s servers.
Download dota 1 pc free. Each player controls a powerful character, known as a «hero», that feature unique abilities and different styles of play. During a match, a player and their team collects experience points, currency, and items for their heroes in order to better fight heroes of the opposing team, attempting to push through their defenses. Dota 2 is played in matches between two teams that consist of five players, who each occupy their own base on the map. A team wins by being the first to destroy a large structure located in the opposing team's base, called the «Ancient».Development of Dota 2 began in 2009 when IceFrog, lead designer of the original Defense of the Ancients mod, was hired by Valve for the same role.
Sure, you can only do this if you’ve already upgraded to Windows 10, but you can continue to install Windows 10 for free on the same computer in the future–even if you replace its hard drive or other components. The new activation wizard in Windows 10’s Anniversary Update will even help you troubleshoot hardware changes and reassociate the digital license with the correct PC.
Skip the Key and Ignore the Activation Warnings
RELATED:You Don’t Need a Product Key to Install and Use Windows 10
Here’s the real secret: You don’t need to provide a product key to install Windows 10. You can download Windows 10 installation media from Microsoft and install it on a PC, in Boot Camp on a Mac, or in a virtual machine without providing a product key. Windows will continue to work normally and you can do practically whatever you want.
Windows 10 will keep nagging you to activate it and won’t allow you to change any of the options under Settings > Personalization, but otherwise work just fine. It’s not something you’d necessarily want to do on your main computer, but it’s a very convenient way to set up a quick virtual machine, test Windows 10 on a PC, or install Windows 10 in Boot Camp. You can even pay to upgrade to a legal, activated version of Windows 10 from within your unactivated Windows 10 system after installing it.
How To Reinstall Windows 10 Free Upgrade Version
This isn’t technically allowed by Microsoft’s guidelines, but they’ve specifically designed Windows to work this way. If Microsoft doesn’t want people doing this, it’s free to change Windows to block this in the future–and it might. But Windows has worked this way for years. This was even possible with Windows 7.
You can also head to Microsoft’s website and download a 90-day evaluation version of Windows 10 Enterprise. It will continue working for 90 days–about three months. It’s designed for organizations to evaluate Windows 10 Enterprise.
This evaluation copy comes with the extra features built into Windows 10 Enterprise, so it’s also a convenient way to test these Enterprise features. However, you can upgrade any edition of Windows 10 to the Enterprise edition if you have a key.
Windows 10 Free Upgrade From 7 Reinstall
Unfortunately, other free offers—like the Accessibility offer from Microsoft—are now over. But these methods should cover you pretty well.
Of course, you can also just buy a new PC that comes with Windows 10. It’s not really free because the manufacturer has to pay for the Windows license. But, if you’re looking to upgrade from Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, it makes a lot more sense to buy a new computer that comes with Windows 10 for a few hundred bucks rather than spend $120 on a Windows 10 Home license to upgrade an old PC. PC manufacturers get a good deal and pay less than normal Windows users do for those licenses.
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