Windows 10 Microsoft Confirms - Windows 10 Free for Insider Program Members

Josephur

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Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 10 will be free for Insiders, even if the machine did not have Windows 7/8/8.1 on it beforehand. Testers will be able to do a fresh installation.

"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 build and remain activated," Aul said. "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."

Full details over at ComputerWorld.
 
Solution
Trouble, your system has already been registered in the Windows 10 program, has it not? You can probably get the RTM .iso and install it without any Licensing problems. One warning, you may not want to use install media which has an embedded key like possibly your OEM copy...

Dave, the Licensing records will not be on the local install, but on some server with Microsoft. For all I know, it might be in your own OneDrive account, but that will probably remain Microsoft's secret. The Licensing is not actually linked to your e-mail, but to your Microsoft account. If you can change the primary e-mail address of your Microsoft Account, doesn't that mean it will not effect your licensing if you have to change it for some reason..?

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The activation is becoming, apparently, linked to the Email address use for the original log in.
I am wondering now, what happens if you change your Email address. I am, soon, changing my ISP, which includes my MS logged address,.
Not a great worry, as I will be obtaining the finished product from other (legal) sources, but, nevertheless, curious
 
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Dave.....it's for that exact reason why I don't use my ISP email address's for anything like that anymore. Having to switch like that just dorked up all my accounts that I had associated with my ISP email. So now I just use/create Outlook.com emails for all that and I never have to worry about that kind of change again. It's a solution that works for me.
 
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As I said. Not a big problem for me. I have one ISP address and two Ms (outlook) addresses. Just curious for those who do not have such.
 
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I have not tried changing my account sign-in, it looks like you can make another e-mail address primary for that account... Wouldn't this take care of the situation?
 
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I think everyone needs to revisit the initial Blog Post that spawned this information.
It seems that sometime after the initial post yesterday (later in the day) they amended it to include an asterisks
It’s important to note that only people running Link Removed can upgrade to Windows 10 as part of the free upgrade offer.*
Click to expand...
SOURCE: Link Removed

Now I'm back to just being confused as to what will happen with respect to "Insiders" who still believe that they are going to get a free upgrade to the final release of Windows 10. I'm not so sure now. At least not as sure as I was early yesterday when I first read this Blog Post, prior to the edit.

EDIT: At least I'm not the only one who is a bit confused....
http://www.winbeta.org/news/microsoft-backtracks-free-windows-10-insiders-again?
 
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Confused! For me I feel that someone turned the lights out a while ago!!

Saltgrass. We are all guessing and surmising. As I said, the activation does seem to be linked to the users Email, but, I think (??) after activation, that same activation is, in some way, recorded for that computer/OS only - probably embedded and encrypted. So, in a nutshell, if there is more than one user, there is still only one activation.
 
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Trouble, your system has already been registered in the Windows 10 program, has it not? You can probably get the RTM .iso and install it without any Licensing problems. One warning, you may not want to use install media which has an embedded key like possibly your OEM copy...

Dave, the Licensing records will not be on the local install, but on some server with Microsoft. For all I know, it might be in your own OneDrive account, but that will probably remain Microsoft's secret. The Licensing is not actually linked to your e-mail, but to your Microsoft account. If you can change the primary e-mail address of your Microsoft Account, doesn't that mean it will not effect your licensing if you have to change it for some reason..?

Your comments about getting Windows 10 for free don't really mean much since everyone with a qualifying OS will have that option, but I do believe we will not have to give up a prior license to get one for Windows 10. So perhaps we will actually get it for free and others will have to pay with their prior OS. They did add an option for leaving the Insider program in build 10147.. if anyone wanted to use it.

Of course, a disclaimer is always in order... Who the heck knows how the procedure will work today, much less tomorrow...if Microsoft doesn't know, I certainly don't.... If you stay with the Insiders program, what type of builds/testing might we expect? Will our systems continued to be monitored as they are now?
 
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Solution
Certainly not, I would imagine, on the one drive account. That is a voluntary choice and many, including me, have not registered it.
Again, I have read in the original "system requirements" that a Microsoft account will be required to obtain the upgrade? But, more recently, I have also read this, another area of grey!

"Once available on July 29th, you do not need an MSA to upgrade Windows 10 on your Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 PCs if they are not receiving Insider Preview builds. You will not be required to use an MSA on new PCs that come with Windows 10 preinstalled or clean installed from media"

on this blog:

Link Removed

But, again, the contents, when read as a whole, are a little ambiguous and in some cases, contradictory.
Frankly, as we are discussing here and in other threads (and even other forums), I think, at the moment, the left hand has not communicated with the right hand. This has happened before with MS releases, but I am sure they will get the act together.
 
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Saltgrass said:
One warning, you may not want to use install media which has an embedded key like possibly your OEM copy...
Click to expand...
When my OEM Copy of Windows 10 Pro arrives, I assume that it will have a certificate of Authenticity and a product key on that, much the same as my OEM copy of Windows 8.1 Pro.

There seems to be several terms regarding the process that are being used without any real clear understanding of what they mean or at least what they mean in Microsoft speak.
License... I'm pretty sure we won't get or have one.
Product Key... I suspect ours will likely be generic and not unique as a properly licensed system would have.
Activation... Pretty sure that is not going to be a problem
Registration... I don't even know what that might mean. I'm registered? My computer is registered? My installation is registered? IDK

None of which would apply to those who upgrade from a properly licensed version of Windows 7 SP3 and or Windows 8.1 (Update).
They will almost certainly have a proper "License".
AND
A unique product key.
Which I assume will mean that they have sacrificed the Product Key / License of the Operating System from which they performed the upgrade.
At least that's my interpretation today..... this minute.
AND
My head hurts just trying to struggle to this meager understanding, which may be completely and totally wrong.
 
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I am also up in the air not knowing for sure. I think as much as I like 10147 that for me it is better to stay with 8.1 Pro until the final version comes out. I checked my status on my reserved copy. I am not sure what they mean by Data and Files: Ready.

 
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Just to throw another log on the fire, what about those of us running in a VM, and have WIN7. Will we only be able to upgrade the VM OS or will we be able to update WIN7.
Everybody throw a coin in the air and see which it will be.
Also if running in VM will we be able to get a full version and then move that from the VM to a drive and make it our main OS and still have a valid license for win 7.
As my head spins I think only time will tell!
 
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Not an actual answer to your question (if there was a question), but.....
I was just reading this
SOURCE: http://www.zdnet.com/article/with-a...oft-gives-away-windows-10-to-anyone-who-asks/
A pretty good article but with still a lot of supposition and assumption.
 
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Finally the answer.
Remain a crash test dummy indefinitely (Windows Insider) get it, keep it, don't worry about it, it's free to windows insiders who remain insiders.
Otherwise if you opt out of the insider program, it's pretty much the same as everyone else on the planet. License for a license and like for like.
SOURCE: Link Removed
 
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I don't think I want to continue being a crash dummy. I don't mind messing around with a new OS but I am not going to hang around and test apps.
 
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Trouble said:
Finally the answer.Link Removed
Click to expand...
Maybe today it is the final answer.!!!

I am going to keep my head down and stay the course. Current statements may be meant to keep the sharks away.. But since I don't really care, I can afford to leave the preview installed on disconnected drives and just check when a new build is released to see if anything worth while shows up...

One thing I will not do is trade a License from a working OS for one that may not be working... Only time will expose the true story..
 
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I'll likely keep the one spare physical machine and at least one VM devoted to whatever continues to come after 7/29 but not my main machine.
Maybe I'll setup another MS Account just for those instances. Wonder if CrashTestDummy@outlook.com is already taken
The forums, on the other hand, might get extremely interesting. What build, what version, what level of "update(s)", what ever.....
We can barely get information out of members asking questions as it is
 
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