Windows 10 free updates end at 10.59am on Saturday (UK time)

[excalibur2]

You can still get it free https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/acce...ndows10upgrade and the rumour is that MS want everybody to use win 10 so ATM seem to be turning a blind eye to porkies.

[DDY]

Wow, that's convenient.

[g8ina]

"What assistive technologies are eligible for the extension?

We are not restricting the free upgrade offer to specific assistive technologies. If you use assistive technology on Windows, you are eligible for the free upgrade offer."

Duh !

[D-T]

Bought an OEM key for W7 Pro for £20, dumped it onto a spare 120gb SSD and upgraded to a clean install of W10 Pro.

No intention whatsoever of using it in the foreseeable future. Will make an image of the drive as it is and see if Windows 10 ever gets to a point where I'd consider using it.

Leaving Win 7 on my main PC for now, looking at different Linux distro's for all upcoming projects.

[jonathan_phang]

Well, I tried to do it Friday, but it just got stuck when looking for updates. Tried all manner of things, but it just appears that my media pc is having trouble actually doing any download of any update which is odd, I manually go through and give it an update periodically. Shame, but seeing as its just a media PC its not the end of the world.

[Smudger]

I got that for a bit, you have to switch off and disable the Windows Update service in Win 7, then it should work

[jonathan_phang]

I got that for a bit, you have to switch off and disable the Windows Update service in Win 7, then it should work

When googling on the Friday evening (so rock and roll) I did see something about that, but after I'd found out, I tried to even update the W7 build, not even trying the W10 update, and that too was just not doing anything. All in all seems to completely knackered. Simple eh?

In terms of the upgrade, you turned it off and then tried the upgrade? I guess it then misses the updates step and moved on. Not sure if I'll even try now, seeing as I'm not sure where that leaves me Key-wise. I doubt I qualify for the free upgrade now, as I didn't activate in time (havent looked into the accessibility link above), which I guess means a reinstall of W7

[Smudger]

I think the WU service was preventing the install, but once the update process has started, it starts again with the newer version of WU. To be honest, I didn't sit there and watch it, so I'm not sure, just that the first time I tried it, it ran overnight and was still stuck at 99% when I checked in the morning. Good job I checked a few days beforehand!

[excalibur2]

Some guys are still updating to win 10 for free (well I don't know about today) as the MS servers (for the update) are configued to stop free win 10....not sure how they are doing it and might be a downloaded win 10 ISO to DVD then using that to get activated.

[Saracen]

Perhaps all the new stuff in the Windows Anniversary Update will appeal – but you won't know until you can try it out in early August. However there are already reports of some things that sound a bit forced – like a compulsory Cortana.

But that's the thing - I will know without trying it out, unless MS reverse a couple of major strategic decisions they made with Win10. Like mandatory updates. And I think there's no chance at all they will do a major backtrack.

One of the things that is a precondition for any possibility of me using Win10, as I've said since it's inception, is the ability to completely, totally and utterly disable Cortana. Yet, those "reports" suggest MS are going the exact opposite way.

This, if the reports are true, is a perfect illustration of why mandatory inline updates and the "last ever Windows" concept of going to a moving goalpost structure are a red line issue for me - the technology involved and the changes to licence terms effectively cedes control over the PC to MS and, going forward, they can make whatever changes they like without telling users, never mind asking permission.

And personally, I am not agreeing to that, not now, not ever.

Win10 fundamentally changes the nature of the PC in my home or office to cede control of it to MS, and that ain't happening. Period. Ergo, no more Windows for me. Having been using it since, IIRC, about 1984 (ironic date, perhaps) that's a shame. But so be it. Maybe Orwell was right about Big Brother after all - we just didn't feel the stiletto of privacy loss starting to slide into our backs. Now, it's too late.

I'm delighted to see the end of "free upgrades" though .... provided it's accompanied by MS stopping trying to force 10 onto my rrmaining W7 machines though. MS, please stick Win10, free or not, somewhere uncomfortable, and leave my machines the <bleep> alone.

[shaithis]

Win10 fundamentally changes the nature of the PC in my home or office to cede control of it to MS, and that ain't happening. Period. Ergo, no more Windows for me. Having been using it since, IIRC, about 1984 (ironic date, perhaps) that's a shame. But so be it. Maybe Orwell was right about Big Brother after all - we just didn't feel the stiletto of privacy loss starting to slide into our backs. Now, it's too late.

I don't see any privacy issues in Windows 10. Some people are blowing statistics gathering completely out of proportion and making it sound like Microsoft are nosing around your bank account.

Let me state what I have stated multiple times before: Windows 10 is also sold to enterprises. How long would Microsoft last as a company if large corporations and financial institutes were being snooped on by Microsoft?

[excalibur2]

Well I have win 10 free but thinking will everything be free in the future and with Enterprise don't businesses pay for support or whatever?

[Corky34]

I don't see any privacy issues in Windows 10. Some people are blowing statistics gathering completely out of proportion and making it sound like Microsoft are nosing around your bank account.

Let me state what I have stated multiple times before: Windows 10 is also sold to enterprises. How long would Microsoft last as a company if large corporations and financial institutes were being snooped on by Microsoft?

If there were no worries about privacy why has Windows 10 compliance with so many privacy regulations been called into question, IIRC questions have been raised over whether it's HIPPA, PCI DSS, and probably other regulations governing privacy.

[AGTDenton]

As expected I've just activated 2 Windows 7 keys on Windows 10.
EDIT: Oh and that's without going through the "Assistive technologies" trick.

So its not been disabled as they claim.

[jonathan_phang]

As expected I've just activated 2 Windows 7 keys on Windows 10.
EDIT: Oh and that's without going through the "Assistive technologies" trick.

So its not been disabled as they claim.

Excellent. I might have to disable the Windows update to get around my troubles with the 'Getting updates' part of the install and see how I get on.

[AGTDenton]

Excellent. I might have to disable the Windows update to get around my troubles with the 'Getting updates' part of the install and see how I get on.

I should have previously mentioned my method, just in case its different when using the upgrade Wizard.

I used a DVD iso downloaded direct from Microsoft and performed a fresh installation of Windows 10.
The keys I used were Windows 7 Pro keys, but had never actually been previously activated. I'd merely bought them to get some official CD's at the time and kept the keys if ever I needed a spare.

I tend to find Microsofts deadlines are as accurate as their progress bars.
100% yet still waiting over an hour for the process to complete...