4 ms·

Microsoft did (still?) offer a free upgrade path from Windows 7/8 to Windows 10 for years so I doubt this is really for "getting money from our customers" but m

by doikor 6y ago

Microsoft did (still?) offer a free upgrade path from Windows 7/8 to Windows 10 for years so I doubt this is really for "getting money from our customers" but more "we want to stop supporting these old platforms at some point"

EvanAnderson 6y ago
Windows Server 2012 R2 is impacted by this decision. It's still under support until 2023-01. They made the decision when they wanted to stop supporting the old platform already.
- judge2020 6y ago
  If it's still supported, surely it'll receive updates then?
simion314 6y ago
Not all computers could be upgraded , plus Windows upgrades is not 100% guaranteed to just work. I have a Win7 machine that is used sometimes by my son, I don't want to waste my time to attempt some upgrade or reinstall Windows then all the drivers and programs/games so that PC will run Win7 until it dies.
m463 6y ago
Not only free, but forced!
- mrguyorama 6y ago
  My Windows 7 PC was never forcibly upgraded. I don't know what you are talking about
  - miles 6y ago
    > I don't know what you are talking about New details emerge about forced Windows 10 upgrade -- and how to block it https://www.computerworld.com/article/3029613/new-details-emerge-about-forced-windows-10-upgrade-and-how-to-block-it.html https://www.computerworld.com/article/3029613/new-details-em... Microsoft’s latest trick: Clicking ‘X’ to dismiss Windows 10 upgrade doesn’t stop install https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/229040-microsofts-latest-trick-clicking-x-to-dismiss-windows-10-upgrade-doesnt-stop-upgrade-process https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/229040-microsofts-latest... Microsoft accused of Windows 10 upgrade 'nasty trick' https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36367221 https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36367221
  - Silhouette 6y ago
    Forced is clearly the wrong word, but Microsoft's push to move users of older Windows versions onto 10 was aggressive and, some have argued, wilfully deceptive. The bottom line is that someone previously using Windows 7 who followed the advice about promptly installing recommended updates would probably now be running Windows 10. To avoid that, you had to know what was going on and actively do something else, and there are plenty of anecdotes of people who tried to do so and still made a mistake somewhere and ended up on 10 when they didn't want to.
    - justinclift 6y ago
      > Forced is clearly the wrong word ... No, it's not. Many users had their Win 7 computer "upgraded" to Win 10 even when they expressly didn't want that to happen.
      - Silhouette 6y ago
        I'm literally typing this message on a Windows 7 PC. If Microsoft had forced those to upgrade to Windows 10, how is that possible?
        justinclift 6y ago
        Even some basic research via any search engine will answer that question. ;)
        Silhouette 6y ago
        Why would I need to do any research? If the "forced" claim were true, it would be literally impossible for me to be doing what I'm doing right now. Microsoft might have tried to deceive or even coerce users of its older operating systems in order to get them to accept an upgrade. However, the upgrade was not forced, because you could (and some people did) avoid moving to the new version. It does not usefully advance the discussion about Microsoft's behaviour to misrepresent what happened. There's plenty to criticise without the hyperbole, after all.
  - Strom 6y ago
    There was certainly a semi-forced situation at one point. My mom's Windows 7 laptop started the Windows 10 installation automatically one night, with no questions asked. The computer just restarted and started installing it. Now the reason I say semi-forced is that it was still possible to cancel it. The automatic process got paused at the EULA acceptance screen and if you chose not to accept the license terms then the installer would start a lengthy rollback process and eventually get you back to Windows 7. On my own computer I never experienced this because I proactively chose hide update for any Windows 10 related patch.
driverdan 6y ago
They still make money on free Win10 by spying on your activity, showing ads, and aggressively pushing purchase from their store.
- darkcha0s 6y ago
  Strange, I run windows 10 and I never see ads, and I've never used the windows store either. We all know you're exaggerating massively with the spying as well, but hey, MS Haters will be haters.
Zancarius 6y ago
Last I checked (about a year ago) you could still run the upgrade tool, and it'd go through the licensing registration process just fine. I wouldn't do that if it weren't a personal machine, however, because the "official" upgrade process ended a long time ago. Even using it for a home office might put you into questionable legal territory, but it's still possible. I do think your last statement is more accurate, though. It really feels that they're subversively pushing as many people away from Win7/8 as possible by unofficially allowing upgrades through existing channels. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't find it especially nefarious. I don't even use Windows (I have family that does). I'm a Linux user.
- alternatetwo 6y ago
  You can actually crack Win7 and will get a "legit" Win10 license during the upgrade ...
- Sunspark 6y ago
  You don't even need to use the upgrade tool. Windows 10 clean installs from the iso will let you manually input the Windows 7 key you already possess and the activation server will accept it. The 7 key is whitelisted only for 10. It will not work for 8.
  - Zancarius 6y ago
    Good point. I did a clean install and entered the Win7 key. Hadn't actually thought much beyond that.

by doikor 6y ago

EvanAnderson 6y ago

Windows Server 2012 R2 is impacted by this decision. It's still under support until 2023-01. They made the decision when they wanted to stop supporting the old platform already.

judge2020 6y ago
If it's still supported, surely it'll receive updates then?

simion314 6y ago

Not all computers could be upgraded , plus Windows upgrades is not 100% guaranteed to just work. I have a Win7 machine that is used sometimes by my son, I don't want to waste my time to attempt some upgrade or reinstall Windows then all the drivers and programs/games so that PC will run Win7 until it dies.

m463 6y ago

Not only free, but forced!

mrguyorama 6y ago
My Windows 7 PC was never forcibly upgraded. I don't know what you are talking about
- miles 6y ago
  > I don't know what you are talking about New details emerge about forced Windows 10 upgrade -- and how to block it https://www.computerworld.com/article/3029613/new-details-emerge-about-forced-windows-10-upgrade-and-how-to-block-it.html https://www.computerworld.com/article/3029613/new-details-em... Microsoft’s latest trick: Clicking ‘X’ to dismiss Windows 10 upgrade doesn’t stop install https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/229040-microsofts-latest-trick-clicking-x-to-dismiss-windows-10-upgrade-doesnt-stop-upgrade-process https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/229040-microsofts-latest... Microsoft accused of Windows 10 upgrade 'nasty trick' https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36367221 https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36367221
- Silhouette 6y ago
  Forced is clearly the wrong word, but Microsoft's push to move users of older Windows versions onto 10 was aggressive and, some have argued, wilfully deceptive. The bottom line is that someone previously using Windows 7 who followed the advice about promptly installing recommended updates would probably now be running Windows 10. To avoid that, you had to know what was going on and actively do something else, and there are plenty of anecdotes of people who tried to do so and still made a mistake somewhere and ended up on 10 when they didn't want to.
  - justinclift 6y ago
    > Forced is clearly the wrong word ... No, it's not. Many users had their Win 7 computer "upgraded" to Win 10 even when they expressly didn't want that to happen.
    - Silhouette 6y ago
      I'm literally typing this message on a Windows 7 PC. If Microsoft had forced those to upgrade to Windows 10, how is that possible?
      - justinclift 6y ago
        Even some basic research via any search engine will answer that question. ;)
        Silhouette 6y ago
        Why would I need to do any research? If the "forced" claim were true, it would be literally impossible for me to be doing what I'm doing right now. Microsoft might have tried to deceive or even coerce users of its older operating systems in order to get them to accept an upgrade. However, the upgrade was not forced, because you could (and some people did) avoid moving to the new version. It does not usefully advance the discussion about Microsoft's behaviour to misrepresent what happened. There's plenty to criticise without the hyperbole, after all.
- Strom 6y ago
  There was certainly a semi-forced situation at one point. My mom's Windows 7 laptop started the Windows 10 installation automatically one night, with no questions asked. The computer just restarted and started installing it. Now the reason I say semi-forced is that it was still possible to cancel it. The automatic process got paused at the EULA acceptance screen and if you chose not to accept the license terms then the installer would start a lengthy rollback process and eventually get you back to Windows 7. On my own computer I never experienced this because I proactively chose hide update for any Windows 10 related patch.

driverdan 6y ago

They still make money on free Win10 by spying on your activity, showing ads, and aggressively pushing purchase from their store.

darkcha0s 6y ago
Strange, I run windows 10 and I never see ads, and I've never used the windows store either. We all know you're exaggerating massively with the spying as well, but hey, MS Haters will be haters.

Zancarius 6y ago

Last I checked (about a year ago) you could still run the upgrade tool, and it'd go through the licensing registration process just fine. I wouldn't do that if it weren't a personal machine, however, because the "official" upgrade process ended a long time ago. Even using it for a home office might put you into questionable legal territory, but it's still possible. I do think your last statement is more accurate, though. It really feels that they're subversively pushing as many people away from Win7/8 as possible by unofficially allowing upgrades through existing channels. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't find it especially nefarious. I don't even use Windows (I have family that does). I'm a Linux user.

alternatetwo 6y ago
You can actually crack Win7 and will get a "legit" Win10 license during the upgrade ...
Sunspark 6y ago
You don't even need to use the upgrade tool. Windows 10 clean installs from the iso will let you manually input the Windows 7 key you already possess and the activation server will accept it. The 7 key is whitelisted only for 10. It will not work for 8.
- Zancarius 6y ago
  Good point. I did a clean install and entered the Win7 key. Hadn't actually thought much beyond that.