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Microsoft: There's no loophole to get Windows 10 for free

By Ng Chong Seng - on 23 Jun 2015, 10:26am

Microsoft: There's no loophole to get Windows 10 for free

In a clarification done right, Microsoft has just made its best attempt yet to clear up the recent confusion on whether all Windows Insiders will get a free Windows 10 license.

You can read the full back story here, but to recap, the brouhaha started because of a June 19 blog post from Microsoft, which seems to suggest that Insiders are able to upgrade to the final version of Windows 10 come July 29 even if they’ve installed it on a hard drive void of any traces of Windows 7 or 8.x (e.g., a clean install using a preview build ISO). A subsequent edit to the said post didn’t manage to clear things up, which led to today’s edit.

In a nutshell, since the Windows Insider Program is set to continue, as long as you’re an Insider, you’ll keep getting preview builds. It just happens that you’ll be getting the same build as what paying customers will get on July 29, because that’s just another build (or “flight” as Microsoft calls it). And you’ll keep getting preview builds thereafter based on your Slow/Fast ring selection. In this scenario, you don’t need a valid Windows 7 or 8.x license since you’re effectively a alpha/beta software tester. And the preview build will remain activated simply because it’s activated with a pre-release key that Microsoft provides and governed under the terms of the Windows Insider Program.

So what’s preventing one from upgrading to the final version of Windows 10 from the preview build (be it a clean install or installed over a pirated copy) and then opt out of the Insider program, effectively getting a free copy of Windows 10? Well, you can certainly opt out of the program, but since the preview build is timebombed, it will eventually expire. In this case, you still have to buy a Windows 10 license. Not willing to pay? Then roll back to your previous OS. If you’ve a valid Windows 7 or 8.x license or installed the preview over a genuine version of Windows 7 or 8.1, you’re safe; you’re entitled to the free upgrade offer anyway.

I suspect many people are fine with staying in the preview program forever and keep getting preview builds that are buggy if that means they don’t have to pay a single cent to use Windows 10. But for the majority of us who want a stable Windows and who don’t give two hoots about testing pre-release software and giving feedback, there’s no loophole.

Case closed.

Source: Microsoft.

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