Win10 will be free to users of Win7/8/8.1

[EricKei]

Preeeetty much. Exactly why my instinct all along has been "download now, install in a few monhts"

[dalesys]

The pioneers are the ones with errors in their racks.

[lordlundar]

Preeeetty much. Exactly why my instinct all along has been "download now, install in a few monhts"

Well as I said earlier, you don't get the choice. when you agree it installs it automatically.

[EricKei]

I thought it just downloaded automatically, and let you save the install for later? Ack. Hrm. To "un-register":

Yes, you can cancel your reservation at any time prior to installing Windows 10. Here’s how:

• Right click on the Get Windows 10 app or Windows icon located in right end of the taskbar.
• Select “Check your upgrade status”
• Click the menu in the upper left corner, then select “View Confirmation.”
• In the lower left, select “Cancel reservation.”

I found the confirmation email. Unless things have changed (and they very well may have), the DOWNLOAD is automatic, and the installation can be "on hold" until next July:

Because you’ve reserved, Windows will automatically take care of the download in advance. Then you’ll get a notification when your upgrade is ready to install. That way you can start using Windows 10 immediately – or schedule a time to install that’s convenient for you.

A-ha! One nice thing I was wondering about -- From their FAQ...the wording makes it sound like you need to actually install w10 in order to do this, though.:

Yes. Once you’ve upgraded to Windows 10 using the free upgrade offer, you will be able to reinstall, including a clean install, on the same device. You won’t need to purchase Windows 10 or go back to your prior version of Windows and upgrade again.
You’ll also be able to create your own installation media like a USB drive or DVD, and use that to upgrade your device or reinstall after you’ve upgraded.

[wolfie]

I wonder if the free Windows 10 offer is anything like one I heard about years ago (which was probably a joke) - anyone who had been using a pirate copy of Age of Empires but "went legit" would get a free copy of Bob. Anyone caught using a pirate copy rather than "going legit" would get *TWO* free copies of Bob.

[Aragarthiel]

Has anyone been able to find out what happens to personal files when the upgrade occurs? I think I remember seeing an old ad that said I'd be able to access everything after the upgrade without having to do anything, but it looks like they're changing a lot at the last second. And, will it keep my version of Microsoft Office?

[EricKei]

Office -- It would not surprise me if it still works, esp if it's from the last major version or two.

Personal files -- in-place Windows upgrades always *promise* to leave your files alone...

Buuuuut....I always treat OS upgrades, whether a clean install or not (and, tbh, I always recommend clean), as if I were gonna nuke & pave. Backup *everything* that you care about, ideally on removable drives/media. Dig up your applications' installer packages/install & registration codes and print them out. Windows has a settings transfer wizard thingy, last I checked, and I'm sure it's useful, but I would not put all of my eggs into that one basket. Look up your preferred settings and write them down to make it easier to relocate and re-implement them after the change. Look up your programs/games/etc and make sure they will still work, including your Steam/other service login -- and assume that the programs will NOT work unless you have found plenty of info that says otherwise (a user or three here who are testing w10 say that Steam seems to work OK, but I cannot personally verify). Get fresh copies of all of your drivers, too - graphics, printer, network at the very least. Also, anything internet-related such as your router info (name, pass, SID, wireless login & security type), ISP login and pass, et al.

[Jetfire]

Well, my system is currently running Win8. It's fairly new, only a couple years old or so.

I've tried everything I could to upgrade to 8.1 and it just won't take. The Store update stalls out with the cryptic error code that no one can seem to get around.

I tried making an 8.1 install USB stick, and my computer won't boot to USB for it. (haven't tried an Ubuntu boot to see if my Bios settings are messed up, but I did tweek the boot order all I could).

I even tried my Win8 install DVD, but it didn't go.

So, this weekend I tried MS support to try and get 8.1 installed. That stalled out when she said it would cost 100$.

Instead, we tried to get the "Reserve Win10" icon on my desktop instead, since I'm not getting that at all. She tried everything she could for a good hour on remote desktop, and it just Would Not Go.

So, I'm stuck with Win8 for the near future at least. But once Win10 comes out I should be able to download the Iso and install that way hopefully. I've got the MS ticket number if they give any trouble about trying to upgrade from 8 to 10. Fingers crossed that'll work next month. :}

[EricKei]

Isn't one of the options to be in the w10 tester program? Assuming they're still accepting volunteers, that is? The only issue being, if you have only the one comp, you'll be taking your chances with what is, atm, a not-100%-ready build.

[lordlundar]

Well, my system is currently running Win8. It's fairly new, only a couple years old or so. ...

So, I'm stuck with Win8 for the near future at least. But once Win10 comes out I should be able to download the Iso and install that way hopefully. I've got the MS ticket number if they give any trouble about trying to upgrade from 8 to 10. Fingers crossed that'll work next month. :}

Ahh the "joys" of Microsoft customer support. I've been there, 3 times actually. There's a reason why I get a twitch in my eye whenever someone suggests dealing with them.

Incidentally, the reason why the icon would not show up is because you didn't have 8.1 installed. It will not show up for 8.0 at all. Try this link (32-bit) (64-bit) to manually download the updates and install them that way.

[KuariKaydrith]

Whenever I do an update to my o/s I always make sure all the important stuff is backed up. It's part of why I have a 1TB external drive. I've done enough years of tech support to know that upgrading is not always a smooth, flawless thing no matter how much Microsloth promises it will be. I usually make sure to get all the needed drivers for my system, just in case. So far I've been lucky personally, but I've seen many upgrade go wrong so I'd much rather not end up with nothing more than an expensive doorstop.

[Jetfire]

Ahh the "joys" of Microsoft customer support. I've been there, 3 times actually. There's a reason why I get a twitch in my eye whenever someone suggests dealing with them.

Incidentally, the reason why the icon would not show up is because you didn't have 8.1 installed. It will not show up for 8.0 at all. Try this link (32-bit) (64-bit) to manually download the updates and install them that way.

No luck. My system is 'stuck' on Win8 so those updates are useless to me; it says they are incompatible with my system. (And my system won't update to Win 8.1 by itself since it stalls out with the 0x80073bc3 error. )

[EricKei]

Jetfire -- I think he means that the links he gave are for the manual update from 8.0 to 8.1, not updates "for" 8.1 -- Could be worth a shot

[Jetfire]

Jetfire -- I think he means that the links he gave are for the manual update from 8.0 to 8.1, not updates "for" 8.1 -- Could be worth a shot

Yeah, I tried them. They didn't work at all for me. Running the first clearcompressionflag.exe or any of the KB MSU's just say its incompatible with my system.

[Bloodsoul]

Looks like I'm a touch out-of-luck, since my laptop is still chugging away with Vista (and only 'cause I couldn't reinstall XP for some reason XÞ).

Granted, I was planning on saving up for a desktop, anyway, so I suppose it's irrelevant…