For people still on 7 with retail keys

 

 when people started to complain in various forums

 

Which sort of makes no sense as the Windows 10 page has always stated "To get started, you will first need to have a license to install Windows 10".

Which sort of makes no sense as the Windows 10 page has always stated "To get started, you will first need to have a license to install Windows 10".

What do you mean "makes no sense"? He's not talking about people trying to install Windows 10 fresh without a license. He's talking about people who were trying to upgrade their once-eligible Windows operating systems and being caught off-guard when it didn't work.

He's talking about people who were trying to upgrade their once-eligible Windows operating systems

 

They are among the ones the "license required" has applied to.

 

 You have a license.PNG   13.78KB   0 downloads

And they have a license. So what's your point with that "makes no sense" comment?

ADDENDUM: Oh, wait, I think I see what you mean now. It makes no sense they can't continue being able to upgrade since the statement on Microsoft's site about what is required to upgrade hasn't changed. I thought you were referring to the users' complaints making no sense because of the way you quoted Porthos.

Edited by BeigeBochs, 25 September 2024 - 09:24 PM.

And they have a license.

 

No, they don't. Although they may be upgrading, the statement is about a license to install Windows 10 as opposed to any license.

 

The point I'm making is that the page does not currently and did not in the past offer a free upgrade.

Yes, they do. A legitimate Windows 7 or 8 license is (well, was) qualified as a basis to upgrade, or even INSTALL Windows 10.

You're talking about the statement on this webpage, right? https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

You really shouldn't use the statement on that page, or even that webpage, to argue the requirements for legitimately installing Windows 10. Microsoft has elsewhere stated support for using the software downloaded through that page to upgrade a system with an earlier eligible version of Windows.

Edited by BeigeBochs, 25 September 2024 - 11:30 PM.

It seems like semantic hair-splitting, but one does not need to pay for a Win10 (or Win11) license in order to INSTALL or UPGRADE:

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/95922-generic-product-keys-install-windows-10-editions.html

https://www.elevenforum.com/t/generic-product-keys-to-install-or-upgrade-windows-11-editions.3713/

The "generic" keys cannot, however, be used to ACTIVATE Windows 10 (or 11).
Since the "free upgrade" from 7 or 8/8.1 to 10 ended, one needs to purchase a legal license for Windows 10 (or 11) activation, in order to fulfill the EULA requirements.
(There never was a direct, free upgrade path from 7 or 8/8.1 to 11.)

Cheers

Edited for typo correction

Edited by MoxieMomma, 25 September 2024 - 11:32 PM.

You're talking about the statement on this webpage, right?

 

Sure. And it's about Windows 10 licenses, not Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 ones. The page goes on to say

 

"If you don't have a license to install Windows 10 and have not yet previously upgraded to it, you can purchase a copy here: get-windows-10"

 

And given the free upgrade is factually over, why would what's supposed to offer one continue to stay up?

 

You really shouldn't use the statement on that page, or even that webpage, to argue the requirements for legitimately installing Windows 10.

 

If so, what page should I be referring to?

Sure. And it's about Windows 10 licenses, not Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 ones.

It doesn't say that.

If so, what page should I be referring to?

The EULA.

It doesn't say that.

 

Excuse me, it does not say otherwise.

 

The EULA.

 

The EULA is not an official Windows 10 download source.

Excuse me, it does not say otherwise.

It doesn't say what you're reading into it.

The EULA is not an official Windows 10 download source.

Download source? That's your basis for a valid reference? And a license agreement isn't? This is ridiculous. I'm done.

It does much more say what I'm reading into it than you do. The Windows 10 download page has to be considered the reference, as you don't even get to any EULA without it, and that reference can not in any way be considered a free upgrade offer, which is all I am claiming. There can be no other place to start than the Windows 10 download page.

BeigeBochs

Any chance did you upgrade and then rolled back to 7?

All of these opinions...about everything but the stated topic...may be enlightening and fun to engage in for some...but I suggest that some of you go back to the original posted topic...read it...and then decide if the proper course of action for you...would have simply been to start a new/different topic in the appropriate forum...about your tendencies to range far afield about whatever.

 

Louis

Any chance did you upgrade and then rolled back to 7?

Oh, yes. I'm well aware that machines upgraded to Windows 10 and then rolled back are perpetually licensed to receive Windows 10 again absolutely any time. I did this to many machines, both mine and others, way back in the first year of Windows 10's release so those machines could be permanently upgraded to Windows 10 once there was no other choice, and of course I did it to even more machines after I found out that the free upgrades actually hadn't been discontinued after the end of that time period. Unfortunately, I didn't do it to every machine I could have out of a severe case of procrastination, and I regret putting it off until it was too late.