# Microsoft says free Win10 offer will expire-$119 after July 29



## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Many have thought that Microsoft would extend the free upgrade offer, after all, they really don't make much money off of these upgrades. But as of right now, they are saying that the offer will end July 29. It will cost $119 after that.

Anyone that already has Windows 10 will be unaffected. You do not need to buy anything to keep getting updates.

https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/05/05/windows-10-now-on-300-million-active-devices-free-upgrade-offer-to-end-soon/

In fact, if you upgrade a machine then roll it back to Windows 7/8, you'd be able to reinstall (even as a clean install) it later at no charge after that date as long as you use the same Microsoft account and it's the same hardware.


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## sabrewulf (Sep 4, 2011)

I am sticking with 7 and 8 on my two computers I tried 10 and went back to 8 didn't like the taskbar not working issue.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

sabrewulf said:


> I am sticking with 7 and 8 on my two computers I tried 10 and went back to 8 didn't like the taskbar not working issue.


Interesting. Have been running Windows 10 Professional for quite some time and have not experienced any issues with the taskbar.


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

Although I will admit that I've hit a few speed bumps along the way, the overall reaction is that I am enjoying Windows 10. Of course, one of the reasons I upgraded immediately is to take full advantage of the 32GB of memory in my system. Windows 7 Home Edition, by design, only recognized the first 16GB, which I didn't realize until I ordered the memory. And, yes, I have tweaked some stuff along the way.


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## trh (Nov 3, 2007)

sabrewulf said:


> I am sticking with 7 and 8 on my two computers I tried 10 and went back to 8 didn't like the taskbar not working issue.





MysteryMan said:


> Interesting. Have been running Windows 10 Professional for quite some time and have not experienced any issues with the taskbar.


We have Windows 10 running on four desktops and two laptops and not a single problem with the task bar.


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## bmetelsky (Mar 1, 2009)

trh said:


> We have Windows 10 running on four desktops and two laptops and not a single problem with the task bar.


Running W10 on my desktop since the day it became available, and no real problems. I wouldn't go back. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Mark Holtz said:


> Although I will admit that I've hit a few speed bumps along the way, the overall reaction is that I am enjoying Windows 10. Of course, one of the reasons I upgraded immediately is to take full advantage of the 32GB of memory in my system. Windows 7 Home Edition, by design, only recognized the first 16GB, which I didn't realize until I ordered the memory. And, yes, I have tweaked some stuff along the way.


Yeah, 16gb to 128 or more. I have Pro, so 2Tb (not that my laptop could actually take that much).

I really haven't had many issues myself. I've had some, including one that I had to reload Windows but I'm on the Insider fast ring so I expected a few glitches like that.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

sabrewulf said:


> I am sticking with 7 and 8 on my two computers I tried 10 and went back to 8 didn't like the taskbar not working issue.


It's good to have the upgrade done on the Win 7 machine even if you roll back as that would get it done by the deadline so that you can go back to 10 on that machine with Windows 7 goes end of life at the end of 2019. Unless you plan on a new PC of course.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

dpeters11 said:


> It's good to have the upgrade done on the Win 7 machine even if you roll back as that would get it done by the deadline so that you can go back to 10 on that machine with Windows 7 goes en]d of life at the end of 2019. Unless you plan on a new PC of course.


My first home PC was a late 70's Commodore PET, Your post reminded me it used to be a given that I got a new PC every 2-3 years. No more, tho. I'm typing this on a 2007 Dell XPS M1330 that's still running great. It's a dual Core CPU with 4GB of memory. I keep Win 10 on it as a control, but I shut down all usage and data reporting with ShutUp10.

I rolled back my 2014 Dell desktop from 10 to 7, but no doubt I'll have to cave and put 10 (or whatever is current ) back on it in 2019, because unless it dies on it's own, I can't imagine needing to upgrade the hardware. It's an i7 with 16GB of memory.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Yeah, I'm keeping PCs around longer myself. Maybe if I was still a hard-core PC gamer, you can go down a deep rabbit hole there.

I'm just dreading a bit the day where in January 2020 there are still a lot of Win 7 machines out there that won't get any updates.

I do have a friend that claims 10 ruined his computer, things don't work right etc. I told him he could revert, he missed the window for a rollback so I told him to just reinstall 7, restore his data from backup and reinstall his apps (based on his usage he can't have that many).

Won't do it, too much work. So he just complains to me about it


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## sabrewulf (Sep 4, 2011)

There is a few that have had this issue with the taskbar not working. What it does is if you click on the windows button on the bottom it doesn't respond just sits there. I even had the clock freeze once. I could click on the desktop icons and things would load. I tried a patch I found online and all it did was kill my wifi so couldn't get on so I went back to windows 8 at that point. And probobly My windows 7 computer will die before 2019. Computers have about a 5 year lifespan.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

And of course the other thing is we have a major new build coming out around the end of July as well.


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## camo (Apr 15, 2010)

Tons of issues with 10. I belong to a weather forum where most are having issues all the time. No thanks I'm sticking with 7 for as long as possible.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

I persoNally think it depends on the computer. I think some drivers don't play nice with older hardware. My computer has been great. I upgraded a friends old machine (it was actually vista) and it did not go well. But it may have also had failing hardware too as it had a few issues before the upgrade as well. They have a new computer now. Not worth dealing with all the time.


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## Delroy E Walleye (Jun 9, 2012)

Win 10 "upgrade" install has now become to me what I have to consider putting under the label of "malicious malware," starting from becoming increasingly annoying and progressing to downright frightening!

The last time it popped up (a couple of weeks ago) it wanted to do the install that very moment, with only the choice of deferring it to that evening. Unacceptable!

I only wish I had read through the other thread here sooner. I think I was able to remove it (which I would've done a long time ago) successfully. Twice. I hope it's not too late, but it looks like I'll probably have to get the "prevention" software before I can allow _any_ more updates to the current system. Last time it updated, it put that crap back in and unchecking it did _not_ stop it.

I see absolutely *no* compelling reason for me to "upgrade" this nearly-perfectly-working unit that I've had very little problem with in the last five years. For one reason most (if not all) peripherals I'm using are older, plus it came with many integrated A/V features I use almost every day.

It makes me cringe to think I'd have to spend months (hopefully) finding new drivers and getting things back anything even close to what I'm accustomed to. Or worse, having to buy new peripherals.

No one can satisfactorily answer three of my most pressing questions:

1. Why is it "free"?

2. Why is it trying so hard to install whether I want it or not?

3. If my system "ain't broke," why does it need "fixing?"


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Delroy E Walleye said:


> 1. Why is it "free"?
> 
> 2. Why is it trying so hard to install whether I want it or not?
> 
> 3. If my system "ain't broke," why does it need "fixing?"


It is in Microsoft's best interest to get people to convert. Perhaps one can see that as the great evil corporation at work ... but perhaps Microsoft wants to avoid another situation like they found themselves in with Windows XP. An operating system that would not die. They were stuck supporting it for years after customers were expected to move on.

So here is the carrot ... a free upgrade to the latest and greatest operating system so far. One that Microsoft will support going forward. Moving their customer base toward the next way of selling OS. The operating system as a service. But for now they work to migrate the customer base to their newest product base.

Windows 7 is broke. 8 and 8.1 are even more broken. Old operating systems do not last forever.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

And the free offer really doesn't hurt Micrsoft's bottom line. I wouldn't say that it was the cause of fewer PC sales. Microsoft doesn't generate much revenue from upgrades, so it didn't affect them that way.

I do think there still will be way too many Windows 7 machines out there at the end of 2019, when time is up on that version.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Most folks know that Windows 10 is the conduit to sell MS Office and other products...means to an end.


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## lwilli201 (Dec 22, 2006)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Most folks know that Windows 10 is the conduit to sell MS Office and other products...means to an end.


I am a tightwad but I am happy with the free OS (Windows 10) and an Office 365 subscription. Having the latest Office and spreading the cost is a no brainer and I think MS realized that. It will be a steady revenue stream for MS.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

lwilli201 said:


> I am a tightwad but I am happy with the free OS (Windows 10) and an Office 365 subscription. Having the latest Office and spreading the cost is a no brainer and I think MS realized that. It will be a steady revenue stream for MS.


Plus the fact that the 365 subscription is good on multiple machines.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Delroy E Walleye said:


> Win 10 "upgrade" install has now become to me what I have to consider putting under the label of "malicious malware," starting from becoming increasingly annoying and progressing to downright frightening!
> 
> The last time it popped up (a couple of weeks ago) it wanted to do the install that very moment, with only the choice of deferring it to that evening. Unacceptable!
> 
> ...


I think it's free for semi selfish reasons. They are sick and tired of keeping multiple OS es updated constantly! And I agree it's ridiculous. They are going the apple route. Get everyone on one system for free and give away its updates. They can simplify a lot of things do it that way.

And they want people to know it's free and some have said they did a poor job getting people to update for free so they are pushing it more.

And it's broke! Windows 7 and 8 and 8.1 are always broke a minute after its updated and needs another update. That's for security alone. Same for 10 but 10 will be updated forever. The others won't.

I can't believe the number of people who won't take something for free (looking at overall numbers) or at least try it on their machines. Especially now after its been out a while.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

inkahauts said:


> I think it's free for semi selfish reasons. They are sick and tired of keeping multiple OS es updated constantly! And I agree it's ridiculous. They are going the apple route. Get everyone on one system for free and give away its updates. They can simplify a lot of things do it that way.
> 
> And they want people to know it's free and some have said they did a poor job getting people to update for free so they are pushing it more.
> 
> ...


But, unlike Apple, Microsoft tells you years in advance when updates for a version stops. Apple just...stops. Their recent Quicktime announcement caught everyone off guard. I don't know if we'd have found out if the security researchers hadn't asked for an update to the vulnerabilities they'd reported months before.

Even Apple users don't always update. I got a call from a user needing to get Microsoft's RDP app. Unfortunately, it requires either Lion or Mountain Lion. Don't think he's still done the update, several weeks later.

The problem with Windows 10 is there is a lot of fearmongering. I actually responded to a Forbes article writer that wrote about "all the spying", he based his whole article on someone referred to as "Cheesus Crust" on a site similar to Reddit. It sounded like he didn't know what he was looking at, some of the traffic he called "telemetry and spying" were NTP and NCSI traffic.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

8.1 encouraged me to try 10. I like 7 and hate 8.1. I could not roll back my 8.1 machine to 7 so it is the Win 10 device. I still have not decided if I will update my Win 7 machine before the deadline. So far I am not being forced to upgrade.

The story at work is different ... too many pieces of vendor software that is not certified for Windows 10. Sure, run it on 10 if you want - but if it doesn't work the first thing tech support will blame is Win 10. But most vendors are moving forward with Win 10 certified versions and there is a plan to update all of the machines to Win 10 before Win 7 dies.

The licensing at work is different as well. Those machines are already on a license that will allow an upgrade to Win 10 whenever we are ready (no deadline this year). But the privilege comes at a price - the support contract. But overall it is a good deal.


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## Delroy E Walleye (Jun 9, 2012)

Thanks, guys, for the responses.

I'm on Win 7 (Home Premium) and like it - as much as one can like Windows, I guess. I'm probably less-concerned about the "spyware" aspect and more skittish about something going wrong and having this machine, software and/or peripherals "bricked."

Or worse, down the line the OS getting "bloated" - like some of our favorite sat. providers' DVR software. (How many of us have wished we could've "rolled" those things "back?!")

I'll probably "break down" before the deadline and give it a try. Not without backing up everything first, of course (before and after, as suggested by a user here). Hopefully by that time drivers and things can be found easily - if not automatically.

I just don't like feeling of being "forced," especially in the middle of working on other tasks. While I've been long aware of the deadline, I'd like the choice of doing it when* I'm* good and ready.


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

My advice.... if you are using Windows 8 or 8.1, you really ought to upgrade to Windows 10. If you are using Windows 7, I would consider it since we are into the "extended support" phase where only security patches will be issued. The big piece of advice is to perform the upgrade before July 29th, and dedicate a day to it. (Hey, Fourth of July weekend is coming up!). I fully recommend making a full drive image backup with either Acronis True Image or Paragon backup (free) to an external hard drive before doing the upgrade. Also, check to see if you have the latest version of the software for all of the applications as well as applying all of the patches.


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## Eva (Nov 8, 2013)

Maybe no more nagging to upgrade after July.


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## DN2014 (Mar 29, 2014)

I have put windows 10 in 5 of my 7 computers and it has worked flawless on all of them. 32 and 64 bit, 3 GB to 64 GB.
The other two computers are working their way to the scrap pile with windows 7 on them.


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