14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft announced during a January event at its headquarters in Redmond that Windows 10 would be offered free of charge to those on Windows 7 and 8.1, which makes it the very first new Windows version to be provided at no cost.
There’s a catch, however: the upgrade from Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 must be performed in the first year after launch. If you don’t upgrade during this window, you’ll have to pay for it, and this approach is what creates so much confusion around the world these days.
It’s no secret that many people believe that Windows 10 would be free only for one year, but it turns out that a number of stores (not Microsoft’s though) and some service repair centers are saying basically the same thing, telling users that the new OS would launch as a one-year trial, meaning that you’ll have to pay to continue using it after that.
“That’s it, I’m switching to Apple!”
While we were browsing Microsoft’s Community forums looking for a solution to a problem we have recently spotted, we’ve come across this statement posted by a Microsoft user:
“I have had the computer repair stores here tell me that Windows 10 is a free trial and then will be on a paid subscription at the end of the trial. May need to read all the fine print. Looks like another reason to go to Apple. I have been building IBM compatible computers from the beginning and have always sworn against Apple. If this is true, look what have you done Microsoft.”
With so much confusion spreading around the world these days, it would be no surprise to see many people miss the upgrade offer, just because they think that Windows 10 is nothing more than a trial.
But Microsoft says it loud and clear: once you install Windows 10 during the 1-year upgrade promo, you can continue running it during the entire supported lifetime of your device.
“You only have until July 29, 2016 to take advantage of this offer. Once you upgrade, you have Windows 10 for free on that device. Yes, it’s free. This is a full version of Windows, not a trial or introductory version. It is available for a limited time: you have one year from the time Windows 10 is available to take advantage of this offer,” a Windows 10 FAQ reads.
So the bottom line: Windows 10 is completely free for Windows 7 and 8.1 upgraders, as long as the new OS is installed before July 29, 2016. There’s no fee after that, no subscription, no trial version, no demo, no nothing. It’s Windows 10 full and you can continue using it during the whole supported lifetime of your device. Without paying a single cent, that is.