14 DAY TRIAL // There’s no doubt that Windows 10 is Microsoft’s biggest project this year and the way the company tries to promote it is living proof. Partnership with various companies across the world, a feedback program to improve the operating system and a free upgrade offer are just some of the ways that Microsoft is using to bring Windows 10 in the spotlight.
But since the start of the Windows Insider program in early October, when the first Windows 10 build was released to users, Microsoft unwillingly created confusion in the Windows community, making some believe they could get Windows 10 free of charge even they didn’t qualify for the upgrade.
Basically, after Microsoft confirmed that Windows 10 would be offered free of charge to those running Windows 7 or 8.1 on their computers, the company mistakenly made the world believe that more people could be included in this promo for two different times.
Windows pirates
First, it was Windows pirates. In a statement rolled out in March, Windows boss Terry Myerson said that Windows 10 would be offered at no cost for “all qualified PCs, genuine and non-genuine.”
Unsurprisingly, many believed that Microsoft is ready to let everyone upgrade to Windows 10, including Windows pirates which were until now using the operating system without paying for a license. And this actually made sense, especially when thinking that the company wants 1 billion Windows 10 devices on the market by 2017.
But soon after that, Microsoft came back to deny this scenario, saying that pirates won’t get Windows 10 for free. They can upgrade to Windows 10, but their copy of the operating system won’t be activated, so they still have to pay for a license.
So no free Windows 10 for pirates.
Windows insiders
More recently, Gabe Aul, head of the Windows Insider program, suggested in a blog post that those who participated to the testing effort and ran preview builds of Windows 10 on their PCs could get a fully genuine and activated copy of the operating system when it becomes available.
After several days of confusion, an updated post set things clear: Windows insiders have to pay for the upgrade to Windows 10. Otherwise, they can remain part of the testing program and receive new Windows 10 builds, or downgrade to their previous OS version to continue using the stable Windows.
So no free Windows 10 for Windows insiders.