Accessibility upgrade still works despite Jan. 16 deadline

Jan 17, 2018 07:20 GMT  ·  By

Here we go again. Microsoft’s accessibility offer that allows Windows 7 and 8.1 users with assistive technologies to upgrade to Windows 10 free of charge still works today on January 17, despite the original January 16 deadline.

We performed the upgrade on a Windows 8.1 system only a few minutes ago and everything worked like a charm, with the Upgrade Assistant that you can get from the official page of the offer checking the PC for compatibility issues and downloading the necessary files to start the upgrade.

Ironically, this is the second time Microsoft allows free upgrades beyond the target date to close the offer, after the company previously said that the promo for users with assistive technologies would end on December 31. The software giant then extended the offer to January 16, 2018, but now it seems that everything is still working flawlessly.

A “loophole”

At this point, it’s not yet clear if Microsoft plans a new deadline for the offer or it intends to end it in the coming hours.

This upgrade offer can be used by pretty much anyone to switch to Windows 10 free of charge simply because there are no checks for assistive technologies on the computers trying to upgrade. This is why the campaign was considered to be a loophole that Microsoft allowed on purpose, as it enabled everyone with a Windows 7 or 8.1 system to install the latest OS without paying.

Without a free upgrade, Windows 10 can only be purchased $119.99 for the Home SKU and $199.99 for the Pro version in the United States.

We’ve reached out to Microsoft to see if the company wants to extend the offer once again and we’ll update the article once an answer is received. In the meantime, you should go get your free Windows 10 upgrade while you still can.

Windows 10 Update Assistant performing the free upgrade on January 17
Windows 10 Update Assistant performing the free upgrade on January 17

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The offer was projected to end on January 16
Windows 10 Update Assistant performing the free upgrade on January 17
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