Windows 10 Available on July 29

On July 29, you can get Windows 10 for PCs and tablets by taking advantage of the free upgrade offer, or on a new Windows 10 PC from your favorite retailer. If you purchase a new Windows 8.1 device between now and then, the Windows 10 upgrade will be available to you and many retail stores will upgrade your new device for you.

The Windows 10 upgrade is designed to be compatible with your current Windows device and applications. We are hard at work to make this upgrade process a great experience. You can reserve your free Windows 10 upgrade now through a simple reservation process. Look for this icon in your system tray at the bottom of your screen, simply click on the icon, and then complete the reservation process. You can find more details on how this works at Windows.com.
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Read more - Hello World: Windows 10 Available on July 29

Specifications and Requirements: Windows 10 Specifications - Microsoft

FAQ - Windows 10 FAQ & Tips - Microsoft
 
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First off - two things
One being the embedded windows 8.1 key is OEM and can not be transferred to another PC
And since this is a new OEM PC you have the option to create a recovery drive.. Create a recovery drive..
then when the windows 10 update rolls out - update your oem core version to 10 core..
Now you have OEM 8.1 and OEM 10 core software that is non-transferable, but recorded by activation server to your pc..

then reinstall windows 8.1 core using the recovery media - upgrade to Pro through add features using the retail key - then upgrade to windows 10 pro...

you will have 4 activated windows editions ( 8.1 core, 10 core, 8.1 pro and 10 pro) with the pro version being transferable..

You will just have to create the one recovery drive and 3 other system images or custom refresh images
 
Oh bother...... I bought this machine just over a year ago. It came with Win 8 installed and a recovery partition. No disk. I've had the misfortune of having to do a full reset a couple times. I upgraded to 8.1. So, if I have to reset Windows, I'll start back with version 8. So I guess I'd have to upgrade to 8.1 and then 10? What a PIA. XP was so much simpler. I had the install media, the OS, SP1,2 and 3.

Also, I have this thing set up just how I like. I have Classic Shell installed and 10 will probably break that. I've also gotten the Quick Launch bar back. Wonder how that will work with 10?

Then I was reading and it seems that upgrading to 10 will rip Kaspersky Internet Security out. How will it treat Mailwasher Pro? Thunderbird? And Firefox and the add-ons?
 
I've had the misfortune of having to do a full reset a couple times. I upgraded to 8.1. So, if I have to reset Windows, I'll start back with version 8. So I guess I'd have to upgrade to 8.1 and then 10? What a PIA.
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No you do not have to go through all that - if you create new recovery images and place them within the recovery partition..

classic shell works with 10 - but with the new start menu (which I dislike) you may not need it.. but classic shell is compatable with 10
 
KYHI said:
First off - two things
One being the embedded windows 8.1 key is OEM and can not be transferred to another PC
And since this is a new OEM PC you have the option to create a recovery drive.. Create a recovery drive..
then when the windows 10 update rolls out - update your oem core version to 10 core..
Now you have OEM 8.1 and OEM 10 core software that is non-transferable, but recorded by activation server to your pc..

then reinstall windows 8.1 core using the recovery media - upgrade to Pro through add features using the retail key - then upgrade to windows 10 pro...

you will have 4 activated windows editions ( 8.1 core, 10 core, 8.1 pro and 10 pro) with the pro version being transferable..

You will just have to create the one recovery drive and 3 other system images or custom refresh images
Click to expand...

Okay. That makes sense. Thanks.
 
KYHI said:
No you do not have to go through all that - if you create new recovery images and place them within the recovery partition..
Click to expand...
Huh? That's going way over my head. As far as I can tell, my recovery partitions are full.
 
sharksfan7 said:
I just purchased a new computer last month. It came with 8.1 Core pre-installed w/ embedded key. I'm planning on purchasing the 8.1 Pro Pack. I saw in the Windows 10 Q&A that 8.1 Core will get Windows 10 Home & 8.1 Pro will get Win 10 Pro. I assume the version you get with the free upgrade will be based on the key. So if the upgrade uses the embedded 8.1 Core key, will I still be able to get Win 10 Pro using the 8.1 Pro Pack?

I just figured out that if I wanted to do a clean install of 8.1 Pro using the Pro Pack, I need to clean install Core first, then unlock Pro with the Pro Pack key. Has anyone seen information confirming that a 8.1 Pro Pack key will unlock Windows 10 Pro?

Or should I wait to upgrade to Pro and hope they offer a Win 10 Pro Pack?
Click to expand...

The free upgrade process should use the key the PC is currently activated with. If you use add features to upgrade to 8.1 Pro that's the key that's stored in the Windows registry and the key your PC is activating with. The OEM key is no longer being used. You should then get 10 Pro. I wouldn't count on Windows 10 accepting the Windows 8 Pro Pack key. If you want 10 Pro upgrade to 8.1 Pro before doing the free upgrade.
 
Thanks for the clarification, alphanumeric. I just ordered the 8.1 Pro Pack. Guess I just need to wait for more information to be released in regards to how clean installations of 10 will work with the free upgrade.
 
The alternative would be to skip the free upgrade and just buy 10 Pro. My guess is the Pro pack will be cheaper. You already ordered it so I guess its a moot point now. I think the Pro Pack also gets you Media Center. If that's a separate key from the Pro one I would hold off using it. Windows 10 doesn't have Media Center and Media center if installed gets uninstalled during the upgrade.
 
One thing that I've been doing to try and resolve most of these issues is basically rely on the fact that Windows 10 can update. Basically, I'm trying to get as many people as possible to use #WeDecideWindows whenever they give feedback using the Windows 10 Insider Preview, which I've explained as meaning: give us as many options as possible, such as Aero Glass, old looks for the start button, where we want the details pane, etc. I don't know if that really will make a difference, but if enough people use that, it may indicate what the people truly want for Windows 10 is options. I've already told them multiple times that the best way to appeal to everybody is to give them as many options as possible, and for those who like previous versions of Windows, give them options to make it look like previous versions. But I don't really know if #WeDecideWindows will actually catch on. I've only seen a few other people use it. But the more the merrier.
 
If you have core - you will get core 10
if you have Pro - you will get Pro 10

Not sure you can add Pro to 10 through add features with a 8 Pro pack.. (after the fact)

So as suggested - you upgrade your oem core..
reinstall oem factory core 8, add pro features - upgrade to 10 pro

takes all of a few extra minutes to use RecImg to create a customrefresh.wim which can then be use to reinstall any version of 8 or 10 to that PC
 
Question. If you have the "get windows 10" icon in the notification area it means you're eligible or does every windows user get that message ?
 
eligible. When I clicked on 'reserve', the next screen said, you are eligible (eg: compatible). I then got an email to say they would get in touch by the release date.
 
hmmmmm......never saw that, e-mail i received.

Untitled.jpgafter this blah, blah, blah
 
Just a thought is Micro$oft working with the NSA on Windows 10 free upgrades?

Seems very suspicious to me that all Windows 7/8/8.1 users retail or OEM get a free upgrade to Windows 10 in the first year, that's basically 50% of OS market share if all Windows 7/8/8.1 users upgrade to Windows 10 and a lot of personal collected information Micro$oft could potentially sell to the US government.

I'm suspecting some serious privacy concerns with Windows 10 worst than that of Windows 8/8.1 system wide SmartScreen Filter at least until the SP1 comes out for Windows 10 and the first year free upgrades are over.
 
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