Windows 10 was offered unengaged to all Windows users for the year after the new OS appeared located on the market. All users had to carry out was express an interest and their account might be flagged for Windows 10 activation. However many men and women didn't do that so when the offer ended there were still people running older versions of Windows.

However it emerged that Microsoft would will continue to offer Windows 10 upgrades to users who use assistive technologies - like screen readers - for your extended period. While the original upgrade for Windows 10 ended in July 29 2016, the assistive technology upgrade ran until December 31 2017. Consequently almost all on the free upgrade paths to Windows 10 are now closed. Although not entirely, as I'll detail shortly.

Many were surprised that the free upgrade persisted for so long, even though it required many customers tell a lie to plan advantage of it. There was no check the slightest bit to ensure users needed the free upgrade for assistive tech, so anyone was rrn a position to go on the website and download Windows 10 for free. Some wrestled considering the morality of this, while others just shrugged and got on with it.

The reality is that it's unlikely Microsoft cares much about individual users getting Windows 10 for free. For one thing, those users have never made up an especially significant portion of Microsoft's revenue. It's probably making more shoehorning copies of Candy Crush and Minecraft towards newer Windows 10 builds than it ever made selling upgrades. Within a past users have generally stuck aided by the OS that came with their PC, migrating to your new version of Windows only when they upgraded this machine.

For Microsoft, this presents problems. It must keep users flush with security updates, which means maintaining teams on Windows 7, 8 and in addition older versions. If the company will usually get everyone on Windows 10, then that problem goes away somewhat also it can formally end support for those OSes far quicker. The Windows 10 codebase is designed to last a long period of time, and Microsoft has previously said great a "Windows 11" as it's expecting they only have to keep updating Windows 10, that is designed to presumably just become "Windows" one day soon.

For all those users an upgrade to Windows 10 may even have been included with your laptop. Some companies offered a Windows 8.1 install on new laptops, but accompanied by a key which was valid to become used on Windows 10. And indeed, it turns out that numerous older Windows product keys tend to be used to activate Windows 10. I've had just slightly play with this and have another article which details what's going on and the way to take advantage of it.

I suspect that very of the people who want Windows 10 will have it by now. If you require it and don't have it then all isn't really lost. But realistically a good number of the current users who seem to be on older versions of Windows are holding back since don't like without needing moving to Windows 10, rather then being concerned in regard to the cost of doing so.