Page 1 of 7 12345 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 98

Thread: Still free upgrade to Win 10

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Highland MI
    Posts
    4,510
    Blog Entries
    11

    Still free upgrade to Win 10

    My 42 month old Dell laptop has been slow, one thing I wanted to do was to update from Windows 7 Professional to Windows 10, but software is over $100 and I understood that the free upgrade offer expired long ago. Yesterday I ran across this Microsoft link that worked at no cost. I am now running Windows 10 Pro. No key was required. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...load/windows10 Happy camper.
    NOW you tell me...

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Columbus, OH
    Posts
    3,063
    Hmm, I wonder if you will be able to get updates without a license.
    Brian

    "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger or more complicated...it takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." - E.F. Schumacher

  3. #3
    I have recently been messing with the computers again switching over to SSDs and bringing some really old ones back into service.
    From what I have been reading, Microsoft is still transferring the Win7 license to Win 10.
    Additionally even on brand new hardware Win10 can be used indefinitely without activation and Microsoft does the updates to it.
    All of my old computers were still on Vista so I loaded a clean install Win10 using the same Microsoft link in the post above.
    Of course the continued support for inactivated Win10 could change at any time, even to the point of being rendered nonfunctional.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Highland MI
    Posts
    4,510
    Blog Entries
    11
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Tymchak View Post
    Hmm, I wonder if you will be able to get updates without a license.
    I presume as part of the install, it looks for a verified license on the computer before doing the download.
    NOW you tell me...

  5. #5
    I finally got my first taste of Win10 last week, courtesy of a friend who was having issues getting Engravelab to install. Pretty impressive. No more annoying little popups in the bottom right corner or 2x3"-ish error messages. Instead, they've been replaced with 10x20" stop-what-you're-doing-NOW splash screens, most of which pointed out in no uncertain terms that it wasn't connected online. I didn't WANT it online, I just wanted to load a program from a dvd. And to find one of his engraving files. And to locate the device manager to see what his USB things were. I'm glad it's his and not mine. It's the only reason I'm not still sweeping up pieces of broken computer off the basement floor...

    So the fact Bill's still giving it away doesn't surprise me. You get what you pay for comes to mind...

    Maybe 10 is good for social media and gaming, but as a WORK computer, XP is the first and last decent Windows...
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Okotoks AB
    Posts
    3,495
    Blog Entries
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by Kev Williams View Post

    Maybe 10 is good for social media and gaming, but as a WORK computer, XP is the first and last decent Windows...
    I loved XP, but I have to disagree with you on this one. I've been using 10 since it came out & I'd hate to have to go back to XP. I still have an old XP laptop that I can't upgrade because of 1 piece of software that won't run on newer OS's, even in compatibility mode. It's painful to use in comparison to 10.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,675
    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Pratt View Post
    I loved XP, but I have to disagree with you on this one. I've been using 10 since it came out & I'd hate to have to go back to XP. I still have an old XP laptop that I can't upgrade because of 1 piece of software that won't run on newer OS's, even in compatibility mode. It's painful to use in comparison to 10.
    I have to agree with you...Win10 has been significantly more stable and less problematic than WinXP and even Win7 ever was for me. While I only use Windows when forced to at this point (for CNC related), I'd never go back to the earlier versions and all the "hoop jumping" I had to do to keep them running reliably and efficiently.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Okotoks AB
    Posts
    3,495
    Blog Entries
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    I have to agree with you...Win10 has been significantly more stable and less problematic than WinXP and even Win7 ever was for me. While I only use Windows when forced to at this point (for CNC related), I'd never go back to the earlier versions and all the "hoop jumping" I had to do to keep them running reliably and efficiently.
    I only use Windows. I dabbled just a bit in various Linux years ago, but I use some estimating software at work that is Windows only. So that is where I have dedicated my very limited brain capacity

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    The Hartland of Michigan
    Posts
    7,628
    Quote Originally Posted by Ole Anderson View Post
    My 42 month old Dell laptop has been slow, one thing I wanted to do was to update from Windows 7 Professional to Windows 10, but software is over $100 and I understood that the free upgrade offer expired long ago. Yesterday I ran across this Microsoft link that worked at no cost. I am now running Windows 10 Pro. No key was required. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...load/windows10 Happy camper.
    Windows 10 is a "downgrade" from 7 pro. There is a reason corporate computers use 7 pro.
    Never, under any circumstances, consume a laxative and sleeping pill, on the same night

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Okotoks AB
    Posts
    3,495
    Blog Entries
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by Myk Rian View Post
    Windows 10 is a "downgrade" from 7 pro. There is a reason corporate computers use 7 pro.
    That reason is that there is a tremendous cost to an enterprise to change OS's, not because 7 is better than 10.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Upland, CA
    Posts
    1,344
    Quote Originally Posted by Myk Rian View Post
    Windows 10 is a "downgrade" from 7 pro. There is a reason corporate computers use 7 pro.
    I agree completely, HOWEVER Win10 has been through several major upgrades and they have solved most of the issues. If MS used the silliness of their Server OS naming, it would be called Win 10 Release 2 or even 3 by now. Even HP Workstations that were 99% Win7 a year ago are finally moving to Win10 as you can actually use it to get serious CAD work done.
    Bottom line, as the most vocal about having never used Win8 and hating the only 2 Win10 installs, a new CAD workstation will almost certainly be Win10. I would have laughed at the thought 6 months ago. That will be one down and over 100 to go.
    Last edited by Greg R Bradley; 05-02-2019 at 11:12 PM.

  12. #12
    My business is in our house, been working within these same four walls full time for 42 years. I'm using perfectly good 10+ year old software on several computers, some that even XP is too new for, so I have a Win98 computer for those. The machines in my signature below, all but 6 of 7 lasers are between 14 and 38 years old... the 6 new lasers connect via USB, but only my 2 newest fiber's software will run on win10. Of my 11 rotary tool engravers, all but 2 of them require LPT or serial port connections. Same with my old vinyl cutter. And the software for the 2 machines that will USB connect, not compatible with 10. Same issue in the my office, my old Quickbooks isn't compatible with 10, nor is my old HP Laserjet that just won't die...

    To replace/upgrade just my software to be compatible with Win10 would run well into five figure$. To replace 10 or more working-perfectly and long ago paid-for machines would run the tab above six figure$... Uh, nope.

    And for what it's worth, I have two XP computers that run all day all night, they only turn off if the power goes out- one has like 5 machines connected to it and just does 'server' duty, but it works fine if I need it-- the other has a couple of machines connected also and I use daily for graphics and engraving work. My other computers are all Win 7 Pro or Ultimate. Oh, almost forgot, and one useless Vista laptop. While the 7's will load programs faster than the XP's, RUNNING the programs and just basic button-click navigating is a different story. The XP's are MUCH faster and less finicky than any of my 7's. And I've never had a problem with XP that System Restore couldn't fix- or my IT-guy son

    So, it really doesn't matter if Win10 is Vista revisited or the best thing since Pong, as a business tool it's utterly useless to me...
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  13. #13
    This is not to promote win 10,
    I have a few older systems running for well over 10 - 20 years each too.
    But my main art/laser computer was showing signs of age and I finally did buy all new tech, including win 10 home and fast electronic drive, but no other bells or whistles.
    I decided to try and hook new computer to old machines,
    So I added a card with 2 old style serial ports and run two 20 plus year old machines with the ports without any problems.
    In one case, the engraver company said it would not work with the old software and I had to spend $900. plus to upgrade software to work on win 10.
    I did install the old software, and it runs just fine, no upgrade fee at all.
    But my accounting software did not like this at all, so I found details on how to run older windows drivers into win 10 and darn if it did not work. (thanks google)
    Now I do not worry as much about my remaining xp machine any more.
    ______________________________
    ULS 4.60, Vision 810, shear, beveler
    Avid Pro CNC

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    22,492
    Blog Entries
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by Kev Williams View Post
    Maybe 10 is good for social media and gaming, but as a WORK computer, XP is the first and last decent Windows...
    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Pratt View Post
    I loved XP, but I have to disagree with you on this one. I've been using 10 since it came out & I'd hate to have to go back to XP. I still have an old XP laptop that I can't upgrade because of 1 piece of software that won't run on newer OS's, even in compatibility mode. It's painful to use in comparison to 10.
    This is an argument that will go on and on. I have been in I.T. since Ethernet was still in the lab. Computers are tools for us. Windows 10 is a big pain for me and the network engineers that work for me. If you're in the profession it is not unusual to have several OS's and several flavors of those OS's on machines that you use as tools. Using only Windows 10 for my type of work is akin to working on your car with a Crescent wrench. But, as I said, it becomes an argumentum immortalem.
    Last edited by glenn bradley; 05-03-2019 at 1:29 PM.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Somewhere in the Land of Lincoln
    Posts
    2,545
    Interesting comments. However working for a company with thousands of computers using Windows 10 it has been very stable and reliable. Some do still have Win 7 but they will be gone by fall. We use them for data input and management as well as communication functions. The change over for all is coming because Win 7 support is being terminated soon but all new systems have been Windows 10 for at least a couple years. If your controlling machines with the system then I'm sure the older versions work well. However with all software updates that occur everything seems to work very well. If they felt something else was better we would be using it. They forced iPhones down our throats so they wouldn't hesitate to change if they felt it there was a benefit in doing so. Basically all the complaints that XP and Vista had are gone. Boot up and shut down are fast. It doesn't crash. There are those that think no one uses Windows any longer but they are certainly wrong.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •