Yesterday, Microsoft’s Gabriel Aul took it to Twitter to answer questions about Windows 10. One eager person asked Aul if consumers would be able to upgrade to Windows 10 RTM (Release to Manufacturing) for free as a Windows Insider Participant. Aul’s response was “yes.”
But wait a minute. Does that mean Windows Insiders receive a free license and activation, or did Aul mean they were able to freely upgrade to Windows 10? Aul responded a second time by saying, “You’ll have to be upgrading from a system with a valid license for 7 or 8.x.”
In other words, you still need a valid Windows 7 or Windows 8 license in order to use Windows 10. Those who are using a pirated copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8 will face activation issues, while those who own a valid Windows license will be able to freely upgrade and activate Windows 10 (free for those who upgrade in the first year after launch). Hopefully this clarifies any doubts our readers had.
@DirtyWindows_ @tao_huan You’ll have to be upgrading from a system with a valid license for 7 or 8.x
— Gabriel Aul (@GabeAul) May 11, 2015
