Windows 10 Technical Preview - Insider Program

[backstreetboy]

According to Gabriel Aul, the prerelease keys no longer activate fresh installs.

You can upgrade from legit Windows 7/8.1 installs or use KMS key that are out in the wild...

 

[sajunky]

If you like me have clean installed and have now a 10240 unactivated windows.... fret no more! Just follow these steps. I just did it on my, and bobs your uncle, it worked!

Originally Posted by :
How to activate Windows 10 build 10240

Open an elevated command prompt.
Type the following command and hit the Enter key:
slmgr /ipk W269N-WFGWX-YVC9B-4J6C9-T83GX
Wait for the message box popup that the key is installed.

Now type the following command and press Enter
slmgr /skms kms.xspace.in
Again, wait for the message box.

Finally, enter the following command:
slmgr /ato

I expect it will work only on computers with Windows 7/8 certificate in BIOS.
Please confirm.

 

[backstreetboy]

I expect it will work only on computers with Windows 7/8 certificate in BIOS.
Please confirm.

Yes it's kms activation so not permanent.

 

[sajunky]

Yes it's kms activation so not permanent.

I read it little bit, it is a volume licence activation mechanism using XSPACE server (designed for Windows 8 enthusiasts)
As far I am concern, it will work on any machine (irrespectively to OEM licensing in BIOS).

Well from the Windows Insider, I am turning into an Windows 10 'enthusiast'.

I was supposed to receive final release as promised. It turns out that it will be not permanent activation, but subject to periodic renewal. I cannot afford 4GB downloads on my 3G connection for longer period. Microsoft solution might be acceptable in countries with modern Internet infrastructure, in South Africa it is available to a few.

@Arthur, Microsoft do not care about under-developed countries and Windows 10 Insider Program made false promises, giving legitimate XP/Vista users hope.

 

[Arthur]

@Arthur, Microsoft do not care about under-developed countries and Windows 10 Insider Program made false promises, giving legitimate XP/Vista users hope.

Where are they?

Dunno what you're on about - never was any upg promise made to XP/Vista users. Can't of course vouch for crappy journalists making up stuff.

Bottom line: devices with legit Win7/8 licences will get a free upgrade. 97% of licences in any case come on a machine. The retail FPP market is miniscule.

 

[sajunky]

Dunno what you're on about - never was any upg promise made to XP/Vista users. Can't of course vouch for crappy journalists making up stuff.

Bottom line: devices with legit Win7/8 licences will get a free upgrade.

Correct: Legit Win7/8 licences will get a free upgrade, but irrespectively of Windows Insider Programme, so lies where carefully crafted to gather Insiders. Not talkng about crappy jurnalists, the last time lies where presented by Microsoft Boss Gabe Aul in a blog post http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwi...changes-to-windows-10-insider-preview-builds/:

Windows Insiders running the Windows 10 Insider Preview (Home and Pro editions) with their registered MSA connected to their PC will receive the final release build of Windows 10 starting on 29 July ...
As long as you are running an Insider Preview build and connected with the MSA you used to register, you will receive the Windows 10 final release build and remain activated.
Once you have successfully installed this build and activated, you will also be able to clean install on that PC from final media if you want to start over fresh.

Use of the word "activated" has now been removed from the post, when you don't need us anymore.

 

[Rouxenator]

Microsoft do not care about under-developed countries and Windows 10 Insider Program made false promises, giving legitimate XP/Vista users hope.

Surely all those users died of old age already?

 

[skimread]

Remember the announcement that pirated versions will get free upgrades and then they backtracked on it.

Who knows how they will change their minds on the insider program.

 

[koeks525]

Correct: Legit Win7/8 licences will get a free upgrade, but irrespectively of Windows Insider Programme, so lies where carefully crafted to gather Insiders. Not talkng about crappy jurnalists, the last time lies where presented by Microsoft Boss Gabe Aul in a blog post http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwi...changes-to-windows-10-insider-preview-builds/:

Use of the word "activated" has now been removed from the post, when you don't need us anymore.

Does the version of Windows 7, a user was running before upgrading to Windows 10 Insider Preview still matter? I upgraded from Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit.

 

[AthenianOwl]

Does the version of Windows 7, a user was running before upgrading to Windows 10 Insider Preview still matter? I upgraded from Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit.

Yep. You will get a win10 home license.

 

[Arthur]

Just posted, Paul Thurrott gives an example of how misunderstandings spread.

Windows 10 Upgrade is Free, Not “Free”

There’s some misinformation floating around out on the Interwebs about Microsoft secretly planning to charge Windows 10 users for updates two to four years down the road, with the little dig that the free upgrade you’re about to get to Windows 10 isn’t really free. This simply isn’t true. The free Windows 10 upgrade is free, with no caveats.

This silliness started with a report by Computerworld’s normally reliable Gregg Keizer, who is using a publicly-posted Microsoft PowerPoint presentation aimed at investors as his source.

The slide deck explains Microsoft’s new revenue recognition model for Windows 10, which is necessitated by the new way that the firm is selling and updating the OS. In the past, Microsoft would typically defer upgrade revenue for a new Windows OS until the quarter in which the new version was released, but with Windows 10, (virtually) everyone is getting it for free so there are no pre-release upgrade revenues to defer.

So this time, everything is different. And Microsoft will instead defer some Windows 10 revenues starting after the OS launches. But the goal is the same: stagger revenue reporting so that there are fewer highs and lows. In this case, Windows 10 revenues will be spread over three years, with the first third of each dollar taken in recorded that fiscal year, the next third a year later, and the final third on the third year. You can see that here:

So where does Keizer’s imaginary secret plan to charge people who upgraded to Windows 10 for free come from, you ask? From a footnote on one of only two actual content-based slides in this very short slide deck. It reads:

“Revenue allocated is deferred and recognized on a straight-line basis over the estimated period the software upgrades are expected to be provided by estimated device life, which can range from two to four years.”

This says that Microsoft expects Windows 10 devices to have an average life span of two to four years, which makes sense since most major versions of Windows have a three-year life span in the market. But Keizer is confusing things because this is about revenue on new Windows 10 devices: Microsoft is deferring that revenue for three years because that’s the average life span of the devices that generated the revenue. There are no revenues on free upgrades.

This slide says absolutely nothing about how long Microsoft plans to provide free updates to Windows 10. But since Microsoft was previously very clear about this, let’s just examine their original statement, which Keizer helpfully provides:

“We will continue to keep Windows 10 current for the supported lifetime of the device,” Microsoft said. “We think of Windows as a Service — continuous updates over time.”

So what’s the supported lifetime of the device? Ed Bott has found the answer in Microsoft’s newly-released Windows 10 lifecycle policy for Windows 10:

“A device needs to install the latest update to remain supported. Updates may include new features, fixes (security and/or non-security), or a combination of both. Not all features in an update will work on all devices. A device may not be able to receive updates if the device hardware is incompatible, lacking current drivers, or otherwise outside of the Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (“OEM”) support period. Update availability may vary, for example by country, region, network connectivity, mobile operator (e.g., for cellular-capable devices), or hardware capabilities (including, e.g., free disk space).”

As Ed writes, “There will be no charges for updates during the supported phase. There will be no Windows 10 subscription fees during the supported phase.”

And by the way. The supported lifecycle of Windows 10? It’s 10 years. Just like every other major Windows release.

Moving on.


-- Psaurce

 

[Rouxenator]

Good article. Sadly it does not say anything about the state of OpenGL or Xonotic in Windows 10

 

[backstreetboy]

Just posted, Paul Thurrott gives an example of how misunderstandings spread.

Oh the irony... yet he still thinks Windows 10 is still not RTM.

 

[sajunky]

Unfortunately lifespan of phones & tablets is typically four years. There are non-upgradable by the nature because of size, weight and portability requirements, but there are very powerful already and will continue to replace desktop computers. There are also very fragile with high probability that they will end up prematurely. This where Microsoft is looking for revenue. It is why I don't share Gregg Keizer's fear on the matter.

I receive Microsoft's statement that Windows 10 is a service very straightforward:
- expected lifespan of mainstream devices is 4 years (revenue comes from OEM licencing)
- Windows is not a product itself - is just a platform for generating revenue. Microsoft learned it from Apple and is constantly changing business model to follow them. So they offer Store, cloud service, OneDrive and cloud based user account with backup. They tried it already by force in Windows 8 (by tying mail client to the MS account by example), it generated negative perception, now the decided for more flexible approach. Some apps can carry optional price tag, other will be subscription based products like Office 365. Revenue comes from many sources, it will be more significant than from Windows itself.

 

[bekdik]

Unfortunately lifespan of phones & tablets is typically four years. There are non-upgradable by the nature because of size, weight and portability requirements, but there are very powerful already and will continue to replace desktop computers. There are also very fragile with high probability that they will end up prematurely. This where Microsoft is looking for revenue. It is why I don't share Gregg Keizer's fear on the matter.

I receive Microsoft's statement that Windows 10 is a service very straightforward:
- expected lifespan of mainstream devices is 4 years (revenue comes from OEM licencing)
- Windows is not a product itself - is just a platform for generating revenue. Microsoft learned it from Apple and is constantly changing business model to follow them. So they offer Store, cloud service, OneDrive and cloud based user account with backup. They tried it already by force in Windows 8 (by tying mail client to the MS account by example), it generated negative perception, now the decided for more flexible approach. Some apps can carry optional price tag, other will be subscription based products like Office 365. Revenue comes from many sources, it will be more significant than from Windows itself.

One big difference between Apple and MS is that if Apple don't charge for the OS, they are still gaining revenue from the hardware.

 

[Arthur]

Oh the irony... yet he still thinks Windows 10 is still not RTM.

That's because the ancien regime terms like RC1, RTM, Gold Code, etc no longer apply in the WaaS world. We've moved beyond that, away from definitive RTM code drops to always-in-process and ongoing updates. RTM is a concept as outdated as DIP switches to set interrupts for bus add-ins.

I'd be surprised if Insiders didn't see at least one or two later builds before 29 July.

 

[sajunky]

One big difference between Apple and MS is that if Apple don't charge for the OS, they are still gaining revenue from the hardware.

Correct, but difference? Not! Apple don't charge for the OS but do not give it for free, either.

 

[sajunky]

I'd be surprised if Insiders didn't see at least one or two later builds before 29 July.

Very likely, but it will be not RTM. They still need to give RTM to Royalty OEM's (and probably they did already), so RTM is still RTM.

 

[Arthur]

Very likely, but it will be not RTM. They still need to give RTM to Royalty OEM's (and probably they did already), so RTM is still RTM.

So when Th2 drops in Q4 is that also RTM?

 

[AthenianOwl]

Unfortunately lifespan of phones & tablets is typically four years. There are non-upgradable by the nature because of size, weight and portability requirements, but there are very powerful already and will continue to replace desktop computers. There are also very fragile with high probability that they will end up prematurely. This where Microsoft is looking for revenue. It is why I don't share Gregg Keizer's fear on the matter.

I receive Microsoft's statement that Windows 10 is a service very straightforward:
- expected lifespan of mainstream devices is 4 years (revenue comes from OEM licencing)
- Windows is not a product itself - is just a platform for generating revenue. Microsoft learned it from Apple and is constantly changing business model to follow them. So they offer Store, cloud service, OneDrive and cloud based user account with backup. They tried it already by force in Windows 8 (by tying mail client to the MS account by example), it generated negative perception, now the decided for more flexible approach. Some apps can carry optional price tag, other will be subscription based products like Office 365. Revenue comes from many sources, it will be more significant than from Windows itself.

Gregg Keizer doesn't know his schit. Avoid his hilariously stupid articles regarding Windows 10.