There has been a lot of confusion and all around lack of clarity regarding Microsoft’s plans with Windows 10 licensing. The company has often said that it will be doling out Windows 10 for free but the rules around the license agreement have been ambiguous to say the least. With the latest information release, it seems that we might finally have some clarity on the situation.
The gist of the matter is that the free upgrade to Windows 10 is only for users who already have a genuine license for Windows 7 or 8. You can either grab a preview build right now or download the final release scheduled for 29th July and it will be a free and unrestricted upgrade to Windows 10.
A different path to getting Windows 10 for free is to be a part of the Windows Insider program. The beta testing program currently gives you access to Windows 10 preview builds without requiring any license key or purchase. You can choose to be on the Fast or Slow rings which determine the level of maturity of the build. After the release of Windows 10 on 29th July, you’ll continue to be on preview builds. Worth noting is that the feature set will coincide with the final release build but your build will expire after a set period. Microsoft notes that the next preview release will always be released before the preview build in use expires so effectively you will continue using Windows 10 for free.
The ambiguity comes from the situation wherein you might want to be on the stable retail build of Windows 10 after the release date and opt out of the Insiders program. In this situation, if you already own a copy of Windows 7 or 8, you will get a free upgrade to Windows 10, all other users will have to acquire a fresh Windows 10 license.
The updated information goes a long way in explaining the status on the Windows 10 licensing situation and should make it easier for Windows users to decide how to go ahead with the OS upgrade come 27th July.