Click to Skip Ad
Closing in...

Microsoft Once Again Confuses Everyone About Who Gets Windows 10 for Free

Published Jun 22nd, 2015 4:30PM EDT
Free Windows 10 Update Paid
Image: Microsoft Corporation

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

Microsoft’s Windows 10 OS might be one of the company’s most important software releases yet. Not only is the Redmond-based giant looking to unify mobile, desktop and consoles with the help of new software, but Microsoft is also giving it away free of charge to many people who are using older versions of Windows… only the company isn’t always exactly sure who qualifies.

DON’T MISS: How Beats Fools You Into Thinking Its Headphones Are High-End And Luxurious

What’s abundantly clear is that Windows 7 and Windows 8 home users will all get Windows 10 free of charge this summer when the OS launches. But on Friday, Microsoft made it sound like Windows XP and Vista users who registered for Windows 10 Insider access – the company’s beta program for Windows – will be guaranteed free access to Windows 10 in the future.

Things quickly and silently changed over the weekend, Ars Technica points out. The company’s blog post describing the Windows Insider preview program has been updated to reflect certain changes that Windows XP and Vista users will not appreciate.

The company initially said that members of the Insider program running a preview version of the operating system would “receive the Windows 10 final release build and remain activated” but then changed it to “receive the Windows 10 final release build,” which is practically the latest beta version that Insiders will get to use before the OS is launched.

 

“It’s important to note that only people running Genuine Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 can upgrade to Windows 10 as part of the free upgrade offer,” Microsoft also added to the post. The mention contradicts Microsoft’s Gabe Aul tweet on Friday. The exec said that the upgraded preview copies would be genuine, implying that Windows pirates would also be able to take advantage of this loophole.

So what does this all mean?

Ars suggests that the shift is more aimed at corporations and organizations that are going to be charged for getting their machines upgraded to Windows 10 en masse and not to individuals who have pirated versions of old Windows versions. In other words, if you have a pirated copy of Windows, don’t worry about Microsoft denying you access to free Windows 10 just yet.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.