If I am installing windows 10 technical preview will I have to dual boot with my existing OS to get a free upgrade?

[Hyperman3218]

What the tile said. By existing OS I mean by Windows 7 or 8 since those are the 2 versions that offer a free upgrade to the full version of Windows 10. So if I were to download Windows 10 on a brand new PC without any previous operating system then would I have to pay for the upgrade or not? Or would I have to be dual-booting the PC?

 

[utroz]

Its not quite like that. I think that when you upgrade your win 7 or 8 licence to win 10 then you get emailed a win 10 key then you could install it fresh on clean system. You might have to call MS to activate it cause it is diff hardware but thats it. All this is from what I currently understand and MS could change this all before Win 10 is RTM.

 

[Hyperman3218]

Its not quite like that. I think that when you upgrade your win 7 or 8 licence to win 10 then you get emailed a win 10 key then you could install it fresh on clean system. You might have to call MS to activate it cause it is diff hardware but thats it. All this is from what I currently understand and MS could change this all before Win 10 is RTM.

ok so I have a laptop that I can use to get the license. So when I have the product code how do I install it on a newly built PC without a CD then?

 

[utroz]

You will have to download the ISO from MS and burn it to a DVD to be able to do fresh installs of windows 10.

 

[Hyperman3218]

You will have to download the ISO from MS and burn it to a DVD to be able to do fresh installs of windows 10.

So I have a laptop that has Windows 8 that I can use to do this. But I cannot use a DVD. So when Windows 10 comes out can I download the ISO files to a USB and then put it on a new PC with the product code that MS will give me?

 

[captainmumoy]

Microsoft is planning on giving free upgrade for window 7, 8, 8.1 and windows 10 preview......on legit versions you will have upgrade path in windows update

 

[mcnumpty23]

far as i know windows insiders will get the release build through like the preview build--i was chatting to a microsoft guy from the insider program and this is info he gave me

yes you will be able to download it as an iso to burn/put on dvd

most users will simply get it through windows update as the vast majority of users have no idea what an iso is never mind what to do with it

 

[Math Geek]

the other piece of note is that the preview "upgrade" to the final version actually keeps your win 10 as an insider beta tester FOREVER. so you will keep getting updates and such for your win 10 but you will still be getting them before "standard" users and providing feedback to MS as a permanent beta tester.

some people don't like this idea and won't want to use this as an avenue to get a free copy of win 10. as for your win 7/8 key, from what i have read it looks like you will have 1 year to upgrade to win 10 but can still go back to win 7/8 if you chose and lose your freebie win 10 key. it does sound like you will have to chose to lose your win 7/8 key to use the free win 10 upgrade they are offering.

but to answer your question, it does seem like you can install the preview now on your laptop and then keep using it for free without having to dual boot some other os along with it.

and more than once they have stated that we will be able to get an iso of the current build to download if we wish to for fresh installs using the win 10 key you are supposed to be getting when it goes live in a few weeks. easy to get links to the current preview builds iso files as they go live now and it should stay as easy for future builds.

 

[Hyperman3218]

far as i know windows insiders will get the release build through like the preview build--i was chatting to a microsoft guy from the insider program and this is info he gave me

yes you will be able to download it as an iso to burn/put on dvd

most users will simply get it through windows update as the vast majority of users have no idea what an iso is never mind what to do with it

ok but will the ISO work with new hardware?

 

[Math Geek]

right now it looks like the iso is tied to your account and not the pc it's on. i don't have anything official to quote but it looks like your win 10 will be tied to your MS account and not to the pc it is on. i have my win 10 preview installed on a pc and a laptop and both work no problem. i doubt you will be able to use your key on multiple pc's but moving it to a new one seems like it will probably be ok. you can do it now with other versions of windows so why not the new version?

keep in mind this is an educated guess as i have not read anything official about this particular question and can only go by the past versions and how it can be moved to new hardware.

 

[Hyperman3218]

right now it looks like the iso is tied to your account and not the pc it's on. i don't have anything official to quote but it looks like your win 10 will be tied to your MS account and not to the pc it is on. i have my win 10 preview installed on a pc and a laptop and both work no problem. i doubt you will be able to use your key on multiple pc's but moving it to a new one seems like it will probably be ok. you can do it now with other versions of windows so why not the new version?

keep in mind this is an educated guess as i have not read anything official about this particular question and can only go by the past versions and how it can be moved to new hardware.

Alright then thank you!