Windows 8.1 there and back again.

[DEADLY9996]

Ok so with Microsoft giving away something for free (Windows 10)w hich is cause for concern.. being a Gamer i will no doubt be forced to go that route, it would just be a matter of time.

Now owning 8.1 Full Retail, if i upgrade to Windows 10 (Of which i'm waiting on) i'll obviously be able to get an ISO of Windows 10 and use that whenever i format, so i can install the full version of Windows 10 at anytime, correct?

Now with that in mind, if i decide i'd rather revert back to 8.1 while 10 gets going, i'll be able to just reinstall 8.1 at anytime, correct?


And does that continue aslong as i hold the 8.1 Licence? because my thinking is i may use both on the same machine on separate partitions, which will be long after the free upgrade has come and gone...
So i guess my question is, as long as i've received and linked my licence to Windows 10, i can continue to install 8.1 & 10 on separate partitions for aslong as i want?


To be honest i figured they would just upgrade your machine and aslong as you kept Windows 10 installed, it was yours until you format.. kinda like an OEM version for a laptop. But with you being kicked back to 8.1.


Anyway a confirmation eitherway would be great!

Cheers!

 

[USAFRet]

No. If you Upgrade to Win 10, you cannot continue to use your Win 8.1.
One or the other. Your Win 8.1 license is eventually consumed in the Upgrade to Win 10.

You can roll back to your original OS within 30 days after upgrading.

And for the free Upgrade to Win 10, it must be installed and activated before July 28 2016. After that, if you want Win 10, you have to buy it.
So, you have about 4 months.

 

[DEADLY9996]

No. If you Upgrade to Win 10, you cannot continue to use your Win 8.1.
One or the other. Your Win 8.1 license is eventually consumed in the Upgrade to Win 10.

You can roll back to your original OS within 30 days after upgrading.

And for the free Upgrade to Win 10, it must be installed and activated before July 28 2016. After that, if you want Win 10, you have to buy it.
So, you have about 4 months.

So i take it, if you reinstalled Windows 8.1, and get to the activation, it wouldn't activate it anymore? unless say you upgraded it back to Windows 10?

 

[USAFRet]

No. If you Upgrade to Win 10, you cannot continue to use your Win 8.1.
One or the other. Your Win 8.1 license is eventually consumed in the Upgrade to Win 10.

You can roll back to your original OS within 30 days after upgrading.

And for the free Upgrade to Win 10, it must be installed and activated before July 28 2016. After that, if you want Win 10, you have to buy it.
So, you have about 4 months.

So i take it, if you reinstalled Windows 8.1, and get to the activation, it wouldn't activate it anymore? unless say you upgraded it back to Windows 10?

8.1 installed
Upgrade to Win 10
Wipe and reinstall 8.1
Will it activate? Maybe, maybe not.

But whichever...you only get to use one.
After the Upgrade to Win 10, you have 30 days to decide. Do you really need more?

I've had Win 10 on 3 different systems, since day 1 of the Tech Preview. It is NOT that much different visually, and a bit better performancewise.
It's just an OS. It hangs around int he background.

 

[DEADLY9996]

No. If you Upgrade to Win 10, you cannot continue to use your Win 8.1.
One or the other. Your Win 8.1 license is eventually consumed in the Upgrade to Win 10.

You can roll back to your original OS within 30 days after upgrading.

And for the free Upgrade to Win 10, it must be installed and activated before July 28 2016. After that, if you want Win 10, you have to buy it.
So, you have about 4 months.

So i take it, if you reinstalled Windows 8.1, and get to the activation, it wouldn't activate it anymore? unless say you upgraded it back to Windows 10?

8.1 installed
Upgrade to Win 10
Wipe and reinstall 8.1
Will it activate? Maybe, maybe not.

But whichever...you only get to use one.
After the Upgrade to Win 10, you have 30 days to decide. Do you really need more?

I've had Win 10 on 3 different systems, since day 1 of the Tech Preview. It is NOT that much different visually, and a bit better performancewise.
It's just an OS. It hangs around int he background.

So whether the original Windows 8.1 key still activates with 8.1 after the 30 day mark of Windows 10, is still up in the air? I can quite easily install Windows 8.1 twice and upgrade just the one... After all i can only use one at any given time.

To prevent it, they would have to put a lock in place, or just simply prevent activation of those who tried to go back.. Though i doubt it would work well..

Cheers anyway, i guess i'll have to find out... 😀

 

[USAFRet]

When the OS requests an update, it generally checks the activation status. Or, it checks whenever it feels like.
The Win 8.1, and the Win 10 Upgraded from that same 8.1 license....one of them is going to choke.

You can't use the same license for 2 simultaneous installs. It specifically states this in the license agreement.
Even if you Upgrade 'one' to Win 10.

Bottom line...you cannot use both.


Like this:
Back in 2012, you went down to the car dealer and bought a brand new Zoom8.
Summer 2015, you got a letter from the dealer: "Come in, and trade your Zoom8 for a shiny new Foo10. Absolutely no charge.
You go down to the dealer to check things out.
He hands you the keys to the new Foo10. With the admonition..."You can bring back the Foo10 within 30 days, and have your Zoom8 again. Or, you can keep the Foo10."
But you don't get to drive home with both.