Please note that Microsoft and Lorica no longer support Windows XP. Vista will no longer be supported in 6 months.

Windows 7 will come out of support in 4 years. I’d suggest missing out on Windows 8.

(NOTE : Windows 8/8.1 is perfectly OK, I just don’t like it! J )

Windows 10 for free

The offer of free Windows 10 from Microsoft has expired.

You Can Still Get Windows 10 for free with a Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 Key

While you can no longer use the “Get Windows 10” tool to upgrade from within Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, it is still possible to download Windows 10 installation media from Microsoft and then provide a Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 key when you install it.

Windows will contact Microsoft’s activation servers and confirm the key to the previous version of Windows is real. If it is, Windows 10 will be installed and activated on your PC. Your PC acquires a “digital license” and you can continue using and reinstalling Windows 10 on it in the future.

Microsoft hasn’t communicated what’s going on here, or whether it will block this method in the future. But it still works right now. Even if Microsoft blocks this trick in the future, your PC will keep its digital license and Windows 10 will remain activated.

Andrew’s opinion : I am running Windows 10 on a desktop, laptop/tablet and a phone. I find it more responsive, reliable and enjoyable to use than previous version of Windows. It seems to have all the benefits and bells and whistles of Windows 7 combined with Windows 8/8.1. I would suggest a clean install rather than an upgrade and know for many people the cost and trouble of this is not worth the return. I would not go back to an earlier version and find it frustrating when I need to use an earlier version.