Time is running out for the free Windows 10 upgrade

May 6, 2016 09:51 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has recently confirmed that the free Windows 10 upgrade offer would end on July 29 just like initially planned, so beyond this date, those who want to install the new operating system have no other option than pay for a license.

This means that what you can get completely free of charge today will cost no less than $119 (€110) in just a few weeks, so there’s clearly no better time to install Windows 10 right now.

We’re not going to discuss the reasons to upgrade to Windows 10 because Microsoft is taking good care of this thing, but here’s something that you can actually do without losing your current Windows install: reserve your free Windows 10 license just in case you want to upgrade at a later time again.

How to reserve your free Windows 10 license

Basically, Microsoft’s promo and the upgrade mechanism allows you to upgrade to Windows 10, go back to whatever Windows version you have and then be able to return to Windows 10 at any given date without paying. Even if you do it after July 29, that is.

All you have to do is to upgrade to Windows 10 right now using the direct method offered by Microsoft and activate your copy of the operating system. Microsoft is offering you 30 days to downgrade to a previous Windows version and you can do it the minute after you activated the system.

The magic here is that once you activate Windows 10 on your system, the license is tied to your PC, so you can come back at a later time and get the same genuine copy of the OS without paying anything.

So the right path is to install Windows 10 > activate it > downgrade to your previous Windows version. If you change your mind at a later time and want to go to Windows 10, it’ll be there waiting for you at no additional cost.

It goes without saying that this whole thing takes some time and involves some work, but it’s the best way to make sure that you avoid paying a $120 bill should you decide that you need Windows 10.