Is the free update to Windows 11 from Windows 10 ending on October 5th 2022?

[HumanGamer]

Hello, I'm new to the forums, but I figured this is the best place to ask.

 

I've heard that after October 5th it will no longer be possible to update to Windows 11 for free. This is concerning to me as I plan to update once my printer software and drivers are supported. Is this true? I'd rather not have to buy another pro license.

 

Edit: I just found the original source of this. On the microsoft website about 2 months ago it said that https://web.archive.org/web/20220714113627/https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/get-windows-11?r=1 look at "How long will the free upgrade offer last?" in the FAQ at the bottom of the page.

This has since been changed to this now:

 

Does this mean they changed their mind or are they hiding the fact and will do it anyway.

I might just have to update to Windows 11 anyway and not use my home printer for a while.

Edited September 25, 2022 by HumanGamer

[Bombastinator]

51 minutes ago, HumanGamer said:

Hello, I'm new to the forums, but I figured this is the best place to ask.

 

I've heard that after October 5th it will no longer be possible to update to Windows 11 for free. This is concerning to me as I plan to update once my printer software and drivers are supported. Is this true? I'd rather not have to buy another pro license.

 

Edit: I just found the original source of this. On the microsoft website about 2 months ago it said that https://web.archive.org/web/20220714113627/https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/get-windows-11?r=1 look at "How long will the free upgrade offer last?" in the FAQ at the bottom of the page.

This has since been changed to this now:

 

Does this mean they changed their mind or are they hiding the fact and will do it anyway.

I might just have to update to Windows 11 anyway and not use my home printer for a while.

Perhaps in theory.  In practice that may be real different.  Microsoft makes most of its money off the windows store now.  They’ve seemed pretty blasé about people pirating windows so far.  That could change quite quickly at any time of course.  It’s only useful for home anyway.  Pro10 goes to home11.  Or at least that’s more or less how it worked for 8.1 to 10. You need pro to even join a domain. Also there’s win9 around too.  I wouldn’t worry about it too much.  Licenses are pretty cheap. You don’t have to pay retail for one.  TechYesCity advertises for a company that does them and they’re dirt cheap. Don’t come with the amenities though like a pre-configured USB key with the install on it of course, but you don’t really need that.

Edited September 25, 2022 by Bombastinator

[Budget DIY]

Microsoft also told all of us that windows 10 was the last iteration. No more numbers! Only updates on updates on updates... Hi there windows 11!

No one knows. Not even people high up in Microsoft know. Postpone if you want to use your printer. (or try the update, check if your printer still works. If not, pull back your previous version) Printer will most likely work.

[Bombastinator]

1 minute ago, Jahee said:

Microsoft also told all of us that windows 10 was the last iteration. No more numbers! Only updates on updates on updates... Hi there windows 11!

No one knows. Not even people high up in Microsoft know. Postpone if you want to use your printer. (or try the update, check if your printer still works. If not, pull back your previous version) Printer will most likely work.

Mine didn’t. Scanner either. I could hook up both to a pi zero though and get them both working as a network printer with cups though. Linux doesn’t do that.  Anyway actually making one was Too much of a PITA.  I just bought a new printer.  

[OhioYJ]

What drivers are you using now? If it works in Windows 10 or 7 I can't imagine it doesn't work in 11? I use drivers that aren't meant for 11 on my computers.

[Budget DIY]

Just now, OhioYJ said:

What drivers are you using now? If it works in Windows 10 or 7 I can't imagine it doesn't work in 11? I use drivers that aren't meant for 11 on my computers.

Exactly. From what I've heard, windows 10 and 11 aren't that different. And it has a fair chance it will just work. Older hardware just doesn't get an update on compatible OS-es, because a line of products is likely already discontinued. Doesn't mean it doesn't work. I myself would give it a more then 50% chance of it working. And as mentioned before, you can always move back to windows 10. (at least, that's what Microsoft claims...)

[Bombastinator]

Just now, Jahee said:

Exactly. From what I've heard, windows 10 and 11 aren't that different. And it has a fair chance it will just work. Older hardware just doesn't get an update on compatible OS-es, because a line of products is likely already discontinued. Doesn't mean it doesn't work. I myself would give it a more then 50% chance of it working. And as mentioned before, you can always move back to windows 10. (at least, that's what Microsoft claims...)

I had it happen with my best monitor.  Just a big pile of “nope” I need to pull the generic driver off a copy of win 8.1 to use I think.  It’s still a decent monitor.  Was one of the best in the world when I bought it in 2012. Kind of like an ultrawide 1440p but tall instead of wide. 

[Budget DIY]

17 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

I had it happen with my best monitor.  Just a big pile of “nope” I need to pull the generic driver off a copy of win 8.1 to use I think.  It’s still a decent monitor.  Was one of the best in the world when I bought it in 2012. Kind of like an ultrawide 1440p but tall instead of wide. 

But you did manage to find functional drivers for it.

[Bombastinator]

9 minutes ago, Jahee said:

But you did manage to find functional drivers for it.

Not so far.  I still have to try that one.  The problem is it’s this weird Korean grey market thing by a company called crossover and while the company still exists their website is such a warren that it breaks google machine translation.  There’s probably a working new driver there but I don’t read Korean so I have no way to get to it.  My work around was to plop an even older 1080px60 monitor directly in front of the thing and use it.  It’s Dell, so win10 has no trouble with it. 

[GoodBytes]

2 hours ago, Jahee said:

Microsoft also told all of us that windows 10 was the last iteration. No more numbers! Only updates on updates on updates... Hi there windows 11!

No. Microsoft never said this. It was just some developer at a Microsoft event, but not part of Microsoft, who was trying to explain the continuous update service model to a crowd of journalists who don't understand what that meant. He used it as as an example. 

 

One article came out claiming it was a Microsoft statement, then all used that as a source.

 

Microsoft doesn't comment on future plans or versions of Windows.

 

2 hours ago, Jahee said:

No one knows. Not even people high up in Microsoft know. Postpone if you want to use your printer. (or try the update, check if your printer still works. If not, pull back your previous version) Printer will most likely work.

True

[GoodBytes]

2 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

Microsoft makes most of its money off the windows store now.

Not currently, no.

 

Microsoft is using Windows as a platform to push it's services (OneDrive, Office, XBox, Azure) 

 

2 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

That could change quite quickly at any time of course.  It’s only useful for home anyway.  Pro10 goes to home11.  Or at least that’s more or less how it worked for 8.1 to 10. You need pro to even join a domain. Also there’s win9 around too.  I wouldn’t worry about it too much.

Windows 9 doesn't exist, as the rest, I don't understand you. If you have a Pro version of Windows 10, you'll upgrade for free to Windows 11 Pro.

 

2 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

 

Licenses are pretty cheap. You don’t have to pay retail for one.  TechYesCity advertises for a company that does them and they’re dirt cheap. Don’t come with the amenities though like a pre-configured USB key with the install on it of course, but you don’t really need that.

These are gray market licenses. They buy bulk licenses and resale them. Technically, Microsoft can disable those licenses at anytime. So purchase at your own risk.

[Bombastinator]

2 hours ago, GoodBytes said:

Not currently, no.

 

Microsoft is using Windows as a platform to push it's services (OneDrive, Office, XBox, Azure) 

 

Windows 9 doesn't exist, as the rest, I don't understand you. If you have a Pro version of Windows 10, you'll upgrade for free to Windows 11 Pro.

 

These are gray market licenses. They buy bulk licenses and resale them. Technically, Microsoft can disable those licenses at anytime. So purchase at your own risk.

re: microsoft
Hmm.  I heard they were making tons of money off it.  So much that they don’t care all that much about grey market windows. Part of the problem as I understand it is a lot of them come from recycled old PCs.  Particularly the pro ones. It’s also demonically difficult to enforce as each one has to go to court, and the return is low. Doesn’t make sense to throw a grand at a lawsuit when the return is barely over a hundred bucks.  It does push shady though.  

Re: win9

Well it sort of does.  Though it’s arguably not quite windows. People call it win9 apparently.  My understanding is it’s a cleaned up 7 or something.  Sort of a 10 but without the datamining. It’s definitely not Microsoft approved.  There’s a person here who evangelizes it regularly.

 

re:grey market licenses

Yeah but they don’t enforce it and show no indication that they will in the future.you are right in that you don’t want to buy it from a company that has an enterprise license and just resells from their key generator.  One of those gets big enough and it starts to be worth going after.

Edited September 26, 2022 by Bombastinator

[HumanGamer]

Alright, thanks everyone. I'm going to try to update soon and revert if things don't work out.

 

Quick question though (not sure if I should make a new topic for this):

I don't have enough space on my external drive to backup my full 4 TB ssd, so I will backup my most important files. I have many sdks and other software installed that touches the registry and some put dlls in the Windows folder. I also have many custom registry keys for custom context menus, etc. If I update, will those remain on Windows 11, or would I have to redo them. If I have to redo them, is there a way I could check what dlls are in the system folders that don't come with the OS, and what registry keys don't come with the OS, so that I could backup those specific parts?

 

Thanks.

[Bombastinator]

2 hours ago, HumanGamer said:

Alright, thanks everyone. I'm going to try to update soon and revert if things don't work out.

 

Quick question though (not sure if I should make a new topic for this):

I don't have enough space on my external drive to backup my full 4 TB ssd, so I will backup my most important files. I have many sdks and other software installed that touches the registry and some put dlls in the Windows folder. I also have many custom registry keys for custom context menus, etc. If I update, will those remain on Windows 11, or would I have to redo them. If I have to redo them, is there a way I could check what dlls are in the system folders that don't come with the OS, and what registry keys don't come with the OS, so that I could backup those specific parts?

 

Thanks.

There is also compression.
 It could work if It’s just a backup not a reassignment.  Just image the disk and see how far down you can compress the file. Might fit might not. Sorta depends what the data is.

 

This is I think why uninstall wizards were made. AMD64 has a whole lot of 8088 architecture, some parts are even compatible back that far. One of the results of this is the whole thing is a big mess.  Backing up data is easy, but backing up apps is not.  Generally you just want to reinstall.