Can we repair/reinstall Win 10 for free after July 29?

[ecbritz]

Here is a question not directly related to Textmaker or even to Softmaker, but of importance to all users of Softmaker running Windows 10.

I read in a ZDNet newsletter that it will be possible to reinstall Win 10 after July 29 without needing a Win 10 Product Key ‒ provided that you upgraded to Win 10 before July 29.

To check if this will be possible on your machine, you should do Settings > Update and Security > Activation. If Win 10 displays the message "Product Key: Windows 10 on this device is activated with a digital entitlement", then you will be able to reinstall Win 10 on your computer without needing a Product Key. I.e. without having to pay for a Win 10 Key.

Suppose, for instance, that you want to do an "in place" installation of Win 10 ‒ in order to replace corrupt Win 10 files -- by running a downloaded Win 10 ISO. According to the ZDNet newsletter, you will be able to skip the page asking for the Product Key, exactly like you could do in the period before July 29.

If you upgrade to Win 10 before 29 July, then you won't have to buy a Win 10 key after July 29 in order to repair/reinstall Win 10. Win 10 has a "Reset" option for refreshing the O/S. But you need to use an ISO or installation disk to really replace corrupt Windows files.

Does anybody disagree with the ZDNet advice? It was news to me. I though I would soon enough be forced to pay the $200 per computer I was supposedly saved up to July 29. My seven computers all run Win 10 Pro, so I saw myself soon forking out $1400 to maintain the O/Systems.

[Alfred]

Here is a question not directly related to Textmaker or even to Softmaker, but of importance to all users of Softmaker running Windows 10.

This question sounds as though it would be better discussed on the Water Cooler board.

[sven-l]

I moved the thread.

[sven-l]

Does anybody disagree with the ZDNet advice? It was news to me. I though I would soon enough be forced to pay the $200 per computer I was supposedly saved up to July 29. My seven computers all run Win 10 Pro, so I saw myself soon forking out $1400 to maintain the O/Systems.

As far as I know (have read it on several German IT websites) Windows 10 is bound to the PC hardware. It creates some kind of Hardware ID and sends it to Microsoft servers in order to identify the specific PC.
That way a completely new installed Windows 10 can "look" in a Microsoft online database if that PC has a valid license or not. If yes, it will automatically change the status to "activated" without any need of entering the serial key again.

The only question is what happens if you change too much of the hardware of the PC. E.g. if you change the graphics card or a single HDD, Windows 10 should still find its license on the Microsoft servers with the slightly changed hardware ID. But what happens if you change the processor? I did a processor change a few months ago (on the same mainboard) after the upgrade to Windows 10. Afterwards it was still activated, luckily.
In every case (that is proven by several users) the licence should be lost if you change the mainboard. So do not let your mainboard die.