Find Out If You Get a Free Upgrade to Windows 10 with This Flowchart

[Rolo]

If you have a retail version of Win 7/8/8.1, you'll get a retail version of Win 10 which you can use in a new machine.

That is not what Microsoft says. cf. http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/2015/05/13/introducing-windows-10-editions/

Once you upgrade, you have Windows 10 for free on that device.

"on that device" with no respect to license type

Another recent announcement clarified that hardware changes that would trigger reactivation would prevent the free upgrade from getting reactivated. cf. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...e/578d0b7f-57e4-4893-b9d1-6cfac0d6290a?auth=1

The free upgrade offer will not apply to activation of Windows 10 in such scenarios where hardware changes reset Activation.

 

[Sloth]

^ I am pretty sure that such kind of hardware limitation is only for OEM license as OEM key is tied to the motherboard.

Gamers upgrade their hardware all the time and it is possible to deactivate windows "retail key" in the old hardware & use it in a new hardware. If it still doesn't work then we can activate the old windows key in the new hardware via phone.

Check this link, https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/2ue2kq/reset_windows_81_and_now_product_key_no_longer/.

 

[Rolo]

You can argue with Microsoft about the Win10 upgrade with a Win8.1 argument and you will lose. Microsoft explicitly stated that replacing a motherboard, for example, will result in the loss of your Win10 upgrade; it will no longer activate automatically and they will not reset activations for the free Win10 upgrades in the situation you described.

This is why people are "confused" but they blame Microsoft for the confusion. Why do people ignore what Microsoft announces and then blame Microsoft for their own confusion? Craziness...

Let's try this again:

Q: What happens if I change the hardware configuration of my Windows 10 device?

A: If the hardware configuration of your Windows 10 device changes significantly (e.g. motherboard change) Windows may require re-activation on the device. This is the same experience as prior versions of Windows (e.g. Windows 7 and Windows 8.1).The free upgrade offer will not apply to activation of Windows 10 in such scenarios where hardware changes reset Activation.

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Mod: can I get a blinking text attribute in case someone misses this?

cf. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...893-b9d1-6cfac0d6290a?tm=1434646337185&auth=1

I don't know how much more clear this can possibly be.