The free Windows 10 upgrade is restricted to certain users, in contrast to Microsoft's previous announcement. PCs for personal use and small businesses aren't affected, though.
The latest build for the free Windows 10 upgrade was released Jan. 21, readily installed on top of Windows 7 and Windows 8. Build 9926 is installed as a straightforward upgrade, but with a catch.
To avail the free Windows 10 download, users have to visit Microsoft's Technical Preview Page, and tick the "Start Upgrade Now" button. A small file will be downloaded and run, which prompts a PC reboot afterwards.
Once users upgrade to Windows 10 after restart, the system automatically restricts DVD burning, USB boot drives, and tinkering with the BIOS settings.
Microsoft announced it is offering the Windows 10 upgrade free of charge, except for Enterprise. In a blog post, the company explains why the updates are only available to personal users and small business customers.
"Windows 7 Enterprise and Windows 8/8.1 Enterprise are not included in the terms of free Windows 10 Upgrade offer we announced last week, given active Software Assurance customers will continue to have rights to upgrade to Windows 10 enterprise offerings outside of this offer - while also benefitting from the full flexibility to deploy Windows 10 using their existing management infrastructure."
The restriction ensures Enterprise users upgrade at their own pace and as needed, preventing unnecessary disruptions in their systems. Microsoft confirmed it will continuously release updates to the Windows 10 OS after release, security features included.
Enterprise users can wait and see if Windows 10 updates for personal use benefit their IT systems, before being applied to company's computers (yahoo.com).
The free Windows 10 upgrade is announced available for at least a year after release, with the new features and settings automatically implemented after each update (forbes.com).
