Microsoft ending last free Windows 10 upgrade offer in December
The last available free upgrade offer for Windows 10 is set to go away at the end of the year.
Alongside the launch of Windows 10 in 2015, Microsoft also ran a promotion offering free upgrades to the new OS for a year. That program officially ended in July of 2016, but free upgrades have remained available through an exception for Windows 10 users who take advantage of "assistive technologies." Microsoft is now gearing up to end this exception by the end of the year.
In a quiet update to the upgrade page for assistive technology users, Microsoft clarified that the offer will now expire on December 31, 2017 (via ZDNet).
The upgrade offer doesn't require a verification that you use assistive technologies of any sort, so it also serves as a sort of loophole for anyone to still secure a free upgrade. That said, Microsoft probably isn't turning its nose up at securing more market share for Windows 10. After the end of the year, you'll have to shell out $119.99 to get your hands on a copy of Windows 10 Home, with other editions running even higher.
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Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl.