Today is the final day that Windows PCs owners can upgrade to Windows 10 for free.
After several extensions to the deadline, 16th January is the last day for owners of Windows 7 and 8.1 to get a free upgrade under the “assistive technologies” offer.
In July 2016, Microsoft officially ended the Get Windows 10 program, which offered anyone running a supported version of Windows a free upgrade to Windows 10.
However, the free upgrade offer remained open to people using assistive technologies on Windows 7 and 8.1.
SEE: Windows 10: Streamline your work with these power tips (free TechRepublic PDF)
Anyone visiting this site from their Windows computer, who clicks to confirm they use assistive technologies, can still access the free upgrade.
Despite the upgrade offer being openly available, Microsoft has said “it is not intended to be a workaround for people who don’t use assistive technology and who missed the deadline for the free offer”.
Microsoft recently extended the deadline for the upgrade offer to January, having previously set it at December 31, 2017.
As pointed out on ZDNet, the change will likely have very little effect on uptake of Windows 10, as enterprises are not exploiting this loophole, and individuals and small businesses that rejected the upgrade for more than two years are unlikely to have much appetite to switch.
In November last year, Microsoft said that Windows 10 had been installed on some 600 million devices, with a modest jump in the rate at which the OS’ userbase was growing.

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