Ahead of the official release of Windows 10 November Refresh (aka Threshold 2), Microsoft today announced how the company is planning to make it easier for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users to upgrade to Windows 10. Along with genuine users, Microsoft is also making Windows 10 upgrades easier for non-genuine Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 PCs. The company is experimenting a new system, starting in the US which will allow non-genuine Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 PCs to get Genuine via the Windows Store or by entering an activation code purchased elsewhere. Microsoft’s Terry Myerson stated:
Following these learnings, we are going to start an experiment soon in the United States, which we will then evaluate before extending to other countries, to ease the upgrade of non-Genuine Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. We’ll offer a one-click opportunity to get Genuine via the Windows Store or by entering an activation code purchased elsewhere. If this turns into a path for most customers to get Genuine, we will expand the experiment. We’d like to welcome as many of these customers as possible to the legitimate Windows ecosystem.
As we previously stated, the software giant is going to experiment this new system in the United States first, and if all goes well, the company will expand the experiment to other countries in the near-future.