Windows 10 better be free after you read this...

[Ryan ODonnell]

Below is my discussion post from Microsoft Answers regarding the issues that Windows 7 SP1 users have been having:
Windows 10 better be free after you read this... - Microsoft Community

Hi all,
I just thought I would let you know of a HUGE problem affecting where I used to go to school and some current PCs in my house.
This is based around what happens when you have Windows 7 Service Pack 1 installed.
Since the Windows 10 Technical Preview came out, we have been getting several notifications on Windows Update that updates are available for my PC. That's great.
It showed the Technical Preview to try out the next version of Windows, something that I did not want to do on my Windows 7 PC.
I continued to use my Windows 7 PC until last night, when Windows Technical Preview was installed AUTOMATICALLY when I restarted the PC to finish installing a game which required a system reboot.
I have no recovery partition, because none came with my PC and no OEM disc to reinstall Windows 7.
After this conclusion, Windows 10 better be free after what has happened to may computers that I know about, especially at a place of study where I currently am, and this means that the IT Services Management team there are having to reinstall Windows 7 and turning off updates, because of the Technical Preview, an OS in which they don't want to update to at the current time until final release.
So I'm definitely hoping that Windows 10 will be a free release for the final product!

 

[awilliams1701]

I call BS. I've gotten updates on my windows 7 computer over the weekend and its still windows 7. I manually installed TP on one of my older laptops and its still running fine. If this is true, then my guess is that someone in the IT department accidentally pushed the TP image out to the network. However I find that unlikely. When I was in IT I never had a windows 7 beta image when I participated in that. I just installed it directly to a spare laptop.

As to if its free or not? Hard to say at this point. Rumors are that its free to 8.x users and cheap to 7 users. Personally I hate upgrades and would just rather get the full OEM version.

 

[Ryan ODonnell]

I'm hoping it's free!

 

[iamtim]

Interesting.

In this article, WPC quotes Microsoft as saying, "If you're running Windows 7 without SP1, you can only upgrade to the preview by downloading an ISO file. If you install Windows 7 SP1, you can upgrade to the preview by using Windows Update or by downloading an ISO file."

It does seem odd that it would automatically install the preview instead of marking it as an optional update.

 

[Ryan ODonnell]

Interesting.

In this article, WPC quotes Microsoft as saying, "If you're running Windows 7 without SP1, you can only upgrade to the preview by downloading an ISO file. If you install Windows 7 SP1, you can upgrade to the preview by using Windows Update or by downloading an ISO file."

It does seem odd that it would automatically install the preview instead of marking it as an optional update.

It's marked as an Important update apparently!

 

[Ryan ODonnell]

As it had downloaded itself, it was ready to install automatically upon restart!
It's not that I don't mind having the Tech Preview installed, as I have it both on my Acer Iconia W3 and my Asus laptop and I am willing to provide feedback to Microsoft.

 

[PepperdotNet]

Please look in Update History and see what else has been installed the past week. Is that machine on a corporate network running WSUS?

There is a way to cause Windows 7 to install the TP thru Windows Update, but you have to install something first to enable it. I'm guessing that's what happened here.

I just checked some of my Windows 7 machines to make sure, no updates available either at WSUS or online thank God.

 

[Ryan ODonnell]

Please look in Update History and see what else has been installed the past week. Is that machine on a corporate network running WSUS?

There is a way to cause Windows 7 to install the TP thru Windows Update, but you have to install something first to enable it. I'm guessing that's what happened here.

I just checked some of my Windows 7 machines to make sure, no updates available either at WSUS or online thank God.

Might be the case, so I assume this is the answer to what caused it!
Admins please close thread,