Spark! Pro Series - 6 June 2023 Spiceworks Originals.

If the machines came loaded from the vendor with Vista or XP, you are going to have to buy new copies of Windows for every PC. Windows 7/8/8.1 Pro used in a business 'enterprise' OEM and retail editions are still eligible for free upgrade from Microsoft.

Neither Software Assurance nor purchase of Enterprise versions of Windows is free. Windows 7/8/8.1 'Enterprise' is upgraded to Windows 10 via Software Assurance or direct purchase of Enterprise licences. This only requires one Volume license to cover every PC you own that is eligible for the free Windows 10 upgrade.Ī lot of the articles on this subject have a lot of ambiguous use of the work 'enterprise' that makes it confusing. You should only need to buy the Volume license for Windows 10 add-on to get re-imaging rights. Dell etc.) is eligible for free upgrade to Windows 10 Pro. If the machine came loaded with with Windows 7 Pro, 8 Pro or 8.1 Pro, the underlying OEM license from the vendor (such as HP. You should also install all Windows 8.1 updates prior to end of support, if possible.It actually looks like Windows 7 Pro and newer should be eligible for free upgrade. You should be extremely careful with USB drives as they may be infected with malware.

Because of the above, if you run Windows 8.1 after the end-of-support date, then you may want to disable Wi-Fi and unplug any Ethernet cables to prevent malware from entering your computer.

You may run into legal issues if you are a business and you run an unsupported operating system.

If your computer has a technical issue, Microsoft will not be able to provide technical support.

This includes UWP versions of desktop apps like Spotify or iTunes. They require at least Windows 10 or Windows 11 to function properly. A lot of Microsoft Store apps being developed today do not work on Windows 8.1.

More and more apps will be developed, but Windows 8.1 will not support them.

Your computer will continue to work as it does today, but you may be exposed to more viruses and malware than on newer ecosystems.Antivirus, such as Microsoft Security Essentials, will not work as effectively as it used to, meaning you may be vulnerable to viruses and other forms of malware. Antivirus does not protect your computer when it is out of support.This is not recommended, but if you choose to do so, take notes of the following: Continue using Windows 8.1 past its end-of-support date, if you really want to.

Windows 8.1 pro upgrade