Skip to main content

Microsoft is now throwing free upgrades at subscribers of Windows 10 Enterprise

Microsoft’s Nic Fillingham said on Thursday that customers subscribing to Windows 10 Enterprise through the Cloud Solution Provider program (CSP) or Microsoft’s volume licensing program can now upgrade devices running Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 Enterprise without having to purchase separate upgrade licenses. This free upgrade applies to customers subscribed to Windows 10 Enterprise E3 and E5, and Secure Productive Enterprise E3 and E5.

Microsoft introduced subscription plans for Windows 10 Enterprise during the summer of 2016. The E3 version costs $7 per user per month (or $85 per user per year), and consists of Windows 10 Enterprise, the ability to freely deploy the license across five of the user’s devices, and the option to revert back to Windows 10 Pro when the subscription expires or is transferred to another user.

Recommended Videos

As for Windows 10 Enterprise E5, this subscription costs $14 per user per month (or $168 per user per year), and builds on the cheaper E3 plan by adding Microsoft’s Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection service. As with the E3 subscription model, the E5 plan is provided through Microsoft’s volume licensing program, and through its Cloud Solution Provider partners.

“This is an important benefit addition to Windows cloud subscriptions in CSP as it enables customers who have yet to purchase a new Windows 10 device, or who missed out on the free upgrade to Windows 10 campaign, to take advantage of enterprise-grade security, managed by a trusted partner, for the price of coffee and a donut,” Fillingham said.

Administrators in charge of these subscriptions can log into the Office 365 Admin center using their Azure Active Directory credentials and see the new upgrade options over the next 48 hours. Once the options become available, admins can begin to upgrade devices, create installation discs and boot drives, share the download link to others within the organization, troubleshoot, and more.

As previously pointed out, when a subscription ends or is moved to another user, all devices associated with the original user will revert to Windows 10 Pro. That license does not expire, it will not be revoked, and is locked to those specific devices. Thus, in the long run, Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1 devices that formerly updated to Windows 10 Enterprise will get a free upgrade to Windows 10 Pro.

Microsoft’s subscription plans target small to medium-sized organizations looking to use Windows 10 Enterprise without having to sign a long-term volume licensing agreement. Microsoft also provides two subscription models for its Secure Productive Enterprise platform that combines Windows 10 Enterprise, Office 365 Enterprise, and Enterprise Mobility + Security into one package. The E5 version is the more robust subscription of the two with added services like Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection and Microsoft Cloud App Security.

However, since the subscription plans went live, there has been some concern in the mainstream market that Microsoft could roll out plans for Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro too. After all, Microsoft spent an entire year dishing out free upgrades to Windows 10, and is still silently offering that option even though the promotion officially ended on July 29, 2016. Even more, Microsoft considers Windows 10 as a “service” rather than a platform it refreshes every three years.

But fear not: a subscription model for Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro will likely never happen. Most of Microsoft’s revenue stems from its commercial licensing and cloud services, not from retail licensing and upgrades. That said, Microsoft appears to be beefing up its cloud business by offering Windows 10 Enterprise subscription through its Cloud Solution Provider program, and luring customers into the fold with free upgrades.

Kevin Parrish
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…
Microsoft is working on something new, but it’s probably not Windows 12
The Surface Pro 11 on a white table in front of a window.

Microsoft appears to be working on a new major update, but if you're hoping for Windows 12, I wouldn't hold my breath. The company has confirmed that it's testing new content via the Insider program in the Dev Channel, and those changes might lead to a patch that's set to be released later this year. However, we're most likely looking at the successor to the current 24H2 build -- namely Windows 11 25H2 -- and not a whole new operating system.

This was first spotted by Windows Central. The publication cites its own sources as it claims that Microsoft is backporting some platform changes to offer better support for Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon X2 chip. Those changes will allow devices that house that chip to run Germanium-based Windows 11. Germanium refers to the platform release that the current Windows 11 build is built on, and it looks like the upcoming 25H2 build might also be based on Germanium -- but nothing is fully clear at this point.

Read more
5 OneNote for Windows 10 replacements worth using in 2025
Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating system logos are displayed on laptop screens.

In an update to its support document, Microsoft plans to reduce the performance of its legacy OneNote app in an attempt to encourage users to use the Windows 11 OneNote app. Windows Latest first spotted the support document, which mentions how Microsoft is transferring features from the legacy (OneNote for Windows 10) app to the latest version.

Microsoft has removed the older version of OneNote from the Microsoft Store, but the software giant promised that the legacy app would not be replaced. You will still have complete control over the app, and Microsoft will not force you to switch. However, the Windows 10 end-of-support date is approaching, and as a result, the OneNote syncing will get slower.

Read more
Mac users are now in danger of a well-known Windows phishing attack
Apple MacBook Air 13 M4 rear view showing lid and logo.

If you're using a Mac, such as the new MacBook Air, you might have to be careful. A phishing attack that previously plagued Windows users has now made its way to macOS, and it's easy to fall for it.

This was spotted by 9to5Mac. Researchers from LayerX have been tracking a well-known phishing attack that caused a lot of grief to those who were tricked by it. Previously, the main target of these hackers was Windows, but Microsoft was able to largely eliminate it -- up to 90% of all attacks on Windows PCs are said to have been fixed thanks to new updates to Edge, Chrome, and Firefox that block scareware.

Read more