Windows 10 Pro Upgrades from 7 Pro

[ksheetz3]

There still appears to be free upgrades available for Windows 10 Pro if you use the media creation tool or an ISO from the volume licensing center. With a valid Windows 7 Pro key, the upgrade to 10 Pro goes through smoothly and activates with no problems. My question is essentially two-fold: 1.) is this a valid way to go about upgrading machines and if not point out it is still available from Microsoft sources and 2.) if any machine is upgraded this way, would this be considered a valid license and hold up under the scrutiny of an audit.

I have read through a lot of forum posts everywhere about this with people on both sides of the arguement but I have not seen an official Microsoft response regarding it.

[locfptpt]

Hi

[JanoschUlmer]

@ksheetz3 ;

The free upgrade period has ended: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12435/windows-10-upgrade-faq

The Media Creation tool mentions you need a valid license that allows you to run Windows 10: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10

Using the tool to upgrade this PC to Windows 10 (click to show more or less information)

Here’s when to use these instructions:

• You have a license to install Windows 10 and are upgrading this PC from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.
• You need to reinstall Windows 10 on a PC you’ve already successfully activated Windows 10.

For example CSP customers, which have licensed Windows 10 E3/E5, or M365 plans, are eligible to use this upgrade method and they can keep Windows 10 Pro even when the CSP subscription has ended, technically this is why this method still works. 

If the customer does not have a valid license that allows him to run Windows 10 or that provided respective upgrade benefits, the fact that it may work does not mean that a customer is eligible to do so.