If you’re still putting off your upgrade to Windows 10, the end is nigh. That’s because the free update period for the operating system is quickly approaching: If you don’t make the move before it’s up, you’ll shell out $120 to $200 you otherwise didn’t have to spend.Here's the thing... funny story... that's not exactly true.
From ZDNet:
Microsoft says the year-long offer will expire on July 29, 2016, which is less than three months from today. After that date, unless a new offer of some sort materializes, you'll need to pay for a Windows 10 upgrade at the prevailing retail price, $119 for a Home upgrade or $199 for the Pro edition.
But what if you're not ready to switch to Windows 10 yet? Can you claim your free upgrade and keep using your current Windows version?
Yes, you can. And it's not a loophole, nor does it involve any tricks. It merely involves claiming your entitlement under the free upgrade offer and then rolling back to your prior operating system. With that entitlement in place, you can schedule the final upgrade for when you're ready, even if that's after July 29.Microsoft, naturally, aren't advertising this, although they have made more mention of the ability to roll back your Windows 10 "upgrade" in the last few weeks, mainly in response to the growing backlash against the heavy-handed and deceptive tactics that they're using to push people into upgrading against their wishes.
Personally, I don't expect to ever switch my current PC to Windows 10. In fact, I'm still planning to run Windows 7 alongside SteamOS in a dual-boot set-up, starting the end of this month and continuing until Microsoft sunset Windows 7. The only condition under which I'd consider adopting Windows 10 is if they give back control of our PCs with the free version, something that Microsoft clearly aren't planning to do for anything less than an Enterprise license.
But if you think you may want to switch to Windows 10 someday, and sooner than you expect to purchase your next PC... well, you still have options, and those options don't include switching OSes just because Microsoft want you to. Both the upgrade and the rollback can cause issues on some systems, so this flip-flop/upgrade-rollback process isn't entirely risk-free, but it's there if you want it.