Windows 10 - Will you lose your free upgrade if you reinstall.

Owners of Windows 7 and 8.1 will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 for free but can they keep using that copy of Windows 10 if they need to reinstall Windows or replace their PC?

Reinstalling an upgraded version of Windows 10 on the same machine will be possible without having to buy a new copy of Windows, according to Microsoft.

People who have upgraded to Windows 10 will be able to download media that can be used to clean install Windows 10 from USB or DVD. There will be no need to purchase a new copy of Windows 10 provided it is being installed on the same Windows 7 or 8.1 machine that was upgraded to Windows 10. The installed version of Windows 10, Home or Pro, will be the same as the version they upgraded to.

When installing Windows 10, users will be able to skip the requirement to enter a product key and Windows 10 will activate automatically online.

TechRepublic's sister site ZDNet also recently published a guide for people running early builds of Windows 10 under the Windows Insider Program, detailing how to create ISO files from the OS that can be used for a clean install.

However, people running an upgraded version of Windows 10 will likely need to buy a new copy of Windows 10 if they switch to a new machine or "significantly upgrade the device" - which Microsoft counts as replacing the motherboard.

Ian Moulster, Windows product manager, said: "My understanding is it's licensed to the device and not to you, so it's specific to the device and you wouldn't be able to use it elsewhere."

Most owners of Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 operating systems will see a Windows icon in their taskbar that will allow them to "reserve" their free upgrade to Windows 10. The 3GB file can be downloaded from 29th July. The free upgrade will be available until July next year and those choosing to switch to Windows 10 can cancel their reservations "at any time", according to Microsoft.

To upgrade using Windows Update users must be running Windows 7 (Service Pack 1) or Windows 8 (Windows 8.1 Update). Other Windows 7 and Windows 8 users will still be able to upgrade to Windows 10 by downloading an ISO image from Microsoft.

The five million Windows Insiders who have been testing Windows 10 will also get Windows 10 on July 29.

Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Education, editions will be available from Saturday, August 1. Neither version is available under the first-year-free promotion and both will be available for download from Microsoft's Volume Licensing Center.

By Nick Heath - techrepublic.com

How to switch back to Google from Yahoo in Firefox

One of the ways web browsers make money is by selling their default search engine spot.

For the longest time, that highest bidder was Google for Firefox — hence why if you searched via Firefox’s address bar, search bar, or default homepage, you would use Google search (unless you changed it to something else). Recently, however, Yahoo bought the rights to be Firefox’s default search engine. If you, like me, prefer to use Google over Yahoo, this article will show you how to switch back.

Switching back to Google from Yahoo in Firefox and making Google the default search engine in Firefox again is actually very easy; you need to do the following:

• Open up Firefox Options. How to do this varies depending on which version of Firefox you have and if you made customizations or not. However, most people can open Firefox Options by clicking the button that has three lines and selecting Options:

• Once the Options window is open, go to the Search tab, select Google from the Default Search Engine drop-down menu, and click OK:

• Done! Now Google is again the default search engine for your Firefox.

Read more at http://dottech.org/170710/how-to-switch-back-to-google-from-yahoo-in-firefox-guide/#YY8RC2QtJoWqzmxd.99

How to enable the ‘Undo Send’ feature in Gmail

At long last, Gmail has already taken the “Undo Send” feature from the labs and it is now an official feature that every Gmail user can enjoy. So, unlike before, you can now officially undo those embarrassing emails that you’ve sent without leaving a bad impression.

To enable the “Undo Send” feature in Gmail, here’s what you need to do:

How to enable the ‘Undo Send’ feature in Gmail

• First, log in to your Gmail account.
• Once you’re successfully logged in, click the gear (Settings) icon on the top-right portion of your inbox.
•  

• On the menu that appears, choose “Settings”.
• On the Gmail settings page, go to the “General” tab and then scroll down the list of options. Find “Undo Send”.
• Once you’ve found “Undo Send”, just click the box next to “Enable Undo Send” and then do not forget to set your preferred cancellation period. The cancellation period is the time interval in which you’re allowed to undo the email that you sent. You can set the cancellation period between 5 seconds to 30 seconds.

• Do not forget to click the “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the page to confirm.

• Once enabled, you can send a new email or reply to existing emails like usual. Once the email has been sent, the undo message will appear at the top of your inbox for a specific period of time depending on your preferred cancellation period. Just click “Undo” whenever you want to undo your email and you’re done.

Read more at http://dottech.org/183512/how-to-enable-the-undo-send-feature-in-gmail-tip/#je0fl7wmYt012vl1.99

http://dottech.org/183512/how-to-enable-the-undo-send-feature-in-gmail-tip/

How to turn any PDF into a fillable form online

If you don’t have the appropriate tool or software, it can be difficult to fill out digital forms especially if they are formatted as PDF. Of course, there are tools that can help you convert a PDF into a fillable form. Now, if you’re looking for a free online PDF to fillable form converter tool, just go ahead and read the steps listed in this post.

• First, you need to go to “Paperjet.com”. It is an online tool so you can just load it on your web browser (ex. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.).
• Once you’re on the Paperjet page, sign up for a free account and then sign in to view your dashboard.
• After signing in, you’ll immediately see the available options on your online dashboard. As you can see on your dashboard, the main menu is on the left and opposite of it is the list of your converted forms.

• So if you want to turn any PDF into a fillable form, you just drag and drop the PDF file that you want on the field provided. You may also use the “Browse” option to manually search for the file that you wish to convert.
• Once the PDF file has been successfully added and converted into a fillable form, it will automatically appear on the list.

• To view the converted file, just click on it and as you can notice, there are clickable fields and click boxes. So just use the tools provided to fill in the form and once you’re done, you may download, email or fax your document to your contact or client.

From dotTech

Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for Windows 7 and Windows 8 user

It’s official, folks: Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for existing Windows users—as long as you claim it quickly.

 Microsoft operating system chief Terry Myerson announced that current users of Windows 7,Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 will be able to upgrade to the new operating system for free as long as they do so within one year of Windows 10's launch. Once you’ve claimed the upgrade, it's permanent, and Microsoft will keep you updated for the supported lifetime of the device.

Myerson said. “We think of Windows 10 as a service,”

UPDATE: Windows 10 will be available to download July 29, and existing Windows 7 and 8 users can "reserve" their copy today.

Here's the fine print from the Windows 10 page on Microsoft's site:

    “It is our intent that most of these devices will qualify, but some hardware/software requirements apply and feature availability may vary by device. Devices must be connected to the internet and have Windows Update enabled. ISP fees may apply. Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1 Update required. Some editions are excluded: Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8/8.1 Enterprise, and Windows RT/RT 8.1. Active Software Assurance customers in volume licensing have the benefit to upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise outside of this offer. We will be sharing more information and additional offer terms in coming months.”

Did you catch that? Windows RT tablets won't be upgraded to Windows 10—though they'll get some of the new features—and business users will have to pay to upgrade and receive continued support.

The decision to make Windows 10 a free upgrade for existing users makes sense. Windows 8 users have vocally expressed their displeasure with the operating system, prompting happy Windows 7 users to stay put on that OS. That hinders Microsoft's ability to execute its vision for a service-centric, cloud-connected future for Windows; making Windows 10 free could spur more users into embracing a modern Microsoft operating system.

Brad Chacos   http://www.pcworld.com

NOTE.................
[ You should find a small white windows icon in your system tray
 if your PC can be updated to win10, click this and  reserve your FREE 3gb download and upgrade. ] 

Windows 10 free upgrade: Microsoft details who gets what.

Microsoft was meant to be streamlining its OS with Windows 10, so why is upgrading so confusing?

Last week Microsoft revealed that Windows 10 would be coming in a number of different editions when it launches later this year. We already knew that Windows 10 wouldn't be a free upgrade for Windows Enterprise users, but it wasn't clear exactly how the Home and Pro editions of Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 would translate across to Windows 10.
Thankfully Microsoft has clarified the matter a little further on its Australia Partner Network Blog.
Windows 7 Home Basic and Home Premium licence holders, as well as Windows 8 and 8.1 users, will all be upgraded to Windows 10 Home – Microsoft's basic Windows 10 package. Those using Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate, and those using Windows 8 and 8.1 Pro, will be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro.
Providing you hold a valid Windows licence, the upgrade process will be completely free, and will be distributed exclusively through Windows Update. All corporate Windows Pro systems using Windows Server Update Suite will also have to use Windows Update to access the free upgrade.
Enterprise-level users wishing to upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise will need to purchase a new set of licence subscriptions, as per usual for a Windows OS upgrade. Those wishing to take up Windows 10 Education edition – equivalent to Student and Teacher editions – can do so by upgrading from Home or Pro, or purchasing outright from launch.
As Windows XP is no longer supported, and Microsoft has all but forgotten Windows Vista, you'll need to purchase Windows 10 from scratch if you want to upgrade from either of those operating systems.
Windows RT devices are also excluded from the update process. Ars does report that Microsoft has promised an upgrade for ARM device owners, such as the Surface RT and Surface 2, but the company hasn't yet detailed what form that will take.
This article originally appeared at pcpro.co.uk

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