If you bought discounted Pro licenses for 8.1/8 when it came out (I paid $35 AUD each) they do validate and install windows 10 Pro - tested literally 1 weeks ago.

I don't know why anyone would like windows 8.1 to my opinion it is worst than Vista. Strike 4 for windows on that one.

My laptop still has 8.1 on it. Added 16gb of ram and an SSD never had one problem with it.

More on the broken wallpaper function due to W7's last update:

https://www.ghacks.net/2020/01/26/that-windows-7-wallpaper-bug-we-introduced-buy-esu-to-get-it-fixed/

Yeah, it did that for me and it was a seamless transition.  However, MS did announce that updating to Win 10 from 7 or 8/8.1 would cease, and as far as I know, it did.  Thing is, MS came up with other ways to update for free. assistive technologies being one such scheme, and I have a feeling that these free updates using 7 and 8/8.1 product keys were quietly reintroduced to get more people onto 10.  I say quietly because I think MS didn't want to be seen as going back on the 'no longer free' statement.

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Not everyone's cup of tea, Win 8.1, but once I had Start8 and other Stardock stuff on it, I thought it was actually better than win 7.  It was definitely faster, and once I got rid of those confounded tiles, it looked better, too.  Apps and tiles belong on phones, not a PC.

And same as ALMonty.... never had a problem with it, which is more than I can say for 10.  In the early days, 10 was like an unruly child with attitude, though I must admit, it has much improved since then and behaves so much better.

Would have been 'clever' if that final update for 7 made the OS unusable...and forced everyone to go to 10....

Of course....they would have got into a whole world of 'hurt' when half the planet wanted their balls...

8.1 had much better performance for lower spec systems - maybe because it was doing much less or less security? But my little windows tablet (built for Win 7) ran beautifully on 8.1 - 10 killed it.

In saying that, windows 7, hell even 98 was doing everything I really needed on a PC. Using an old 98 install in VM or on the hardware which could last actually run it feels so zippy.

Wish I could time travel. 

The 'test' for when Windows 10 has matured enough to be considered a 'real OS' is when my 'second' [Terry's] computer can actually update itself without wetting its undies in a hissy-fit.

It's the second fastest/second most capable...and second most complicated...an up-time around 10 years or so....took an upgrade to 10 back when MS claimed it was an OS ready for release, but is now resisting all efforts to get it to do the things it's SUPPOSED to do - itself - like updates.

Doing command-line calls to stop and start services etc shouldn't be needed...and they're not...cos they don't effing change anything.

There's still a dozen or so failed updates...all with an error code which obviously translates as ...."fucked if I know - have you tried turning it off and turning it on again?".

Of course....there's bound to be an update that fixes the problem....but....

It's why I downloaded the media creation tool for the other machines...to bypass the same problem on the lappy... but Installing 10 [newer] over 10 [neanderthal] is bound to be hit-miss and I'll brick the entire animal.

And THAT will guarantee my main machine stays happily ticking over on 7 till I turn up my toes...

I've had the occasional update in 10 that failed, but for the most part it has been pretty good.  It wasn't always that way, though.  I recall one time back when 10 was fairly new, it downloaded about 500 gigs of updates and seemingly installed them without issue, but after the obligatory reboot I got a message stating that the update failed and any changes were being undone.  It happened twice, a terabit of download data wasted.

Things are better these days, but I'm still not sold on 10 being better than 7 or 8.1.  I'll have to see how well it performs on the Big Beastie MkII.... when I get it built, that is.  The motherboard arrived today but I was rather unwell and spent the whole day in bed; hence no progress regarding the build. 

It's now 1.06AM Wednesday and I've been up for about 20 minutes to get a drink, etc, but I still feel like crap so I'll return to bed and see how I feel in the morning. 

MS issues a patch for wallpaper glitch:

https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-actually-windows-7-is-getting-a-new-update-to-fix-black-wallpaper-bug/

I would say ten is better. Or at least better that eight. I think vista is better than eight.

edit I just found out that windows ten can't play DVD's for free.

So much for the end of life/support, eh!  I wonder if this is the beginning of a reprieve, something like XP did for businesses?  Something a friend told me is that MS pulled thousands of Win 7 licences and that activating or reactivating Win 7 will be no more.  Not too sure if that is so, but I was gifted a Win 7 license that did activate okay but became invalid some months later.

I rang MS to get it sorted out but was told that it could not be reactivated and that I should purchase Win 10 if I wanted to continue computing.  It's a bit bloody rude if you ask me, but then look at how forceful MS was in the early days of 10... ruthless to say the least.

Thing is, I quite liked Vista as well.  Many never liked it, but it was the OS we had to have in order to get to Win 7... and Win 8/8.1 is the OS we had to have to get to Win 10.  I'm still not convinced that 10 is the best OS ever, but it has improved over time and is at least usable now....

..... unless yer Jafo, that is.      

Well I have Win 10 running all 9 of the machines in the household..... 5 are mine, 2 are Shaunna's and 2 are Steve's.  It made no sense to hang onto Win 7 or 8/8.1 for any of us.....  with the lifespan of one ended and the other not far behind it, so I may as well bite the bullet and go with 10 and be done with it.  

I'm now left with 4 copies of XP Pro, 2 copies of Vista, 1 copy of 7 and 2 copies of Win 8/8.1.  I've been hanging onto some of them them for several years and not used them.  Hmmmm, what to do with them?  I may keep an XP Pro for older games since Win 7 got deactivated by MS, but the rest I see no use for.

That's a little unfair. Under the hood 8 actually ran better than 7 and certainly better than Vista. The main issue was the UI, which Stardock products could help fix

Exactly!  Win 8/8.1 were great under the hood, but as you say, the UI was all wrong.  Thank goodness for Start8 and WB to give it a better look and practicality.