It’s printed and included in the packaging, emailed to you, or stored in the cloud, which is usually the case for system builders. What’s the difference? When you purchase an operating system from Microsoft or any retailer, it comes with a product key to unlock it.

It would be best to have a valid product key or a digital license to get a free upgrade. Image used with permission by copyright holder With product keys and digital licenses No need to worry, though - there are still ways to get Microsoft’s latest operating system without paying for a new license or breaking any rules. Unfortunately, the original free upgrade period to Windows 10 ended years ago, and the workaround to get Windows 10 for free with Assistive Technologies ended not long after that.