[vandalais]

I just pulled out my old 1011 Hackintosh. The software (as well as hardware) is getting long in the tooth. My Dell is in perfect shape and I just want to pull it off the shelf and put something newer on it. Yes, I know there are multiple Linux distros I can install but was wondering if Windows 10 was an option.

It seems that the hardware meets the minimum requirements. Can Win 7 be purchased inexpensively?

[holmes4]

Given that Windows 10 runs fine on my Mini 9, it should have no problem on your 1011. You can check sites such as Newegg for Windows licenses. I see they are selling Windows 7 Pro for $139.99. But Windows 10 Home is only $119.99.

[TwistyTravster]

Windows 10 does not have any anti-pirate means against using a pre-activated version of Windows 7. As a matter of fact, in the early advertisements, Microsoft even mentioned that there is no issue using an unlicensed copy to upgrade and they wont give you any grief over it. The idea behind this was to compete with the open-source crowd by trying to make things easy for people who want a totally free OS.

However, the free upgrade end date is July 31, 2016. So be sure to take advantage of the free upgrade while it still exists.

The biggest issue I found using Windows 10 on the Mini was that Windows Defender causes random excessive slowdowns. So I tried disabling it, but it will automatically turn back on eventually, and you actually need to go into the registry to force it to stay off indefinitely. Otherwise, all the Dell drivers for Windows 7 works when installed under compatibility mode.

[holmes4]

It's true that there were some news reports last year saying that MS would allow upgrades from pirated Win7/8.1 installs, but Microsoft then clarified this by saying such upgrades would still be considered "nongenuine" and that to legtitimize them you still had to buy a Win10 license.

See Windows 10 upgrades from pirated predecessors won't be legit - CNET and How to upgrade from pirated Windows to legitimate Windows 10 | PCWorld