Microsoft No Longer Offering Free Windows 11 Activations for Windows 7 Keys
Microsoft has reportedly started preventing the activation of Windows 11 using Windows 7 and Windows 8 keys. This development comes shortly after Microsoft announced that it would no longer offer free upgrades to Windows 11 for older operating systems like Windows 7 and 8. Many people have been taking advantage of this loophole, particularly since Microsoft ended support for Windows 7 in 2020, rendering it obsolete. However, according to multiple reports, users will no longer be able to obtain a free copy of Windows 11 with a digital license using a Windows 7 activation key.
Last month, Microsoft posted on its Device Partner Center: “Microsoft’s free upgrade offer for Windows 10/11 ended on July 29, 2016. Also, the installation path to get a free upgrade for Windows 7/8 has now been removed. Upgrades to Windows 11 from Windows 10 are still free .”
In practice, this means that anyone trying to upgrade their system from Windows 7 or Windows 8 to Windows 11 cannot do so through Microsoft’s offer or by pushing a download and then trying to activate it. Those trying to use a clean Windows 7 activation key to install Windows 11 will also be unable to do so. However, those who have already done this and are using the latest Microsoft operating system will not be transferred as they already have a digital license and can continue to use it.
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Microsoft closes loophole for free Windows 11
Although the announcement was made late last month, some users still reported that their Windows 7 activation keys were working for them. However, several reports have emerged in the past 12 hours confirming that this is no longer the case.
A report from The Verge confirmed that while the keys would still install Windows 11, they wouldn’t be able to activate it. The installer showed an error message that said “We can’t activate Windows on this device because you don’t have a valid digital license or product key”.
Windows 7 has been out of date for quite some time without any real updates since 2015, and finally Microsoft stopped all security updates for both versions 7 and 8.1 earlier this year. Likewise, Windows 10 will face the same fate on October 14, 2025, as Microsoft plans to end all software support for the aging operating system.
For those who missed the free bus ride to the latest Microsoft operating system and still want to upgrade, Windows 11 Home edition costs Rs. 10379 and you have to pay Rs. 16,515 of the Pro version.
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