Free upgrade from Windows 7/8 to Windows 10/11 has ended
Microsoft has announced that it has ended upgrades from Windows 7/8 to Windows 10/11. However, upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is still possible.
Windows Ends Installation Path for Free Windows 7/8 Upgrade
Windows 11: Aktivierung mit altem Windows 7 / 8.1 Key bzw. Upgrade von Win 7 / 8.1 auf 10 nicht mehr möglich - Deskmodder.de
https://www.deskmodder.de/blog/2023/09/28/windows-11-aktivierung-mit-altem-windows-7-8-1-key-bzw-upgrade-von-win-7-8- 1-auf-10-nicht-mehr-moeglich/
You can no longer activate new Windows 11 builds with Windows 7 or 8 keys - Neowin
https://www.neowin.net/news/you-can-no-longer-activate-new-windows-11-builds-with-windows-7-or-8-keys/
When Microsoft launched Windows 10 in 2015, it provided a one-year period during which users could upgrade from Windows 7/8 to Windows 10 for free. During this upgrade period, it was not only possible to upgrade from Windows 7/8 to Windows 10, but also to activate the latest version of Windows using previously released license keys.
Summary of how to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 for free now - GIGAZINE
This free upgrade period was supposed to have ended on July 29, 2016, but in fact some free upgrades from Windows 7/8 to Windows 10 continued after August 2016. The reason why free upgrades were left in place is said to be a result of considering the popularity of Windows 10.
Why is the free upgrade campaign to Windows 10 still going on? -GIGAZINE
However, Microsoft has announced that 'Microsoft's offer for free upgrades to Windows 10/11 ended on July 29, 2016. The installation path to obtain free upgrades on Windows 7/8 has also been removed. ``Upgrades from Windows 10 to Windows 11 will remain free,'' announced on September 20, 2023 in the Device Partner Center, which was picked up by the German blog Deskmodder.de. According to Deskmodder.de, there have been changes to the activation method for Windows license keys, and Windows 7/8 license keys can no longer be used to activate Windows 10/11 using the official method.
At the time of article creation, it seems that it is possible to activate Windows 10/11 with an unused Windows 7/8 license key, and the IT news site Neowin says, ``You can activate Windows 11 version 22H2 with an unused Windows 7 license. 'Activation was successful.'
However, at the time of article creation, the latest Windows 11 Canary build said that unused Windows 7 license keys were rejected. This canary build is thought to be introduced as version 24H2, so in the future it will no longer be possible to activate Windows 11 even with an unused Windows 7 license key.
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in Software, Posted by log1i_yk