It’s official: Windows 7 and 8 key updates are dead.

If you were hoping to get a free upgrade to Windows 11 using an old Windows 7 or 8 product key, we have bad news for you. Microsoft has officially confirmed that this method will not work and that you will need a valid Windows 10 license to upgrade to the latest version of your operating system.

Este es un cambio importante con respecto a la política anterior, que permitía a los usuarios actualizar de Windows 7 u 8 a Windows 10 de forma gratuita, incluso después de la fecha límite oficial del 29 de julio de 2016. Muchos usuarios aprovecharon esta laguna jurídica, que nunca se cerró explícitamente. por Microsoft y se ahorraron el coste de comprar una nueva licencia.

However, with the release of Windows 11 on October 5, 2021, Microsoft has decided to end this practice once and for all. According to a support document updated on October 13, 2021, users who want to upgrade to Windows 11 will need a digital license or product key for Windows 10. If you try to use a Windows 7 or 8 key, you will get an error message saying that «this product key cannot be used to activate this edition of Windows.»

This means that if you are still running Windows 7 or 8 on your PC, you will need to purchase a new license for Windows 10 before you can upgrade to Windows 11. Alternatively, you can buy a new PC that comes with Windows 11 pre-installed. installed, which will also include a digital license for the new operating system.

Microsoft has stated that this change is intended to «ensure that customers have a genuine and secure experience when using their devices.» The company has also reminded users that Windows 7 is no longer supported and that Windows 8.1 will reach the end of its support lifecycle on January 10, 2023. It is therefore recommended that users upgrade to Windows 10 or 11 as soon as possible to avoid security risks and compatibility issues.

If you are not sure if your PC meets the minimum requirements for Windows 11, you can use the PC Health Check application or the WhyNotWin11 tool to verify its compatibility. You can also visit the official Windows 11 website for more information on how to upgrade and what features are available in the new operating system.

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Microsoft has officially closed the loophole that allowed users to upgrade to Windows 10 or 11 for free using Windows 7 or 8 license keys. The Verge reported this week that activation servers no longer accept these keys, following Microsoft’s announcement last month.

This marks the end of an era for Windows users who were able to take advantage of this unofficial upgrade path for seven years, despite Microsoft officially ending the offering in 2016. Many users were able to use their old license keys from previous versions of Windows to activate the latest versions on new hardware. It is unclear whether this will also apply to Windows 10 licenses in the future. (We hope not).

The only free upgrade left is from Windows 10 to Windows 11, provided your device meets the minimum requirements. (Or you can skip them). If you’re still using Windows 7 or 8 on an older device, you’ll have to find other ways to upgrade without paying full price, unless you’ve already activated Windows 10 before the deadline and then went back. . In that case, you can still upgrade for free.