Free Activation from Windows 7/8 key or upgrade to Windows 10/11 Ends

[Brink]

Windows Ends Installation Path for Free Windows 7/8 Upgrade

Created Date: 2023-09-20 | Last Modified: 2023-09-20

Applies To: Publicly Available

Microsoft's free upgrade offer for Windows 10 / 11 ended July 29, 2016. The installation path to obtain the Windows 7 / 8 free upgrade is now removed as well. Upgrades to Windows 11 from Windows 10 are still free.

Details

To upgrade to Windows 11, devices must meet the Windows 11 minimum system requirements. Some Windows 10 features aren't available in Windows 11. System requirements to experience some Windows 11 features and apps will exceed the Windows 11 minimum system requirements. Find Windows 11 specs, features, and computer requirements.

Get Windows 11 - How to Get Windows 11 for Your Compatible PC | Microsoft.

Source: Windows Ends Installation Path for Free Windows 7/8 Upgrade

 

[Brink]

Microsoft has closed the free Windows 11 upgrade loophole - The Verge

 

[Mike Lynch]

MICROSOFT sucks!

 

[SIW2]

Haven't you already done it ?

The logical thing was to install win10/11 on a separate partition/disk to get the digital entitlement and then keep using win7.

Once obtained, the digital activation stays forever. In theory.

Anybody that hasnt done it yet, might still be able to. The situation is not clear.

 

[michael diemer]

Welcome to Linux! If this is true, and you missed the deadline, consider yourself lucky. you are now a perfect candidate for Linux. You can of course continue with windows 7, but that won't be viable much longer. and if you have used windows for years, you likely won't want to move to Apple, where you will spend 2-3 times the money, plus you won't be able to add memory, a second hard drive, etc. If Microsoft has indeed closed this backdoor to 10, they have actually done you a great service. Now you really have no good options but Linux. Come on in, the water's fine! (I recommend Mint or Zorin for new arrivals).

 

[MisterEd]

I upgraded an old laptop from Windows 7 to 10 for free back in July. I guess I just made it in time.

 

[maxseven]

I wonder what happens when you try the Upgrade to W10 procedure posted elsewhere here. That is, what would become of your system if you do it and it fails to activate? Someone needs to try this--I'm not game just yet cuz reasons.

 

[Night Hawk]

Here I still have to find out if an old 7 laptop will run into any headaches or not? That had the 32bit edition of 7 Home there while the custom builds are now being targeted for seeing 11 Pro dual booted with 7 Pro x64 and having seen 11 install on the main here but drive size? making a possible option?

Setting up a Triple Boot of 7 Ultimate with 10 Pro and now 11 Pro editions is the end goal! The 7 Pro x64 media however had been a clean install with upgrade media and not knowing now with this news if possible or not. Restoring a system image backup not seeing a VHD but TIB using Acronis True Image 2010 still on 7 here to create and restore a backup from a 500gb drive to a 1TB OS drive went well until not able to fix the unable to boot issue presently being seen.
The minimum hardware requirements point to the TPL 2.0 support requirement not seen here. Upgrading the laptop is obviously not in the picture. Running the just seen 11 installation so far is limited to the old 500gb drive so far until the mini tower sees a drastic rebuild which is on the agenda anyways being a 13yr old! But at least I can say I have had a free look at 11 still not seeing any media being carried at any retail outlet however?
An ACER Small Laptop with W11 for only $199.99 while 10 laptops see prices 2 to 3 times higher? I'll miss the 17" screen I had with the old 7 laptop however for a new 14"?