Microsoft blocks Windows 7 keys from activating Windows 11 for free

Windows PC users will not be able to activate Windows 11 with older keys from Windows 7 anymore as Microsoft has now completely blocked this loophole.

Published: Oct 12, 2023, 04:00 PM IST

Microsoft has rolled out a new version of Windows 11.

Story Highlights

Microsoft has blocked activating Windows 11 using Windows 7 key.
Earlier Windows 7, Windows 8 keys could be used for activating Windows 10.
This loophold could also be used for activating Windows 11.

Windows 11 update: Microsoft has rolled out an update to all its Windows PCs that will prohibit Windows users from using activation keys from Windows 7 and Windows 8 for activating Windows 11 on their devices. While Microsoft allows Windows 10 users to upgrade to Window 11 for free, the same is not true for desktops and laptops running the company’s old Windows 7 and Windows 8 operating systems. However, a loophole enabled users to upgrade to Windows 11 using old activation keys from Windows 7 and Windows 8. Now, the company has patched the update forcing users to buy the legitimate activation key to download and install Windows 11 on their PCs.

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Simply put, users will not be able to activate Windows 11 with older keys from Windows 7 anymore as Microsoft has now completely blocked those from activating a copy of latest Windows 11.

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It is worth noting that this loophole has existed for years, and it enabled people to upgrade from Windows 7 or Windows 8 to Windows 10 or Windows 11 free of charge. Then last month, the company announced to block Windows 7 and Windows 8 keys from activating Windows 11. And it was until today that the change came into effect.

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“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,” Microsoft wrote in an update on its support page.

That said, while the company has blocked all the future upgrades, the update doesn’t change the upgrades that users have already made. According to a report by The Verge, users who have upgraded to Windows 11 using old Windows 7 or Windows 8 activation keys will not witness any changes and they will be able to continue using their PCs freely. The update affects new activations only. This means while users will be able to download Windows 11 on their PCs, they will not be able to activate it, which will limit its usage completely.

Furthermore, the company has also cautioned users that to upgrade to Windows 11, devices must meet the Windows 11 minimum system requirements. “System requirements to experience some Windows 11 features and apps will exceed the Windows 11 minimum system requirements,” the company added in its support page.

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Windows 11 minimum system requirements

Processor	1GHz or faster with two or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or system-on-chip (SoC).
RAM	4GB.
Storage	64GB or larger storage device
System firmware	UEFI, Secure Boot capable.
TPM	Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0.
Graphics card	Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver.
Display	High definition (720p) display that is greater than 9-inch diagonally, 8 bits per colour channel.