Microsoft is stopping free Windows 11 updates for some users

Microsoft will remove free updates for Windows 11 for users who continue Windows 7 and Windows 8. The tech giant confirmed the end of the program, which was supposed to end in 2016, but decided to extend it for several years. Those using older versions of the operating system and wishing to upgrade will have to pay a fee.

A section on the device partner website warns that there will no longer be updates for Windows 7 and Windows 8 customers. “Microsoft Free Upgrade Offer for Windows 10/11 ended July 29, 2016. The installation path for the free upgrade to Windows 7/8 has now also been removed,” he says.

The program was originally designed to speed up Windows 10 adoption, although Microsoft decided to keep it around longer. This is why the July 2016 limit doesn’t make sense for Windows 11 since that version debuted in October 2021. Free upgrades will only be available to those upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11, the company has confirmed.

At first glance, this news may seem strange: who would want to upgrade their Windows 7 computer to Windows 11? It is likely that these people’s computers do not meet the minimum hardware requirements, so the installer will warn them that they cannot upgrade to the latest version of the operating system.

All of the above would make sense if not for one small detail: Microsoft allows copies of Windows 11 to be activated using Windows 7/8 product keys. According to Paul Thurrott, this measure was implemented in Windows 10 to allow users to perform a clean install. Microsoft probably forgot it existed when it released Windows 11.

You can upgrade to Windows 11 for free only if you have Windows 10 installed.

Microsoft’s website has confirmed that the free upgrade path will only be available to those using Windows 10. In addition to this, The next Windows 11 update can no longer be activated using a Windows 7/8 product key..

“This change means that we will no longer be able to use Windows 7/8.x product keys, including those you received from MSDN/TechNET,” Thurrott said. “As of today, this process still works on the current version of Windows 11. But when I tried it with the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview on the Canary channel, it didn’t work,” he said.

At first sight, the news is less tragic than it seems. Just a few years ago, obtaining an original key to activate Windows required investing a significant amount of money, so a key generator was an ideal ally. Times have changed and Now you can buy a legal serial number for a few euros.

The end of the update path will only affect Windows 7/8 users. According to StatCounter, Windows 7 has 3.5% market share, and for Windows 8.x – 0.64%. Although the interest is less, the amount is equivalent tens of millions of people who refuse to implement the latest technologies.