Microsoft says it has closed an installation path that allowed Windows 7 and 8.X owners to upgrade to Windows 10 and 11 for free. An official statement to this effect was posted on the Microsoft Device Partner Center communications portal earlier this month and spotted by Windows Central.
One of the things that Microsoft did differently with the introduction of Windows 10 in 2015 was to make the new OS a free upgrade for existing users of older OSes. Specifically, it used this free carrot to tempt OS sticklers wedded to the popular Windows 7 release.
The offer officially ended on July 29, 2016. However, PC enthusiasts and DIYers noticed that Microsoft's activation servers continued to be happy with people deciding on an overdue update. People could even download fresh Windows 10 and 11 ISOs and install them straight onto machines using 'spare' Windows 7 or 8.X keys from old systems. On September 20, 2023, this grace period finally came to an end.
The company explains its newly enacted Windows upgrade policy as follows: "Microsoft's free upgrade offer for Windows 10 / 11 ended July 29, 2016," it says. "The installation path to obtain the Windows 7 / 8 free upgrade is now removed as well." However, Windows 10 users can still upgrade to Windows 11 for now.
In addition to the above notice, Microsoft sought to remind those interested in Windows 11 of the operating system's minimum system requirements. Tom's Hardware regulars will be well aware of the arbitrary Windows 11 install restrictions concerning processor generatioTPMs, andl as the more usual recommendations about RAM/storage. Furthermore, we have documented several ways to get around the Windows 11 minimum system requirements. Some third-party Windows 11 distributions, like tiny11 from NTDEV, have built-in OS requirements dodges.
The Upgrade Window Remains Ajar
Windows Central tested whether Microsoft's new statement on the closure of the free installation path for Windows 7 and 8.X users had actually come into effect. In short, it found that "these older keys still activate the production builds of Windows 11." It's difficult to be certain how long this upgrade window will remain ajar in the wake of the recent official statement from Microsoft.
