Microsoft Says the Days of Free Windows 7 to 10 or 11 Updates Are Over

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However, Windows 10 keys will continue to be valid for Windows 11 installs.

Windows 7
(Image credit: Adriano Castelli/Shutterstock)

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.

(Image credit: Future)

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.

Mark Tyson
Mark Tyson
News Editor

Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.

43 Comments Comment from the forums
  • USAFRet
    For all the naysayers that bitch about a Windows license being "too expensive"....

    A $100 purchase in 2009 (Win 7 Home) giving you near 20 years or more use (through 10, then 11, possibly 12) is not a bad deal at all.
    Reply
  • baboma
    This is fairly irrelevant at this point, as Win 10 is already on the outs, and Win 11 requires hardware that Win 7/8 PCs don't have and can't upgrade to . Win 11 itself is about to exit stage left to make way for Win 12 next year. The people who want to upgrade would've done it long ago.

    I doubt MS cares either way. Windows is shaping up to become a service, and the software itself is slated to become the proverbial "free" razor so MS can sell razor blades. Ads are appearing in menus in both Home and Pro editions (but not in Edu or Enterprise ones), along with the bloatware. I can only think that that avenue will be more heavily monetized in the future.

    That, and the integration of CoPilot (aka Bing Chat) in Windows itself will allow for yet more ad-placement opportunities. That's where the money's at for MS, not the OS cost.

    I've been using CoPilot in Win for a few days. It's useful and convenient to have. But I'm fairly certain I'll strip it out after a while, after the novelty wears off, in favor of web-based chatbots. The convenience isn't worth the privacy loss.
    Reply
  • mrv_co
    I'll ride my Win10 (relegated to gaming only nowadays) Pony into the sea and reassess on or at some point after October 14, 2025.
    Reply
  • Dr3ams
    USAFRet said:
    For all the naysayers that bitch about a Windows license being "too expensive"....

    A $100 purchase in 2009 (Win 7 Home) giving you near 20 years or more use (through 10, then 11, possibly 12) is not a bad deal at all.
    In Germany you can buy a Windows 11 Pro license, online, for under 70 Euros. I have several original Windows 10 OEM discs, so I don't have any need to purchase an 11 license.

    I do think that Windows 7 was the best OS that Microsoft ever developed though.
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    Dr3ams said:
    I do think that Windows 7 was the best OS that Microsoft ever developed though.
    People have said that about every Windows version since...ever.
    OK, maybe not Me.
    Reply
  • Colif
    USAFRet said:
    OK, maybe not Me.
    no way, ME was amazing /s

    I think out there somewhere is someone who thinks windows 2.0 was the best version.

    At least no more updates means I won't have to update my VM with a new version ever again.
    Reply
  • Dr3ams
    USAFRet said:
    People have said that about every Windows version since...ever.
    OK, maybe not Me.
    Yeah, been using Windows since 3.0. Of course it's a subjective opinion, but out of all those versions I've used, Windows 7 still remains my favorite.
    Reply
  • MoxNix
    M$ keeps giving us more and more reasons to switch to Linux.
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    MoxNix said:
    M$ keeps giving us more and more reasons to switch to Linux.
    Have YOU made the switch 100%?
    If not, why not?
    Reply
  • hotaru.hino
    MoxNix said:
    M$ keeps giving us more and more reasons to switch to Linux.
    What, because they stopped the free upgrade program for an OS that they stopped selling around 7 years ago?

    If you want "free as in beer", you can Windows 10 and 11 indefinitely without activating it.
    Reply