Microsoft has just officially confirmed that it has blocked users from using Windows 7 and 8 activation keys to upgrade to Windows 11 in the past.
According to Theverge, using Windows 7 and 8 keys to upgrade to Windows 11 stems from a vulnerability that has existed for many years, allowing people to upgrade from Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10 or 11 for free
Microsoft initially announced changes to block Windows 7 and 8 keys for upgrading to Windows 11 last month, but at the time, multiple reports suggested these keys were still active and it was unclear when the blocking would occur. really effective. Now, as of this week, Windows 7 keys are completely blocked from new installs of Windows 11.
Tested with some Windows 7 keys to install Windows 11 (22H2), although users can use these keys to install the operating system it still does not work. When trying to activate a Windows 7 key on Windows 11, users will receive an error message saying “We cannot activate Windows on this device because you do not have a valid digital license or product key “.
If the user previously upgraded the computer from Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 11 with one of the older keys, the activation status will not change, meaning that the digital license will continue to work. To own Windows 11, users can now only purchase its product key through the Microsoft Store or can buy a new PC that comes with a copy of Windows 11