Microsoft has closed down a loophole that let you activate Windows 11 with Windows 7 keys. It means you’ll now need to buy a legit Windows 11 key.
Microsoft is now blocking Windows 7 and Windows 8 keys from activating a copy of Windows 11. It’s been a loophole that has existed for years, allowing people to upgrade from Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10 or 11 free of charge. Microsoft originally announced the changes to block Windows 7 and Windows 8 keys from Windows 11 late last month, but at the time, we saw that keys were still activating, and it wasn’t clear when the block would actually come into force.
I’ve tested several Windows 7 keys on a clean install of Windows 11 today — and while I could use the keys to install the OS, it wouldn’t activate. “We can’t activate Windows on this device because you don’t have a valid digital license or product key,” reads the error message when you now attempt to activate a Windows 7 key on Windows 11. If you’ve previously upgraded a machine from Windows 7 or Windows 8 to Windows 11 or used one of these older keys, your activation status won’t change.
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