You can no longer activate newer Windows 11 builds with Windows 7/8/8.1 keys

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See You can no longer activate new Windows 11 builds with Windows 7 or 8 keys – Neowin for more details. Also, Windows Ends Installation Path for Free Windows 7/8 Upgrade (microsoft.com)

--Joe

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Windows 11 no longer accepts Windows 8/7 keys for activation

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Did a clean install of Windows 10 that had been upgraded from Windows 7.

No issues.

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Installing and activating are two sperate functions. Is Windows 10 activated ?

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Note the delimiter in their statement…

The installation path to obtain the Windows 7 / 8 free UPGRADE is now removed.

If you’ve already upgraded an old Windows version to Win10/11 you’re good-to-go, even if you do a “clean install”, because your PC will already have an activated Win10/11 “digital license” registered with Microsoft (i.e. it’s not trying to get a new one.)

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It’s the HWID upgrade feature with newer builds that likely doesn’t work, but a fresh install with a CoA/standalone key still currently works, as well as digital keys tied to your account.

https://www.tenforums.com/windows-10-news/207931-free-activation-windows-7-8-key-upgrade-windows-10-11-ends.html
https://www.elevenforum.com/t/windows-10-and-windows-11-digital-licencing-explained.14051/page-2#post-348814
https://www.elevenforum.com/t/free-activation-from-windows-7-8-key-or-upgrade-to-windows-10-11-ends.18347/#post-349214

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Just FYI…

Did a clean install of Windows 10 on an HP laptop late yesterday where the original “OEM” Windows 7 Home had been upgraded to Windows 10 Home and then upgraded again about a year later to Windows 10 Pro using a “retail” license.

I moved the “retail” version of Windows 10 Pro to a new desktop PC and am passing the old laptop on to a cousin.

I used Samsung Magician’s Secure Erase option on the laptop’s SSD and then installed Windows 10 on it from an installation USB created using Microsoft’s media creation tool.

It now contains Windows 10 Home 22H2 and shows “Windows is activated with a digital license”.

So, even though the laptop had gone thru having 3 different versions of Windows “activated” on it, Microsoft’s servers still recognized it as being “digitally” licensed for Windows 10 Home!

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Microsoft has closed the free Windows 11 loophole — Windows 7 keys no longer work

The Windows activation loophole has now been closed by Microsoft, so you’ll have 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. As of this week, Windows 7 keys are now fully blocked from clean installs of Windows 11, Microsoft confirms to The Verge…

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Luckily I was able to squeeze in an upgrade to Windows 10 using the Media Creation Tool a couple of weeks ago. Does anybody know if Microsoft is planning on revoking activations done after they made that announcement? That would suck. Also, if I did a clean install now or in the near future, would I still be able to reactivate my OS?

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Once your installation if Win10 is activated, the key is tied to that computer on MS’s servers. If you do a clean reinstall of Win10, it should automatically reactivate on that machine.

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