In an amusing twist that undoubtedly spells the end of some hapless manager's career, Microsoft has accidentally gifted pirates with a free, fully-functioning Windows 8 license key. If you so desire, ...

Microsoft is closing the loophole that allowed older Windows product keys to activate Windows 10 and Windows 11. This loophole has existed since Windows 10 first launched as a "free" upgrade for ...

Microsoft warned us last month that our favorite Windows upgrade loophole was over, but now it’s official: The activation servers no longer let you use Windows 7 or 8 license keys to activate Windows ...

In December 2022, we published a short PSA, reminding users they could still activate Windows 11 and 10 with valid Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 keys. This practice dates back to 2015 when Microsoft launched ...

In brief: Anyone planning to use an old Windows 7 or 8 product key to activate Windows 11 should probably pull the trigger now if it isn't too late. Microsoft has announced the end of a grace period ...

Ugh this kinda sucks but I guess it doesn't really matter. I had a bunch of Windows 7 keys from 2009 that have been great with 10 and 11. I get that this free ride is over but it still sucks. It ...

Ever since Windows 10 made its debut in 2015, Microsoft had the rather generous policy of allowing anyone with a Windows 7 or Windows 8 key to activate the latest version of Windows. This policy ...

Some hacks are unethical, but others are only outsmarting Big Tech, but Microsoft was quick to catch up on the public's use of old product keys from Windows 7 and Windows 8 for its new operating ...

Microsoft closed a Windows 7 / 8 key loophole last month, and now people are experiencing issues reactivating some Windows 10 / 11 installs. Microsoft closed a Windows 7 / 8 key loophole last month, ...

To recall, Microsoft launched Windows 10 in 2015. At the time, it promised to provide users with a free upgrade to Windows 10 within one year. This offer ended on July 29, 2016. In fact, even after ...

At least for now, though, it seems like this change will only apply to future Windows versions. We were able to activate a fresh Windows 11 Pro 22H2 install with a Windows 8 Pro product key as of this ...

You can no longer get free access to Windows 10 and 11 if you’re upgrading from Windows 7 or 8, though you can still go from 10 to 11. Reading time: Reading time 2 minutes Does it go to 11? Well, no, ...