Windows 10 upgrades from older versions like Windows 7 and Windows 8 through a hidden loophole were recently discontinued by Microsoft, meaning users running on now obsolete versions of Windows will have to upgrade to Windows 10 via a new license that must be purchased if they wish to upgrade. For a supported operating system. Microsoft will provide updates to Windows 10 until 2025, while users running on older hardware may face compatibility issues when upgrading to the company’s latest desktop operating system.
Microsoft recently published a blog post, Via Windows Central) which states that Microsoft’s official offer to upgrade to Windows 10 for free ended in July 2016. The company says the installation path to get a Windows 7 or Windows 8 free upgrade has also been removed. As a result, users still running on older versions cannot use the workaround to update Windows 10.
While Microsoft officially allowed users to upgrade from Windows 7 or Windows 8 to Windows 10 at no additional cost until July 29, 2016, users could use workarounds and other loopholes to upgrade to Windows 10. Remain accessible for years beyond the prescribed time limit. 10.
Since then, Microsoft has announced a new version of its desktop OS – Windows 11, which is the currently supported operating system model. Users who are running Windows 10 will stop receiving significant software updates in 2025, while Windows 7 and Windows 8 have already stopped receiving security updates and feature updates.
If you’re already running Windows 10, Microsoft says you can continue to upgrade to Windows 11 for free. However, upgrading to Windows 11 also requires a relatively new computer processor and other hardware requirements set by Microsoft.
As a result, the only option for many users with older computers may be to purchase a standalone Windows 10 license, which will allow them to receive updates until 2025 when Microsoft will end support for the operating system. Customers may also consider purchasing a new computer running a preinstalled version of Windows 10 or Windows 11 out-of-the-box.