The more things change, the more they stay the same! In what should not be that big a surprise, it appears that Windows 7 product keys still work on the newly hatched Windows 11.
The new OS leaked to the web in a very early stage a few days back.
And though Microsoft is not too happy with this development, the community has been taking this leaked build through its paces to see what exactly the software giant has been working on these past couple of years.
Despite being a really early build, this prerelease version of Windows 11 still does come with plenty of new features that suggest that this is indeed going to be a big release.
Speaking of big releases, though, there are none bigger than Windows 7. This is an OS that remains one of the most beloved and most used versions of Windows ever. And so loyal was its userbase that Microsoft had to run a free upgrade promo to entice these folks to upgrade to Windows 10.
Yes, the legendary free upgrade saga.
Back in 2015, when Redmond released Windows 10, the company allowed Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users to upgrade to the new operating system free of charge. An option to allow users of the new OS to activate their copy using a Windows 7 product key was added at a later time.
The campaign was supposed to come to an end when Windows 10 turned one.
So, while the free upgrades were allowed for a year, Microsoft actually still allows users to move from Windows 7 to Windows 10 without paying a single cent — as long as they have an active genuine license key, of course.
Fast forward to today, and this process still checks out.
The leaked Windows 11 build can still be activated using a Windows 7 key. Microsoft could change the activation system by the time the official launch of the new OS comes around. But for the time being, things are just as they used to be.
Then again, with signs that Windows 11 may be a free upgrade they might stay as they are.
The more things change, the more they stay the same!
