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 system. The company announced that it is no longer available in the future, especially as this Windows Hack has been used to obtain its modern operating systems, Windows 10 and 11.
Reports claim that this is still available for now, and have successfully done the deed via the old product keys, but it may vary per region, as Microsoft already declared it gone.
Microsoft Ends Using Old Product Keys from Windows 7/8
A new announcement from Microsoft (via Neowin) has confirmed that the company is no longer allowing old Windows 7 and 8 product keys to work on new installs, particularly as they are used as a port for Windows 10 and 11. According to the company's latest claims, the installation path for free Windows 7/8 upgrade towards its modern OS is in the process of ending.
Neowin said that despite this announcement, they have still been able to install a Windows 11 OS via the old product keys that they own.
Microsoft said that the free upgrade to Windows 10 and Windows 11 ended on July 29, 2016, with the company reinforcing its efforts again in the present.
Read also: Install Microsoft Windows 11 Without Bloatware With This Temporary Workaround: Here's How
Windows Hack Gone: No More New OS Install
The hack which many have taken advantage of, using Windows 7/8's old product keys to install the latest OS including Windows 10 and 11 is now gone, as Microsoft enforced a new directive for this. While it is still possible to upgrade from Windows 10 to 11, doing so from its legacy OS including Windows 7 and 8 is no longer available even for those who legitimately owned these via serial numbers.
The Windows Operating System
Microsoft has created and delivered 13 versions of the Windows computer operating system to the world, with the latest being Windows 11, and the earliest being Windows 1.0. However, as far as rankings go, PC Gamer regarded that the best version of the Microsoft computer OS is the Windows 7, its version that was first released in 2009, offering the highly-regarded features of the OS.
It has been an iconic run for Windows in the past few years, as Microsoft still sits atop the ranks of the most used operating systems in the world, going ahead of Apple's macOS and Google's Chrome OS. In most computers and laptops offered today, Windows is still the most accessible and available to many, with a significant reach worldwide.
While online debates have argued about what is the best Windows OS, with some claiming they are sticking with legacy ones including Windows 7, and Windows 8.1, and for some companies, even Windows XP, it is known that Microsoft will continue with its latest offers.
However, the hacks to get the new Windows 11 or the old Windows 10 (to upgrade to 11) via old product keys are now gone, as Microsoft wants to crack down on these installations.
