And this provides you with another option if Windows 11 isn’t necessarily your cup of tea. I’ve seen reports that activating Windows 10 with a Windows 11 product key works as well. And this won’t change after the software giant stops selling Windows 10 product keys either, meaning that you can very well use the old license for a Windows 7 or 8.1 system on a Windows 10 device too. Users who install Windows 10 on a new device can still activate the operating system with valid Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 keys. Windows 7 and 8.1 users were provided with a free upgrade option in the 12 months of Windows 10 availability, and while Microsoft claims the promo has already ended, this is not the case. It’s not a secret that Windows 10 can also be activated with Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 product keys, as this served as one of the most efficient ways that Microsoft turned to in order to boost the adoption of its operating system. Then, even if Windows 10 product keys are going away, that doesn’t mean you’d no longer be able to install and use the operating system.

This is because Microsoft isn’t blocking the activation of Windows 10 altogether but only stopping selling the product keys that you need for the process. So while you’ll no longer be able to buy a Windows 10 license from Microsoft, product keys will continue to be sold by other stores. In other words, product keys for Windows 10 will continue to be available from other stores, including the many retailers that are located in the majority of countries across the world. Windows 10 will remain supported with security updates that help protect your PC from viruses, spyware, and other malware until October 14, 2025,” the company says. “Januwill be the last day this Windows 10 download is offered for sale. This sounds dramatic for those who planned to get Windows 10 in the coming weeks or months, but the change isn’t necessarily the end of the world.įirst and foremost, Microsoft explains in the warning posted on its website that the product keys would no longer be available from its own store. However, Windows 10 is approaching one important milestone: Microsoft will stop selling product keys for the operating system, meaning that whoever wants to buy this particular version of Windows will no longer be able to do so. Microsoft is all about Windows 11 these days, and while the company keeps supporting Windows 10 as well, it’s not really a surprise that the focus has already been moved entirely to the latest operating system version.

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