According to Cnet , Microsoft officially ended the free upgrade offer in 2016, but since then the company has not bothered to reset the license activation server. Therefore, if users still use computers running Windows 7/8/8.1, they can upgrade to Windows 10 for free.

The vulnerability is even bigger, as the 25-character Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 license keys are still used to activate Windows 10 or upgrade to Pro from Windows 10 Home. CNET 's editor said he still received a thank-you email on September 18 for sharing this information.

However, the Microsoft Device Partner Center page on September 20 officially announced the end of free upgrades for Windows 7 and 8 operating systems. The post also reiterated that upgrading to Windows 11 from Windows 10 is still free.

The notice appeared on a website for Microsoft's OEM partners, who account for the majority of Windows' market share by purchasing OEM licenses for new PCs. The Redmond-based company has been silent about the free upgrade flaw for seven years, encouraging customers to buy new PCs instead of upgrading older ones.

With Windows 10 now just two years away from end-of-support, and PC sales having slowed significantly in the wake of the pandemic, Microsoft's attention is on Windows 11 and its successors, which run on new PCs that meet the minimum system requirements. Upgrades from Windows 10 to Windows 11 are still free, and license keys for the two versions are still interchangeable.