You can get Windows 11 for free if you have a Windows 10 PC with compatible hardware. However, buying a genuine license key is necessary to build a new computer or use Windows 11 on a virtual machine.

Ugh this kinda sucks but I guess it doesn't really matter. I had a bunch of Windows 7 keys from 2009 that have been great with 10 and 11. I get that this free ride is over but it still sucks. It ...

Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 7 and 8 keys can no longer activate any Windows 11 edition or version, not just Canary builds, as reported in September. However, Windows 10 keys are still valid.

At least for now, though, it seems like this change will only apply to future Windows versions. We were able to activate a fresh Windows 11 Pro 22H2 install with a Windows 8 Pro product key as of this ...