With the upcoming presentation of Windows 11, the question of migration to the new operating system arises. There are indications that it will be free for those with a valid Windows license.
Microsoft was certainly hoping for another scenario to talk about the future of Windows. While the American company must present the next generation of its operating system on June 24, a pre-version of the OS was found on the web before its time, allowing to discover certain technical, ergonomic and aesthetic with Windows 11.
This pre-release also seems to contain clues as to how Microsoft imagines selling the operating system to the public. By dissecting the guts of this pre-release, XDA Developers noticed that configuration keys related to older generations of Windows (Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1) are supported.
These items strongly suggest that Microsoft will allow free migration to Windows 11 for people on those operating systems, if the license key is valid. Windows 10 is not mentioned, but for the sake of consistency, it’s hard to believe that Microsoft will apply a different policy for its most recent operating system.
A free migration already offered with Windows 10
If this prospect is confirmed, it offers an additional perspective for those still on Windows 7 – it should be remembered that there is no more support for this OS since the beginning of 2020. Regarding Windows 8.1, which is an extension of Windows 8, standard support for Windows 8.1 ended on January 9, 2018, and extended support will end on January 10, 2023.
Microsoft already carried out a free migration of its ecosystem when Windows 10 arrived on the market in 2015. For a year, the company has multiplied initiatives to push owners of a computer running Windows 7 or 8 to switch to the new environment. And this operation, which was initially intended to be limited in time, was in fact prolonged for years.
Considering Microsoft’s past policy with Windows 10 and the things that were noted in the Windows 11 pre-release, it is highly plausible that the company is still going with this approach. But be careful: this should only concern those with a valid license key. For the others, it will always be necessary to proceed to the cash register, in the event of purchase of a new PC for example.
