About a month ago, Microsoft decided to block all the mechanisms that allowed you to activate Windows 10 and Windows 11 with Windows 7 and Windows 8.x Product Keys. In fact, until a few weeks ago, anyone who had a codice Product Key valid, associated with a regular license and attributable to previous versions of Windows, was able to activate Windows 10 and Windows 11, possibly also obtaining a digital license.
The digital license, in the context of Windows 10 and Windows 11, refers to how the operating system is activated by associating a license with the user’s Microsoft account. This activation mode allows you to tie the license key to an account rather than to a single hardware device. This offers greater flexibility, allowing you to transfer the license to other devices (disposing of the previously used one) and avoiding any problems even in the event of hardware changes relevant.
Microsoft confirms issues with product keys and digital licenses
The Redmond company, as we explained at the beginning, has blocked the precedents free upgrade paths from Windows 7 and Windows 8.x to Windows 10 and Windows 11. Something, however, didn’t go right.
Many users are in fact complaining about the fact that they have suddenly found themselves with the Windows system not activated after replacing some PC components or performing a BIOS update.
The worst aspect is that digital licenses linked to users’ Microsoft accounts no longer activate the operating system, as has always happened in the past. Thus, many users have found themselves in the situation of having to purchase a new Product Key with the relevant one license.
Bill Babonas, Windows product manager, confirmed that Microsoft is aware of the issue and is looking into possible fixes. “Microsoft is aware of customer reports and is investigating. Users experiencing technical difficulties should contact customer support“, he pointed out.
To verify it activation status of your copy of Windows, just type Activation in the search box then choose Activation settings. In the event that Windows 10 or Windows 11 suddenly appears not activated, the advice at this point is to wait until Microsoft has identified and resolved the server-side problem.
For our part, we can confirm that the Product Keys (CoA, “Certificate of Authenticity”) provided through authenticity label they still allow today, even after the changes applied by Microsoft, to upgrade for free to Windows 10 and Windows 11 starting from previous versions of the operating system.