Microsoft confirmed the end of the free upgrade offer in a statement published on its official blog. 24 Channels.

The free upgrade offer to Windows 10/11 ended on July 29, 2016. Ways to get a free upgrade from Windows 7/8 to Windows 10 or 11 have also been removed. Upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is still free.”

With this move, Microsoft ended the program it started to encourage users using licensed copies of Windows 7 and Windows 8 to upgrade to the more modern Windows 10 operating system. Anniversary of the launch of Windows 10.

However, people who depend on certain accessibility features of Windows, such as Narrator, have been given a window until the end of 2017 to allow them to upgrade to Windows 10. The offering was expected to be officially discontinued after this, but Microsoft did not make an official statement at the time.

This move by Microsoft marks the end of the free upgrade opportunity for Windows 7 and Windows 8 users to Windows 10 or 11. The company has closed the last “loophole” that allowed this practice, so those who want to get the latest features will need to purchase a new license of the operating system.