Despite the many hopes that Microsoft placed in 2021 on its Windows 11 operating system, initial expectations have not been met. And the market penetration of this modern operating system has not been as expected.
All this despite the multiple tactics used by the company itself to try to convince the majority of users to migrate to this new version of the system. But the truth is that Windows 10 has become one of the most beloved versions to date. Surely over the last few months you have heard on more than one occasion that this old version of the software is very close to its end.
We say this because on October 14 of this year, 2025, Windows 10 will stop receiving all types of updates, including security updates, for free. This means that, in order not to work with a vulnerable and obsolete operating system, millions of users will be forced to migrate to Windows 11. Now, at this point, many may wonder if they can carry out this update for free, or, conversely, they will have to pay for the license.
Ways to upgrade to Windows 11 at no cost
It must be taken into consideration that starting with Windows 7, Microsoft gave us the opportunity to update to subsequent versions of the operating system, free of charge. Previously, every time the company released a new version of its project, we had to pay for the corresponding license if we wanted to take advantage of it.
Hence at this moment, for those who do not know, we can say that we have the possibility of updating from Windows 10 and installing Windows 11 on our computers, for free. To do this we have two effective methods that we can carry out in a simple way. On the one hand, we have the possibility of accessing Windows Update from the old version of the system, and if our computer is compatible, update to Windows 11 while maintaining the current key.
On the other hand, we also have the possibility of downloading the updated ISO image of the new version of the system to do a clean installation on our computer. Next, all we have to do is use the Windows 10 product key to have the latest version on our computer officially and for free.
Use Windows for free, but with some problems
It is true that we always have the possibility of downloading an ISO image of the Windows versions that still have support from the official Microsoft website. But we must keep in mind that if we do not have the corresponding product key, we are working with software that is limited in terms of functions and user experience. We won’t be able to access all of the system’s features, tools, and updates until we have an official key, which is what we actually paid for.
We also have the possibility of acquiring these licenses in different stores and websites much cheaper than usual. The truth is that these low-cost licenses, due to a European Union law, are not completely legal, but they are not illegal either. However, it may happen that at any time they stop being effective, and even though we have paid a low price for them, they suddenly stop being valid.
To use Windows 11, we either update for free as we have mentioned before, or we acquire a legal license, for example through the Microsoft website; These are the best options we have available.
