Microsoft announces the end of its free Windows 10 upgrade loophole

Microsoft is finally shutting down its free Windows 10 offer for users who are running Windows 8, 8.1 and Windows 7.

Last year, the firm initially shut down the free Windows 10 offer for general users,just like it said it would do. This happened around the same time as the launch of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. Eagle-eyed users quickly noted that Microsoft left a loophole open for users of accessibility tools, which let them download and install Windows 10 even past the deadline date. Like all loopholes are prone to being, this was abused by users who didn’t upgrade to Windows 10 in time and generally became known as a loophole.

Microsoft has finally announced an end to that offer (via ZDNet), December 31, 2017 will be the last day anyone can download a free update through that method. Arguably, anyone who hasn’t installed Windows 10 now, isn’t very likely to want to install it in the future, and Microsoft has at least offered the update for free for up to three years.

Microsoft’s Windows 10 upgrade includes a perpetually updating software model for users on supported hardware. This means that users will get Windows updates that aim to enhance the way users use their PCs twice a year. These updates also come with security updates, to keep PCs safe from infections and other nasty digital malware. The latest Windows 10 update was the Fall Creators Update, which we reviewed here.