Windows users warned of major change which could cost you – as firm closes ‘loophole’ which let you upgrade for FREE

WINDOWS users have been warned of a major change which could cost you - after the firm closed a "loophole" which let you upgrade for free.

Microsoft will now charge users to upgrade from Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10 or 11.

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When the developer first launched Windows 10, it let users upgrade to the new operating system free of charge.

The freebie officially ended in July 2016 - but users have still been able to unofficially upgrade to Windows 11 for free.

A spokesperson said: "Microsoft’s free upgrade offer for Windows 10 / 11 ended July 29, 2016.

"The installation path to obtain the Windows 7/8 free upgrade is now removed as well.

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";Upgrades to Windows 11 from Windows 10 are still free."

Writing in , expert Darren Allan said: "This is something we didn’t believe would ever happen, frankly.

"The free upgrade has remained in place, on the sly, for so long.

"As Microsoft points out, the offer officially expired in mid-2016, over seven years ago – yes, seven years.

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"Act quickly if you have been holding off an upgrade - you may not have long at all left to pull the trigger."

Gamers are only just realising that they can get a £50 Xbox game for free.