Can you activate Windows 11 with a Windows XP key?

Windows: What was your childhood nickname? Andrew: 3

i think this is how activation works: 1. you input a key 2. it checks it against a local algorithm 3. if it passes that algorithm it will send it to the server 4. the server then checks if it's a valid key that would explain why the windows 98 key was rejected instantly (the algorithm changed) but the windows xp key took a couple of seconds again, i don't know how it really works, it's just a guess

I don’t know. Can you? Edit: I’m sorry that this is the most liked comment

It's funny how MS can still let you activate 11 with a Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10 key, this shows even more that windows never changes.

Actually you can activate modern Windows versions (8, 8.1, 10, 11) with Win 7 key, it can be also OEM key though, but not all keys works

There was a time when Microsoft only allowed users to downgrade to a maximum of 2 previous versions of Windows. Back when Vista first came out, unsurprisingly, most users wanted XP on their machines and this could be done, easily. The same applied to Windows 7, for those who still wanted XP. When Windows 8 came out, the oldest version that could be downgraded to was Vista, but most chose 7 instead. They relaxed that stipulation when 8.1 came out, it would seem, and have been allowing users to upgrade to newer versions ever since.

windows 7 can be activated with an XP key so if you upgrade from XP to 7 then to 11 you have technically activated windows 11 with a windows XP key

I've activated Win10 installs with Win7 keys plenty of times, so I'm not surprised that it works for 11 as well. After all, 10 was offered as a free upgrade from 7 and 11 is offered as a free upgrade from 10, so if you had a Win7 machine that you free-upgraded to 10, and now it somehow magically passed hardware validation for 11... well it makes sense to me that it works from a key perspective since the upgrade path exists - even though I doubt any PC was ever sold with Win7 that actually has new enough hardware to pass the upgrade validation for 11. There are still ways to do it though, of course.

Hey Enderman, I have used a windows 8 pro key on windows 11 and it works just fine. I believe it because when they were forcing people to update to windows 10 with annoying popups. they added code to windows 10 to look at 7/8 product key databases. They either did not care to change this later and kept in their code or just did it so people would keep updating. also, with Windows XP/98 keys windows 11 could maybe of parsed the 98 keys threw something maybe a character was not supposed to be in it. Windows XP system may have been very similar to windows 11. so, the characters were not banned so it parsed it over to a key database probably stored at Microsoft somewhere.

Truly apprecating you man, you are spending $$$$ for getting the original boxes for showing us good content. I really want these xp,win7 boxes too, so expensive..

So here 's my story. I upgraded to vista from XP then to 7 and it kept the product key. then to 8, 8.1, and even WIndows10 I used the same key despite all the upgrade I have done is those times. and I'm actually using windows 11 with same key as XP because it was registered as key of WIndows7,8,8.1, and 10's key at some point, so it really worked. So I never paid for Windows after XP lol added I forgot to mention vista, and I used phone activation glitch thing which should have changed my key but it stayed the same somehow. so I don't think this is re-doable now because MS patched the glitch soon (it came back on early stage of Win10 when you could activate WIndows by just making a call completely free)

The fact that the key is censored with “Subscribe or I’ll bite you” 😂

Wait... does that mean i can activate 7 with a 11 key?!

I just want to acknowledge that you said, "rate the video," and not "leave a like." As I understand, dislikes aren't entirely negative in terms of engagement and I appreciate that you recognize that. I found this video interesting, especially since you explored multiple levels of activation keys. Personally, this is useful because I may be able to use my OG Win7 Home Premium key to activate a Win11 instance should I need to drastically upgrade my system. In any case, thanks for the video!

I've been in the recycling service for a few years now and have gathered a collection of W7 pro keys from recycled computers that I give away or use on personal machines, I still remember finding out that you could use them to activate W10. The people that I give them to are always skeptical on weather or not it will work but always thank me when they realize that it did work, saving them $200 or if you want to go really cheap you can get retail single use keys for as low as $6

I found a Toshiba laptop on a trashcan, and it still got a Windows 7 OEM license sticker, with a perfectly readable product key. As it ran sluggish when I first managed to boot it, eventually I installed Windows 10 on it. Used the product key from that sticker on a fresh install, and although it took a bit or time to grab it, it finally activated without any hassles!!! Still running like a champ one year later!!!

A lot of people don't understand the Windows licencing model. That $50 eBay version is probably a leaked volume licence copy that is sold as a bootleg version. Windows has retail licencing, OEM and volume including MAK (multiple activation key) and KMS (key management services) and others I can't recall right now. Most of these are not interchangeable. For instance, just the other day I loaded a Win 10 Pro for a client using one of my volume licence copies as it was quicker to install from thumb drive. The client had an OEM (genuine) Win 10 Pro licence card and DVD but her single use OEM key wouldn't activate my volume licence install. Installing the version that came on the DVD did however work of course. In the volume licence world there are Windows versions from Microsoft's volume licence web portal including Windows N, Windows KN (uses the KMS licence) and others. It really is a complex model that I still don't fully understand decades later. I work with many Government funded organisations and they typically all use a form a multiple activations from a single key. It is often these types of licences that end up on the black market as a single key can be used hundreds or even thousands of times. Often Microsoft will blacklist a leaked key and your cheap online copy you purchased won't subsequently activate. This is why the vendor will often just provide another key as they probably have many themselves. Interesting video nonetheless.

Enderman's videos are just getting better and better

windows: what's your childhood nickname? enderman: my childhood nickname is 3

That's great to know! I knew it would work since Microsoft wants its users to migrate to Windows 10 then how you mentioned they made the same with Windows 11!