But if you have a modern PC and choose to run an older operating system, then you can first get a free Windows 10 upgrade and use that to then jump to Windows 11. If you run Windows 7 / 8 it is highly unlikely your computer meets all these requirements. Graphics card: DirectX 12 compatible with WDDM 2.0 driver.Security: Enable TPM 2.0, UEFI firmware and Secure Boot capable on your PC.CPU: 1 GHz or faster with two or more cores.You can even pay to upgrade to a legal, activated version of Windows 10 from within your unactivated Windows 10 system after installing it. It’s not something you’d necessarily want to do on your main computer, but it’s a very convenient way to set up a quick virtual machine, test Windows 10 on a PC, or install Windows 10 in Boot Camp. Windows 10 will keep nagging you to activate it and won’t allow you to change any of the options under Settings > Personalization, but otherwise work just fine. Windows will continue to work normally and you can do practically whatever you want. You can download Windows 10 installation media from Microsoft and install it on a PC, in Boot Camp on a Mac, or in a virtual machine without providing a product key.

Here’s the real secret: You don’t need to provide a product key to install Windows 10.

RELATED: You Don't Need a Product Key to Install and Use Windows 10 Skip the Key and Ignore the Activation Warnings The new activation wizard in Windows 10’s Anniversary Update will even help you troubleshoot hardware changes and reassociate the digital license with the correct PC. Sure, you can only do this if you’ve already upgraded to Windows 10, but you can continue to install Windows 10 for free on the same computer in the future–even if you replace its hard drive or other components.

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