URL shorteners act as a mask. A user clicking bit.ly/windows7txt places their trust in the person who posted the link. There is no guarantee that the destination hasn't been swapped out for malware, ransomware, or a trojan. The very nature of "copy-paste this script into Notepad, save as .bat, and run as admin" is a classic vector for malicious actors to compromise a system.
A short, descriptive slug like bit.ly/windows7txt is convenient and can be safe — but always verify a short link’s destination before clicking, especially when it was received from an unknown source. bit.ly windows7txt
As support ended, Microsoft stopped selling legitimate retail keys. However, millions of PCs (especially in developing nations, schools, and small businesses) continued running Windows 7. Users who needed to reinstall the OS or bypass activation found themselves searching for free solutions. URL shorteners act as a mask