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Windows 10 November Update: Activate OS using your Windows 7 and 8 Product Keys

Nov 17, 2015
Comments 5

 

One of the most challenging aspects of Windows 10 leading up to and following its launch in late July of this year was that Windows 7/8 product keys could not be used to directly activate the freshly installed operating system.

This meant users had to initially upgrade their Windows 7/8.1 system and then verify it was upgraded before performing a clean install using upgrade media and ISOs. This process insured the hardware had a digital entitlement and from that point a fresh install was possible on that same hardware.

Last week, with the release of the November Update for Windows 10, users no longer have to go through that initial upgrade process and obtaining that digital entitlement  to perform a clean install on a Windows 7 or 8.1 system.

All users have to do now is initiate the clean install using the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft and Windows 10 will now accept a Windows 7/8 product key to activate the system in this latest release.

The product key can be entered during the installation process or afterwards through the Settings app. This gallery will walk you through those steps for activating Windows 10 with your Windows 7 or 8 key in the Settings app.

 

Discuss this Gallery 5

originalsnuffy
on Nov 17, 2015

One would presume that OEM product keys will also work. For example, a Dell machine with a Dell supplied operating system that has been activated has a product key that can be retrieved with various programs such Belarc Advisor.

Has that been verified to work?

WinObs
on Nov 17, 2015

I have not verified it but it should work on the same hardware the key is tied to in the BIOS - just like when you were getting the Digital Entitlement activation.

gelat
on Nov 17, 2015

Can an existing, activated Windows 10 Home be upgraded with a Win 7/8 Pro key?

WaltC
on Nov 19, 2015

@ gelat

I haven't personally done this, but at some point I am going to try it, definitely. My guess would be that your Win7/8 key will work on upgrades & clean installs alike--definitely. Looks like he covered it in the gallery if not in the article.

gawduck
on May 21, 2016

The information here in this article is true and correct, as is the statement to this effect on Microsoft's Win10 download page; oddly though, I just did a clean install of 10Pro using my 8.1Pro upgrade key, using media prepared on a USB key (since I could not reliably clone my failing HDD with mature 8.1)... When I launched the Win10Pro installer, it insisted that if this was a clean install, I would need a purchased Windows 10 key! I kept going though, and when it asked for it, it did indeed accept my 8.1 upgrade key.
Just another example of how sloppy MS can be with their distributions and info.

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