Windows 10: Activating Windows 10 with Windows 7 "Upgrade" Key

I posted something here: Windows 10 Image - Customize in Audit Mode with Sysprep - Page 37 - Windows 10 Forums

 

I think what you posted pretty much sums up what I was afraid of, I appreciate you taking the time to look into it though. Looks like I'll have to do it the longer way but it could be worse, thanks again!

 

You are welcome. The key here is the deployment method, the one in the tutorial is designed and intended for private users and small local networks.

I suggest you take a look at this excellent Microsoft TechNet article: Deploy Windows 10 (Windows 10)

 

Several years ago I upgraded my Dell 1545 laptop from Vista Home Premium, 64-Bit to Windows 7 Home Premium, 64-Bit with a valid upgrade. After SP1 update I noticed the Product Key changed from the original upgrade Key to whatever MS updated it to. Anyway, recently I upgraded to Windows 10 and after that the System Information has never indicated a new product key for Windows 10, even to this day.

Then my daughter bought a new laptop and gave her mom her old Dell 1525 laptop with Vista Home Premium, 32-Bit; so I upgraded that laptop to Windows 7 Home Premium 32-Bit using the original upgrade disk and Product Key. I had to do the phone activation trick and it worked okay.

Then I checked my Dell 1545 laptop that I upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 to see if the activation is okay and I think it is; but, still the System Information page still does not indicate an activation key for the Win-10 upgrade. The main reason I used the same Product Key on both laptops was to subsequently upgrade my wife’s laptop to Windows 10.

My question is; by using the same Product Key from the original Win-7 upgrade on the two laptops then upgrading them both the Windows 10; will that invalidate my Windows installation on either or both laptops?

 

Well, my laptop is activated with Win-10, so I guess both laptops are valid using the madness above. Madness is used fro many M$ operations.

 

One Windows product key is valid for one Windows installation. In your case the upgrade of the first laptop went without issues because it was done completely right: upgrade to Seven with a valid product key, and further upgrade to Ten was based on underlying Seven being valid and activated.

The reason you had to do a phone activation on the second laptop is that the Seven product key was already used and activated on another computer. As you are only allowed to use a single product key to activate Windows Seven on one machine to make it eligible for Windows Ten upgrade, the second activation failed first because the key was already used. The phone activation then worked, according to Microsoft and Windows EULA making the activation on first laptop invalid, moving the product key to this second laptop.

Theoretically and according to official information available the single Windows Seven product key you have is no longer registered to the first laptop, having been moved to second laptop, therefore Windows Ten on it now is on not eligible machine. If the first laptop still works and does not tell you that Windows is not activated, you have been lucky but I strongly advice not to repeat this, not to use the key on any additional machines.

I don't want to scare you, I'm just telling that what you managed to do is in somewhat grey area. I've seen an activated Windows to lose its activation status when the same retail product key was used to activate another installation. However, the real life examples I have seen have been with Windows Seven and Eight. It might be that Microsoft has a more lenient policy during this free upgrade period, first year of Windows 10, to get it to more machines. I don't know.

 

I would not say it is gray at all. It clearly violates the EULA and is software piracy. Peal back the sugar coating and that's what it is. It's interesting, when I do phone activation on my much moved around (legally) Microsoft retail product keys, I have to tell the computer voice that it is installed on only one computer before receiving the activation code in return.

 

With "grey area" I meant that I have read a few of these stories, people activating Ten with one and same Seven or Eight key. Of course it is a clear violation of EULA, of course it shouldn't be done. One key used for one activation at any given time, everything else is wrong.

 

Hi there

100% correct -- even if you install as a VM.

Note though you can install several times --this is quite legal so long as only on ONE computer and only ONE copy is active (again whether as a VM or on a physical machine).

Cheers
jimbo

 

Hum, guess I'll have to deactivate the second laptop somehow. I was just wanting to see if it would work okay in Win-10, so how do I deactivate the second PC?

Maybe format that newer drive and put back the original drive with Vista on it?

 

Done. Deactivated, installed Vista back and so far my primary laptop is still valid I think; it states that it is activated with Win 10. Oh well, maybe we can use the old laptop as a spare.......