Windows 10: Buy W10 then install on non-genuine W7

My computer runs a non-genuine version of Windows 7 Pro. If I buy a legit new windows 10 Pro Retail disk can I upgrade from my non-genuine W7, or do I need to do a clean install of W10 (and then have to reinstall a whole lot of other software)?

:)

 

Other means to get Windows 10 update with a genuine Windows 7 key

Hi,

I had got my laptop with genuine W7 Home Basic pre installed, but due to unavoidable circumstances I am currently not using that. Though I have the product key but cannot upgrade to W10 via 'Get W10 App'.

Can I get the free update with my genuine W7 key after July 29th by any means?

 

Purchasing and installing w10 home on non genuine w7 ultimate

hello,

i am running w7 ultimate non genuine and purchased (yes purchased) w10 home on the Microsoft website and have an activation key received via email and on the Microsoft website.

i downloaded the median creation tool and tried to do an upgrade but it wouldn't accept my perfectly fine activation key for Windows 10 home

is it because the media creation tool automatically downloads the porting version (ie. Windows 7 ultimate to Windows 10 ultimate/pro) and so my key doesn't work as it only works for Windows 10 Home version?

if so, how do I go about installing over my current Windows 7 ultimate version with my purchased Windows 10 home ?

im thinking the only way for the media creation tool to download the correct version of Windows 10 I would need to do a fresh install of Windows 7 home and re download using the media creation tool and try install again that way.

i was thinking here must be another way or am I wrong? It wouldn't make sense for Microsoft to encourage me to install a non genuine Windows 7 home in order to upgrade to a purchased Windows 10, or at least to me it does

 

If you buy a new retail pro disk, you won't have to upgrade. If you mean, can you perform an upgrade and keep your files and apps, then yes. Assuming it's not an OEM version of Windows 10.

 

Thanks mystere. My main concern is I don't want to have to reinstall a whole lot of software and apps. I know this is an option if you upgrade from W7 to W10. I am just not sure if this an option if I upgrade from a non-genuine W7.

 

An alternative is to buy a genuine Windows 7 Pro full retail license from a reputable source, then to make your current Windows 7 Genuine with the purchased product key, and then use a Free Windows 10 download (ISO or MCT) to perform an upgrade installation. You may still have to install some software and apps post-upgrade.

Doesn't Microsoft allow you to upgrade non-genuine 7 or 8x installations, and allow you to legitimize them afterwards?

If genuine 7 keys are hard to come by, 8, or 8.1 keys will activate Windows 10 too, post installation.
The following post provides a list of all qualifying keys to choose from (not all are retail, and OEM keys will not be transferable)):

Next big Windows 10 release will ease activation hassles - Page 3 - Windows 10 Forums

However, you first need to confirm that your Windows 7 machine will successfully install, and run Windows 10, and then run a suitable backup/system image before upgrading to be safe.

The Windows 8.1 upgrade assistant is a quite reliable indicator of what hardware and software will be incompatible: Upgrading to Windows 8.1 from Windows 7 - Windows Help

 

Thanks fafhrd. I think I might have to buy the W10 retail and see if I can upgrade from non-genuine W7 while keeping existing apps. Worst case is that the upgrade doesn't work at all - then I'll simply have to do a clean install of the W10 retail then reinstall my other software. A bit of a pain, but it will work.

 

It is perfectly acceptable to use an oem 10 licence as well, but licence cannot be transferred to new pc of course.

 

I am not 100% sure, but in past versions OEM licenses were forbidden to be installed on a computer that already had an OS, and they disabled the upgrade feature. You could only do a clean install. Not sure about 10 though.

 

In fact, the only way to bring your license current would be to buy a Windows 10 license, since MS is no longer selling Windows 7 licenses.

 

Plenty of retailers are still selling their stocks of Windows 7.

Amazon.com: Windows 7 Professional SP1 64bit (OEM) System Builder DVD 1 Pack (For Refurbished PC Installation): Software

 

Yes, but these are not official retailers, they're selling old stock. Note your link is not actually sold by Amazon, but by a third party in the amazon marketplace.

While i'm sure these are perfectly fine licenses, Micorosoft is no long officially selling Windows 7.

 

However, your reason does not validate your statement.

This statement is not true.

This may be true, but they are officially supporting Windows 7 until January 2020 and there are completely legal ways to obtain a current Windows license without purchasing a Windows 10 license.

 

There's a fine difference between upgradeable and qualifying (there was, back with Windows 8 too.)

You can legitimize a windows 10 install or upgrade, with a Windows 7, 8, 8,1 (from the list below) or a purchased 10 valid key for the edition installed. Or from a digital entitlement from an activated installed 7, 8, 8.1, or 10 installation on the same machine. These have qualifying installations.

Code: Win 8.1 RTM Core OEMMWin 8.1 RTM CoreN OEMM Win 8.1 RTM CoreCountrySpecific OEMM Win 8.1 RTM CoreSingleLanguage OEMM Win 8.1 RTM Professional OEMM Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalN OEMM Win 8.1 RTM Core OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM CoreN OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM CoreCountrySpecific OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM CoreSingleLanguage OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM Professional OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalN OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM Core Retail Win 8.1 RTM CoreN Retail Win 8.1 RTM Professional Retail Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalN Retail Win 8.1 RTM Core OEMM Win 8.1 RTM CoreSingleLanguage OEMM Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalWMC Retail Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnected OEMM Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnected OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnected Retail Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnectedN OEMM Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnectedN OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnectedN Retail Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalStudent OEMM Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalStudent OEMM Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalStudent OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalStudent Retail Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalStudentN OEMM Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalStudentN OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM ProfessionalStudentN Retail Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnectedSingleLanguage OEMM Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnectedSingleLanguage OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnectedCountrySpecific OEMM Win 8.1 RTM CoreConnectedCountrySpecific OEM:NONSLP Win 8.1 RTM Professional;ProfessionalN Volume:MAK Win 8 RTM CoreN Retail Win 8 RTM Core Retail Win 8 RTM ProfessionalN Retail Win 8 RTM ProfessionalN Retail Win 8 RTM Professional Retail Win 8 RTM ProfessionalWMC Retail Win 8 RTM CoreN OEMM Win 8 RTM CoreN OEM:NONSLP Win 8 RTM CoreCountrySpecific OEMM Win 8 RTM CoreCountrySpecific OEM:NONSLP Win 8 RTM CoreSingleLanguage OEMM Win 8 RTM CoreSingleLanguage OEM:NONSLP Win 8 RTM Core OEMM Win 8 RTM Core OEM:NONSLP Win 8 RTM ProfessionalN OEMM Win 8 RTM ProfessionalN OEM:NONSLP Win 8 RTM Professional OEMM Win 8 RTM Professional OEM:NONSLP Win 8 RTM Core OEMM Win 8 RTM Professional OEMM Win 8 RTM CoreCountrySpecific Retail Win 8 RTM CoreSingleLanguage Retail Win 8 RTM CoreSingleLanguage OEMM Win 8 RTM Professional;ProfessionalN Volume:MAK Windows 7 Home Basic OEM:COA Windows 7 Home Basic OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 Home Basic Retail Windows 7 Home BasicN OEM:COA Windows 7 Home BasicN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 Home BasicN Retail Windows 7 Home Premium OEM:COA Windows 7 Home Premium OEM:COA Windows 7 Home Premium OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 Home Premium Retail Windows 7 Home PremiumN OEM:COA Windows 7 Home PremiumN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 Home PremiumN Retail Windows 7 Professional OEM:COA Windows 7 Professional OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 Professional Retail Windows 7 ProfessionalN OEM:COA Windows 7 ProfessionalN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 ProfessionalN Retail Windows 7 Starter OEM:COA Windows 7 Starter OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 Starter Retail Windows 7 StarterN OEM:COA Windows 7 StarterN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 StarterN Retail Windows 7 Ultimate OEM:COA Windows 7 Ultimate OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 Ultimate Retail Windows 7 Ultimate Retail Windows 7 UltimateN OEM:COA Windows 7 UltimateN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 UltimateN Retail Windows 7 StarterE Retail Windows 7 UltimateE Retail Windows 7 UltimateE OEM:COA Windows 7 ProfessionalE Retail Windows 7 StarterE OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 UltimateE OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 UltimateE Retail Windows 7 HomePremiumE OEM:COA Windows 7 StarterE OEM:COA Windows 7 ProfessionalE Retail Windows 7 HomeBasicE Retail Windows 7 StarterE OEM:COA Windows 7 HomeBasicE Retail Windows 7 HomePremiumE Retail Windows 7 ProfessionalE OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 ProfessionalE OEM:COA Windows 7 HomePremiumE OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 HomePremiumE OEM:COA Windows 7 HomeBasicE OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 HomePremiumE OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 HomeBasicE OEM:COA Windows 7 ProfessionalE OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 ProfessionalE OEM:COA Windows 7 ProfessionalE OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 All Volume Editions Volume:MAK Windows 7 Home PremiumE OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 ProfessionalN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 ProfessionalN OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 HomeBasic Retail:WAUx Windows 7 SP1 StarterN OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 HomePremiumN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 HomeBasicN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 UltimateN OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 Ultimate Retail:WAUx Windows 7 SP1 HomeBasicN Retail Windows 7 SP1 Ultimate OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 HomeBasic OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 Professional OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 HomePremium OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 UltimateN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 StarterN Retail Windows 7 SP1 Starter Retail Windows 7 SP1 StarterN OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 Starter OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 ProfessionalN Retail Windows 7 SP1 HomePremiumN Retail Windows 7 SP1 HomeBasic OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 Professional Retail:WAUx Windows 7 SP1 HomePremium OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 Starter OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 UltimateN Retail Windows 7 SP1 Ultimate OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 ProfessionalN Retail:WAUx Windows 7 SP1 Professional Retail Windows 7 SP1 Professional OEM:NONSLP Windows 7 SP1 Ultimate Retail Windows 7 SP1 HomeBasic Retail Windows 7 SP1 HomePremium Retail:WAUx Windows 7 SP1 HomePremiumN OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 HomeBasicN OEM:COA Windows 7 SP1 HomePremium Retail Windows 7 SP1 UltimateN Retail:WAUx Windows 7 SP1 HomePremiumN Retail:WAUx[/quote] Microsoft has allowed upgrades to 10 from unlicensed Windows installations since the RTM came out - but the resulting windows 10 will display the watermark and nags to become activated and genuine soon after installation. They are upgradeable OSs, but not qualifying OSs.

If you have a valid and unused (not in use elsewhere for retail) key of the type appearing in the list be it a Free or $15 Windows 8 MCE retail upgrade, or an unused OEM key from a similar model from the same OEM, it is likely to be recognised as a qualifying product key. Only non-SLP OEM keys will be accepted.

You can still buy Windows 8.1 retail and OEM system builder products, Pro and Core, and all sorts of other editions in various geographical locations, the product keys of which since build 10565 will activate and legitimize Windows 10 if entered during setup or applied post-install. In fact they are currently, probably easier to obtain than Windows 10 packs, because of the offer of the free upgrade until July, when the full scale release of Windows 10 in the market will begin to have a greater impact on the sale and availability of earlier versions. Retailers like Tesco in the UK are pushing their stocks of Windows 8.1 home cheaply, 7 Pro at a premium price, and the Free Upgrade to 10 is one of their marketing features, but they are not actively marketing Windows 10, except on USB yetIt is just not so popular as the 8.1 version, understandably.

 

You're being overly confusing. He was talking about purchasing a retail license of Windows 10 and upgrading his non-valid Windows 7 using his Windows 10 license.

This does not display a watermark or nag screen. You're talking about using the digital entitlement to upgrade a non-valid copy of Windows 7.

It's perfectly fine to upgrade to a retail Windows 10 with a retail Windows 10 license from an invalid Windows 7.