Windows 10: Clean install help needed; Windows 7 OEM to Windows 10

Hi everybody;

I downloaded the ISO for Windows 10 Home 32/64 bit and tried to do a clean install but it didn't accept my Windows 7 OEM key.

Any idea anyone? I really do not like upgrades, always do clean install.

Henk

:)

 

I want to change my motherboard does it affects my harddisk or OS (Windows 10) ?

If Windows 7 was a OEM you will need to buy a Windows 10 key.

If Windows 7 was retail then you will need to clean install that again and upgrade again.

 

how to change windows 10 pro to home edition

You only need to
Clean Install Windows 10 Upgrade Home and activate afterward in Activation settings with the Windows 7 Product Key.

Any WIndows 7 key will work: retail full or Upgrade, Builder's or Factory OEM.

 

The Win10 upgrade will not accept Win7/8/8.1 keys.

Then you will have to purchase a copy of Win10. The free version REQUIRES that you do an in-place upgrade BEFORE you do a clean-install. Plus, you need to make sure that the Upgrade is activated before you do the clean-install over it; otherwise, it will not activate after the clean-install.

 

Thank you so much. I have already done a clean Windows 7 install so that will be easy. A bit of a work-around to get the Windows 10 key but understandable and workable.

Thank you - Henk

 

Hi pcgear,

As Mark says, you need to first do the upgrade installation to register your new Windows 10 key with Microsoft. You cannot do a clean install directly as you will not get a Key this way. Once you have done the upgrade, and it has been activated (happens more or less immediately and without your intervention) should you want to do a clean install, you can only then do so using the USB ISO. You will not need a licence key when you follow this route and Microsoft will recognise your PC and auto-activate the license for you.

Note also - when doing the clean install after going this route, during set up you are asked for the licence key. Just "Skip" this step and Windows will auto activate once your installation completes.

 

I have the 32/64 bit ISO's for Home and Pro (10) burned to 2 double layer DVD's. I'll keep this thread open and let you know how I go.

May I praise this forum for helpful and decent people. I was a member of an Australian forum (the biggest here) called "Whirlpool" and found there was a few "nasties" in there. Thanks guys.

Henk

 

The key that Windows 10 will use for activation is just a generic key used as a placeholder. Everyone who upgrades from a previous operating system via the free upgrade gets the same key for the respective version of Windows 10 - Pro or Home. As noted in above posts, you will not actually use this product key for anything. When you do a clean install of Windows 10 of the same version (Pro or Home) that was previously on that computer from the upgrade, you click the tiny text that allows you to skip or do this later and do not enter a product key.

The new Windows 10 will retrieve activation from Microsoft activation servers based upon hardware info that was stored on their servers during initial activation from the upgrade.

 

Thank you very much, all succeeded!