Windows 10: Clean install on a desktop that had an Win7 Pro upgrade from XP Pro

A couple weeks ago I finally got around to installing Win10 over the top of Win7 Pro. It is not running very well. Not terrible but it seems to be a little slow and I'm thinking I'd rather do a clean install. I have already backed up my data files and also have a disk image of Win7 made prior to the Win10 upgrade.

When I did the upgrade I did not have to enter any registration/authorization numbers. Apparently the recent Win10 upgrade took it from the info in Win7.

Now as I contemplate starting fresh I am wondering if the Win10 fresh install is going to ask me for the authorization. Here is where it gets tricky. The Win7 Pro that I was running started out as either XP Pro or Vista Home Premium. I had Vista Home Premium on my machine but I had both Vista Home Premium and XP Pro disks when I was doing the Win7 Pro upgrade. I remember having to call Microsoft during the Win7 Pro upgrade to get them to make the Win7 into a Pro version because the computer was at the time running Vista Home Premium, but I wanted Pro. I had a Pro upgrade disk, and an original XP Pro disk proving I owned Pro.

So the question is - when I do the fresh install is Win10 going to ask for an upgrade code and will it accept my Win7 Pro Upgrade authorization code?

:)

 

Win7 Pro Upgrade 32 to Win10 Pro 64

Hello,

I have a PC which originally had Win Vista Business 32-bit, upgraded to Win7 Professional 32-bit, then did a clean install to Win10 Pro 64-bit using the installation media provided on Microsoft's website. I was unable to use my 32-bit keys to activate Win10
Pro 64-bit. After some research, it seems I needed to upgrade from Win7 Professional 32-bit to Win10 Pro 32-bit using Windows Update or installation media, then take that key and write it down and use it later when I do a clean install of Win10 Pro 64-bit.

Before the clean install I used a program to find my product key for Win7 Pro 32-bit and wrote it down. If I wanted Win10 Pro 64-bit it seems I'd have to do another clean install of Win7 Pro 32, upgrade to Win10 Pro 32, then clean install Win10 Pro 64. Instead
of doing this time consuming task, is there some way I can get a key from Microsoft for Win10 Pro 64 bit, provided I have proof of my keys? The PC is currently running Win10 Pro 64-bit and is not activated.

Thanks

 

Windows defender can't be activated

The system was upgraded from Win7 Pro when Windows 10 was released. A clean install was initiated prior to the August release. The system was originally from Dell. Only Bitdefender was installed after the clean install. That was the only AV software it has
ever had. In December of 2015 the hard drive was partitioned and reformatted with Win7 pro.

Version Win 10 Pro Insider preview. Evaluation copy Build 14986.rs pre-release 161202-1928.

 

During the clean install Windows 10 will initially ask you for a product key. You click "I don't have a product key". Then it will ask you what version you want to install and you select pro. Then it will ask you for a product key a couple more times. Click "Skip" or "Do this later". When you connect to the internet, it will retrieve your digital entitlement stored on Microsoft activation servers and activate itself.

Assuming you current activation tab under settings -> Upadates and Security looks like this:

 

Yes. That image that you posted above shows exactly what I see.

Are you saying that if I reformat the hard drive prior to the clean install, and then do the clean install, Win10 will go to the Microsoft servers and it will find the same activation info from my same hardware?

 

Yep.