Windows 10: Clean Install Question

I have a slight twist on the clean install question. Could not find a clear answer on the forum or the internets.

Win 7 pro computer (homebuilt)
1. Get current win 7 installation up to date and cleaned up.
2. Remove Win 7 OS SSD
3. Put in clean formatted SSD
4. Clean install Win10 pro from DVD.
5 Activate with existing Win 7 product Key.

I am pretty sure I would stay with Win 10 but if I wanted to drop back to Win 7 in 6 months and reinstalled the Win 7 SSD back into my computer would that configuration run or would the MS servers say that the Win 7 product key is no longer valid because it was used to activate the Win 10 installation?

Either disk would be used with the original MB/network card etc. so I don not foresee a problem with MS authentication from that position.

Basically I am trying to nab my free legal Win 10 activation before July 29, do a clean install rather than upgrade and preserve my ability to drop back to Win 7 and not violate MS TOS/Licensing. I would run either 7 or 10 on the same machine and not both at the same time.

Might this work or do I need to do the upgrade/activate/roll back to achieve what I want.

Thanks
Howard

:)

 

Clean Installation Activation Question

Hi Jon,

If you want to upgrade to Windows 10 for free, you need to use the
Upgrade this PC now option. If you haven't upgraded to Windows 10 yet and perform a clean installation, you'll need to enter a product key or buy a license in order to activate Windows 10.

Refer to the link for more information:

Installing Windows 10 using the media creation tool

Windows 10 herunterladen

Hope it helps.

 

Clean Installation Activation Question

Does this statement (from MS Support)

"Clean install of Windows 10 will prompt you for product key of Windows 7 or 8.1, you have to enter the previous version windows (Windows 7/8.1) product key to activate Windows"

conflict with this statement (first bullet) (from MVP)

Things you should know:

• A Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 product keycannot activate Windows 10. Windows 10 uses its own unique product key.
  
  
• By default, Windows 10 builds are pre-keyed, meaning, you do not have to enter a product key and should not be prompted to enter one as long as you upgraded from anactivated Windows
  7 or Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 license or Windows 10 Preview build.

 

I think it should work having Win7 and Win10 on separate drives and physically swap drives UNLESS something messes up on the Win7 that requires a reinstall such as a catastrophic drive failure requiring replacement, could run afoul of the licensing using the same Product Key.

 

Thanks for the reply. Hard drives are cheap (320gb $25 USD currently). I already clone my OS drive monthly and keep two clones on the shelf so I am not too worried about losing one drive.
Howard

 

Re-installing the same operating system on the same computer does not run afoul of any EULA.

 

Make a system image backup and you can go back to old OS any time.