Windows 10: Failed hard drive and lost Windows 8 key led to inablilty to activate Windows 10

Hello,I was recently helping a friend with his computer Old HDD failed and took most of his data with it.... I installed a new SSD in the machine it's around a 2012 era Dell but there was no sticker with the Windows key on the case of the machine and he couldn't locate the original booklets that came with the machine either. I told him that the Windows 8 key should be good for Windows 10 but we also didn't know which version of Windows 8 he had on the old drive Pro, Home etc.. We ended up installing Windows 10 Pro on the new drive Thinking that the machine probably had come with Wind

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windows 10 key

Google and download the "Windows 10 media creation tool"

Create a USB flash drive ISO and that's all you need...it will work without needing a key..
Just skip past entering a key during full install and delete all partitions, format, create new drive and install...

As long as you have upgraded from Windows 8 first...you need to do that prior to using your Windows 8 key for 10.

 

Windows 8 key troubles

the iso i got on my google drive doesn't need a serial to install, it just installs and then u activate it, when windows is started.

 

Installing Windows 10 using Windows 7 key

Nope, you need to install Windows 10 first and make sure the Windows 7 key is transferred to your Windows account after you've installed Windows 10 (not quite sure how that works). I missed the last step and I could not activate Windows 10 after a re-install... Microsoft seem to have done everything they can to make it a PITA. Also, it's technically too late to do this now anyhow, as the upgrade offer has expired. But KMSPico works quite well...

As for getting rid of Windows, delete the Windows folder.