Windows 10: I have a PC that will not boot up, and need to find W10 license key to reinstall Windows.

I have a PC that will not boot up, and need to find W10 license key to reinstall Windows.

:)

 

How to find license key for dead PC

I have a PC that will not boot up, and need to find W10 license key to reinstall Windows.

 

How to reinstall Windows 10 if my computers used the free upgrade from 7 and 8?

Will windows 10 still accept the license keys from 7 and 8 now if I reinstall my computer?

Does Microsoft keep a list of users who upgraded to Win 10 using their 7 and 8 keys so that when users need to reinstall windows 10 the old keys would work?

Do I need to call in Microsoft to ask them to activate my Windows 10 when I give them my win 7 keys?

Both computers are laptops. The windows 7 machine had the serial printed on the back, and I needed to enter that when I upgraded to 10. The windows 8 machine had the serial built in inside its boot system so I didn't need to enter the key when I upgraded to 10, but I did manage to write down the keys using a fetcher program.

 

How to reinstall and reactivate Windows 10 with an OEM license

Before you continue, I suggest you remove the bloatware by the Control Panel and uninstalling the junk. That is faster and easier, with less potential for problems, but the steps for reinstallation are as follows:

Before you do anything, backup valuable data, if any, on some form of media (i.e. USB) so you can move it onto the reinstalled Windows.

1. Download the appropriate ISO file from Microsoft and burn it to a CD or use it with a bootable USB.
   
2. (Optional if you have no internet) Download all the appropriate drivers for your machine and save them on media for later access.
   
3. Locate the product key on your machine. It is usually under the laptop on a sticker, and if not, use special software to locate it. This will be used during the reinstallation. Note that PCs sometimes auto-activate if it is in the BIOS so this step is not needed if this is case.
   
4. Boot from the bootable media (disc or USB). Continue as usual through the installation, and when the partitions screen comes up, format the current Windows partition and install in there. (The Recovery partition can be deleted, but I recommend keeping it so if anything goes wrong you can restore to factory settings). If the key doesn't work you may need to contact Microsoft and activate over phone.
   
5. After installation, install the drivers and run Windows Update and you're done.