Windows 10: Install W10 Pro without having a key yet ?

Install W10 Pro without having a key yet ?

I am helping a friend with his Asus laptop. The hard drive is damaged, and there is no hope of using the recovery (re-install) partition on his hard drive.
He was wary of the cost of a new drive, and the cost of a new W10 Pro license, and is seriously considering purchase of a new laptop.
I have popped in a second hand 40GB drive, that scans OK, and I would like to do the following -
1) Download the W10 64bit ISO (I am doing that now, using the Media Creation Tool running in my W10 desktop)
2) Install the W10 64bit ISO into his laptop/
3)Demonstrate it to him, and tell him that all he has to do is purchase a license within 30 days.

Is all of that do'able ?
IE Can I install it now and register it a bit later ?

Thanks,
Rob
PS I have an unused copy of W8 Pro (still in the box with a License)
I offered to give that to him, but his wife(who owns the laptop) is convinced that Software being released now and in the future, won't work in W8. I don't believe that is the case. What do you all think ?

PPS I was responding guys, when the later posts came in, so I am a bit confused.
I will hold back from muddying the waters until I read the links in the latest post

:)

 

How do I change which version of Windows 10 I will get?

Hello,

Where exactly are you able to unlock W10 Pro? I did a clean install of W10 Home by accident and can't activate it with my W8 Pro key. IF I can convert my W10 Home edition to W10 Pro, I can use my key to activate without having to reinstall W8 and upgrade
it to W10. Please let me know how you unlocked W10 Pro.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Andre

 

Has anyone used the free upgrade for w10 pro from w8.1 pro and had windows w10 home installed?

I have upgraded two separate laptops. Both have installed w10 home in lieu of w10 pro. Both laptops have been OEM's. Any one else have the problem. I called Microsoft without a call back as yet.

 

He can use any legitimate 7, 8 or 10 key of the same edition as long as it's not installed on another machine. It should also self activate with digital license tied to his MS account if he has one.

 

Yeah - just skip key entry during installation - it will activate automatically.

 

Since this is a laptop....odds are that it's an OEM install and most likely wont self activate using the ISO from the media creation tool. More than likely a phone call to MS to reactivate it is going to be needed. And for that you can use this link.......
Activate Office 2010 - Office Support

 

I do not think you really know what you are talking about.

Firstly link is for MS Office not Windows.

Secondly, virtually all installations get granted a digital licence unless running a very old version of Windows 10.

It is totally irrelevant if it's an oem install or a retail stand-alone install.

Anyway, as hard drive has failed, and unless he had a record of original key, how could MS reactivate it anyway?

Even if key was oem, OP would not need to call MS.

OP would only need to call MS if there was no digital licence, and the oem key (assuming he knew it) failed to activate. This is VERY UNLIKELY.

 

OEM or not it will activate. Here's some reading and help on the subject.

New motherboard Processor - Windows 10 Forums

Activate Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

Use Activation Troubleshooter in Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

 

Reading original post again, it is ambiguous - OP needs to clarify if Window 10 was already being run on PC prior to disk failure. If it was, it will activate almost certainly.

 

I agree. He stated he had Windows 10 Home Anniversary update, but the thing is it was on the HD he was placing on another MoBo in another machine, of which if he signed in with an MS account I think it would still be activated or will activate if not so. Unfortunately the OP did not post his results so we'll never know.

Actually it is the rest of the discussions in the thread that I wanted to point this OP to for reference/knowledge.

 

The original RTM 10240 called it a 'digital entitlement'. The name later changed to a 'digital licence', but as far as the activation servers are concerned it's one and the same thing.

 

Sorry if I was not clear.
The original drive (the one that came with the Asus laptop) is 750GB. It originally had W8, and during the free period it was auto updated to W10 Pro 64bit.
That drive is disintegrating (severely), and cannot boot (continuously attempts to repair, and cannot complete that)
I had a 40GB lying around, that probably had XP in it in the past.
I have replaced the 750GB with the 40GB, and I wish to install W10 Pro 64bit into it

 

Then it will activate automatically - no need to buy a new licence.

 

We understood you. It will activate. If by any chance he/you have a problem, run the activation troubleshooter.

 

Then it has a digital licence on Microsoft's activation servers. A change of HDD doesn't count as a significant hardware. Being a W8 machine it should have the original key embedded in the firmware. Setup should find this and install Pro again without asking for a key.

If it doesn't, choose to install Pro and skip entering a key if asked. Activation will be automatic as soon as it can contact the activation servers.