Windows 10: Recover Windows 10 key after installing Windows 7

Hello everyone,

I updated to W10 from W7 last year, when you could do it for free, and, as far as I know, my official W10 key got stored in my motherboard.
Today, I wanted to format my PC but accidentally installed W7 instead of W10.
I want to upgrade to W10 so I am creating an image and so. My question is: is there any way so I can get my W10 official key back?
I have tried using key recovery software but it only gets the W7 key.

Thank you.

:)

 

Recover Win7 Retail Key used to install Win10

I used a retail Windows 7 Ultimate key to activate a clean install of Windows 10 from iso. I have changed my mind and now wish to recover the key to use for Windows 7 installation, perhaps months after recovery.

I also have one other Windows 7 retail key used the same way, which I will keep as Windows 10 license, but I may wish to reinstall on other hardware in the future.

If it makes any difference, both of these Windows 10 installations are virtual machines (VBOX).

(A) How do I recover use of the first key for a Windows 7 install?

(B) How do I go about using my Windows 10 Pro rights on new hardware?

 

windows activation error 0x803F7001

How exactly did you Upgrade if the Windows 7 wasn't activated? Did you run the Windows 10 media from Windows 7?

Is Windows 7 retail or did it come already installed at Factory.

If retail you should have saved the packaging and/or key or you threw away a $100+ valuable.

If factory installed it should have a COA sticker on the PC with Product Key.

If you have neither then check if there's a windows.old folder in C where you might be able to recover a retail Windows 7 Product key using

Recover lost product key (CD-Key) of Windows/MS-Office/SQL Server or
How To Recover Windows 7 8 Product Key From Unbootable Drive .

Then check if you have Version 1511 at Settings>System>About. If so you can insert the Windows 7 Product Key at the link there as specified in Version 1511 FAQ in

Activation in Windows 10 - Windows Help .

If factory installed Windows 7 but the COA sticker is unreadable then you might also be able to retrieve from Windows.old the file given here used to Activate Upgrade:

How to do a clean install of Windows 10 the easy way -- no upgrade required

 

Hi PabloViGar. Welcome to the TenForums @PabloViGar

Your entitlement was actually stored on the MS servers not you MB.

Just do a clean install on 10, same version, skip over entering key and MS will activate your software.

If you made significant changes then some additional steps are required.

Ken

 

That's right, the problem is solved. Thank you.

 

Excellent. Glad the forum could help.

Ken

 

Just to clarify, The only Windows 10 keys stored in the BIOS are those put there by OEM's like Dell, Acer, ASUS etc. It's not added by upgrading to Windows 10. As you found out, you get a Digital License, and that is stored on the Microsoft Activation Server. The key you originally got was a generic key all PC's that do the free upgrade get it. There is a Home key and a Pro key etc. Those keys are easy to find with a Google search. You could enter them during setup, no need to though. They will only work (activate) if that PC already has a Digital license stored on the activation server. No pre existing DL and no activation. Run showkey now and you'll see what your 10 key is. ShowKeyPlus