Windows 10: Reinstall Windows 10 on old laptop - won't activate

Discus and support Reinstall Windows 10 on old laptop - won't activate in Windows 10 Updates and Activation to solve the problem; I have an older laptop that we used to use for basic things. Replaced it and it's been sitting. Grandkids wanted to use it so cleaned everything off... Discussion in 'Windows 10 Updates and Activation' started by GracieAllen, Dec 6, 2018.

  1. GRACIEALLEN
    GracieAllen Win User

    Reinstall Windows 10 on old laptop - won't activate


    I have an older laptop that we used to use for basic things. Replaced it and it's been sitting. Grandkids wanted to use it so cleaned everything off and reinstalled the O/S. It keeps saying Windows is not activated...

    Originally Windows 7 Home. When Windows 10 came out (sometime in 2015 or 2016) I did all the stuff to create an ISO for installations and used the generic keys provided to install Windows 10 Home on this laptop. I actually upgraded all 3 PCs using the same ISO and key. This was when there was no charge for the upgrade.
    Everything worked fine.

    Today, I put a fresh copy of Windows 7 Home on the laptop, then did the upgrade to Windows 10, and put in
    TX9XD-98N7V-6WMQ6-BX7FG-H8Q99 for the activation. It accepted it and installed the upgrade.

    When I checked later it said it WASN'T activated and when I retry the activation code it says it's not valid with an error 0x803f7001.

    I've not had a problem previously when I had to reinstall the O/S. Did MS deactivate the "generic codes" or are
    they actually NOT generic?

    :)
     
    GracieAllen, Dec 6, 2018
    #1
  2. JEBUSPRIME
    JebusPrime Win User

    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.
     
    JebusPrime, Dec 6, 2018
    #2
  3. THEONEANDONLYMRK
    theoneandonlymrk Win User
    How to reinstall Windows 10 if my computers used the free upgrade from 7 and 8?

    Your ild keys should work but if you registered the key to your online ms persona (email address) it should be tied to your account , install without a key login with your credentials , then activate.
     
    theoneandonlymrk, Dec 6, 2018
    #3
  4. TOPS
    tops Win User

    Reinstall Windows 10 on old laptop - won't activate

    Skype won´t wok in 17063


    Skype Won´t work... games won´t work...

    Making backup and re-format...

    Maybe I Install a Windows 7 again, At least, all of my games run smoothly ...Sadness!!

    *Banghead
     
    tops, Dec 6, 2018
    #4
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Reinstall Windows 10 on old laptop - won't activate

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