Windows 10: Upgrade from Windows 8.1- Do I need to buy a hard copy of Windows 10?

Discus and support Upgrade from Windows 8.1- Do I need to buy a hard copy of Windows 10? in Windows 10 Support to solve the problem; I assumed if I wanted a hard copy of Windows 10 that I could shove in my drive and do a clean install if I ever needed to do so, I would have to pay... Discussion in 'Windows 10 Support' started by Maugli, Nov 16, 2015.

  1. Maugli Win User

    Upgrade from Windows 8.1- Do I need to buy a hard copy of Windows 10?


    I assumed if I wanted a hard copy of Windows 10 that I could shove in my drive and do a clean install if I ever needed to do so, I would have to pay over my hard-earned cash in a computer shop.
    However my mate told me yesterday that because Windows 10 was a free upgrade I can just download an ISO 10, burn to a disc or thumb drive, and use my old W8 install code. Can anyone please verify whether this is in fact the case or not?

    :)
     
    Maugli, Nov 16, 2015
    #1
  2. TJardine Win User

    Do I need to buy a second copy of Windows 10 for my new computer this OCT?

    Original title: Upgrading

    If i upgrade to 10,

    do i need to buy a second copy for my new rig in oct?
     
    TJardine, Nov 16, 2015
    #2
  3. Do I need to buy a second copy of Windows 10 for my new computer this OCT?

    Chances are the computer will come with Win10 preinstalled. If not, you'll need to purchase a Full Retail version of Win10 & use it to do a clean install of Win10.

    [No, you cannot use your current install (upgrade) of Win10 to install Win10 on another computer.]
     
    PA Bear - MS MVP, Nov 16, 2015
    #3
  4. Mystere Win User

    Upgrade from Windows 8.1- Do I need to buy a hard copy of Windows 10?

    Mostly, yes. Once you have successfully performed an upgrade install, you can then clean install from a DVD created by the Media Creation Tool which you can download from Microsoft.

    You cannot (yet) use your old key to activate, you must activate on the same machine you upgraded from and activation will be automatic.

    There is rumor that Microsoft is going to allow you to use your old code to upgrade in a future version, but we don't know if that will be the case yet.
     
    Mystere, Nov 16, 2015
    #4
  5. BunnyJ New Member
    From my understanding you can use your old key with version 1511 build 10586.
     
    BunnyJ, Nov 16, 2015
    #5
  6. Maugli Win User
    Did you say "Activation will be automatic"? I assume this is due to some fancy chip on the motherboard that registers the Pc with Microsoft when you first install it.
    What if I also change my hardware substantially?
     
    Maugli, Nov 16, 2015
    #6
  7. Mystere Win User
    No. When you upgrade, MS calculates a hardware hash and stores it with your activation certificate. When you reinstall later, the hardware hash is recalculated and looked up on MS's activation servers.
     
    Mystere, Nov 16, 2015
    #7
  8. Mystere Win User

    Upgrade from Windows 8.1- Do I need to buy a hard copy of Windows 10?

    I have not actually seen this or heard it was actually implemented in this version. Maybe i'm wrong.
     
    Mystere, Nov 16, 2015
    #8
  9. Ztruker Win User
    It was implemented and I've done it on two computers that had not had Win 10 installed or activated previously. I used a Win 7 key on one and a Win 8.1 key on the other. Both installed and activated with no problem.
     
    Ztruker, Nov 16, 2015
    #9
  10. Maugli Win User
    I remember now, I was referring to the TPM (Trusted Platform Module) chip on all Windows compatible hardware these days.
     
    Maugli, Nov 16, 2015
    #10
  11. Mystere Win User
    The TPM is only used for encryption purposes. It's not use for activation.
     
    Mystere, Nov 16, 2015
    #11
  12. The new build 10586 will also read and use Windows 8/8.1 OEM embedded keys. I did a clean install on my laptop to a blank hard drive and 10 Home was installed with no prompt for a key and no prompt to chose edition. Activated with a digital entitlement too. showkey shows the installed key as the generic 10 Home key. 10 Home was never installed on this PC before this. It was previously running 10 Pro with a digital entitlement, an upgrade from 8.1 Pro, before I wiped the drive. To get back to 10 Pro I did a change key and entered the 10 Pro generic key. It upgraded and activated OK. Just a heads up. I have added a PID.txt file with the Pro key to stop it from happening again and clean install Pro instead of Home next time around. My laptop has a Windows 8.0 Core OEM embedded key. If your doing a clean install you may want to double check what version gets installed. You may be surprised like I was.
     
    alphanumeric, Nov 16, 2015
    #12
  13. Upgrade from Windows 8.1- Do I need to buy a hard copy of Windows 10?

    Cluster Head, Apr 4, 2018
    #13
Thema:

Upgrade from Windows 8.1- Do I need to buy a hard copy of Windows 10?

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