Windows 10: Upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 7, but Will not Activate!

Hi,

A couple of months ago I decided to finally upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10. I didn't do a clean install, I just went through the upgrade process.

Everything went smoothly, and I've been loving everything about windows 10 since then, but today it started to warn me that my license is about to expire. I was under the impression the license from my Windows 7 would be transferred over.

This is what my update and security screen looks like...






When I click activate it just does this...






And nothing happens. When I go to change the product key, and I put in my windows 10 license code they gave me.




I get a different error if i put in my windows 7 license code.

I don't know what to do. I'm frustrated by this. I was under the impression that this was a free upgrade, and now I feel like I'm going to have to buy a new license.

any help or advice is MUCH appreciated.

:)

 

MICROSOFT ONLY: Upgrading from Windows 7 TRIAL Edition to Free Windows 10

You cannot upgrade from a non-activated version of Windows 7 to the free copy of Windows 10. Windows 7 must be activated.

If you have a full version Windows 10 license, yes, you can upgrade from a non-activated version.

If you happen to be running a Windows 7 Enterprise 90 day trial, the answer is no, you cannot upgrade from such a trial.

 

apps does'nt starts

Windows 10 upgrade cannot be activated if it is installed on an empty disk. It is an upgrade and windows 7 must be installed on the drive and activated to qualify for the free upgrade. You must now reinstall windows 7, update it and check for activation
and do the upgrade again from within Windows.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/why-activate-windows-10

 

Okay, just a small update. I found this thread, where someone was having the same issue.

In Andre Da Costa's final response, he provided another product key to try. (YTMG3-N6DKC-DKB77-7M9GH-8HVX7) I tried it, and it worked! I couldn't believe it and I don't understand it. Is this a legit key, or is this some kind of piracy that might cause me trouble?

Since it came from the official microsoft forum, I am hopeful that this was a legit solution and that I have a valid license. I am not trying to pirate the software, I was a legit owner of windows 7 and I was promised a free upgrade, but Microsoft refused to honor that license after pushing me into the upgrade!

I appreciate any info you may have.

Thanks!

 

No need to worry - that is just a generic key that probably just forced windows to check your pc on its activation servers.

I have same generic key.

Note : are you running version 10586 (run winver). Latest version is 10586 which would explain why 7 key did not work/f still on 10240.

 

The -H8Q99 key was incorrectly distributed as a generic in 10240 - that was corrected to the -8HVX7 key subsequently.

The problem with the former is that it is a volume licence key and Windows keeps looking for a KMS server to activate it (as VL is not part of digital entitlement) - that is an offline method (ie. LAN not WAN)
Now that the retail generic key is installed it uses the online (WAN) activation method and thus activation is successful based on the original upgrade stored at MS.

Hope it makes sense the way I explained...

 

Nice explanation.

 

I have all the same errors as above - I am on Windows 10 Home - my product key ends in 8HVX7 - the above fix does not work for me
I am on dell laptop XPS L501X
any ideas appreciated please

 

Just the same idea that was posted in your first thread on this problem....

From an elevated ("run as administrator") command prompt type:
slmgr /dlv

Post the results here and we can help you more.

 

Thanks! We have ruled out that your problem with activation is due to attempted KMS activation because the activation method shown is what is normal. Next, please run showkeyplus from this forum:
Showkey - Windows 10 Forums

If you click on the product keys they will blank out and then you can post the result, please.

EDIT: I just noticed you are on build 10240. Pretty much for any other attempted fix to work you are going to have to upgrade to build 10586. But - don't do that until we get the results of Showkey.

Also see here for that error code:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/w...e-fc9f42c3deb2

They suggest just hitting the activate windows button over and over again.

 

I think it may be a networking issue that's preventing the installation ID getting through to MS - turn off AV/Firewall temporarily and try again.

 

Here are the results from Showkey.



This machine was originally shipped with Win7 Home, had it's original HDD replaced due to damage, was later upgraded to windows 10 from inside 7.

Last September the HDD was removed to be used in another machine and a new SSD was installed in this one. Win10 was clean installed from a flash drive created using the media creation tool, and it correctly identified the Win7 BIOS key and activated with no problems.

In January the keyboard was replaced, then about a month later windows reported that it wasn't activated. The keyboard is the only hardware change since W10 was last activated. My understanding is that the motherboard is the only component that should trigger deactivation so the keyboard replacement is unlikely to have caused this.

 

I'm sorry, but that is impossible. There have never been Windows 7 product keys stored in BIOS that could be retrieved to activate Windows. If there was a product key in bios, Showkey would display it. What happened was Windows 10 retrieved the digital entitlement stored on Microsoft activation servers when the first upgrade was done. Now something is keeping Windows 10 from retrieving that digital entitlement.

So, what I would try:
Disable any firewalls, including Windows firewall and anti-virus programs that could be blocking network traffic to Microsoft activation servers.

in an elevated command prompt run:
slmgr /upk
slmgr /ipk YTMG3-N6DKC-DKB77-7M9GH-8HVX7
slmgr /ato

Show us the results you get from the last command

 

all done - blocked