Windows 10: Upgraded to Windows 10, now asking for product key to activate

I have been running Windows 7 for many years and successfully used the free upgrade to Windows 10. The new operating system was working ok. However, when I logged on today there was a message to activate windows. Apparently the system was now requiring a product key! I was under the impression that an upgrade from a genuine copy of Windows 7 didn’t require a product key. My original copy of Windows 7 was included with a new Dell computer back in 2011 and it came with a product key. I tried to enter this but almost immediately some of the characters I entered were deemed to be invalid. How do I

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win 10 upgrade asking for product key


An upgrade to Windows 10 running properly will not ask for a product key. Are you sure the version on the USB is the exact same version as the previous operating system on the computer you are trying to upgrade? Pro or home; N, standard, or Single Language Version? If you continue with an upgrade that is asking for a product key, it will not activate.

A clean install will ask for a product key, and that can be skipped. Unless you have purchased a license for Windows 10 that has it's own unique product key, you should never enter a product key when upgrading or clean installing Windows 10.

 

Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant asking for product key


So make sure that you are attempting to upgrade to the Home Single Language Edition. The "about" system settings screen will tell you if it is 32-bits or 64-bits (operating system):





Using the media creation tool, you want the matching 32-bit or 64-bit Single Language Edition:





From the Windows 10 ISO download site, it's just listed as Single Language Edition:





Doing an upgrade to the correct edition Anniversary Update should not ask for a product key.

 

Windows 10 product keys and activation - and the KMS angle

Changing the product key to the generic Windows 10 product key will reset activation to the standard retail channel for activation. It might just activate (if there was a previous digital license for Windows 10 for that computer established with Microsoft). Once Windows 10 is back on the retail activation channel, then more than likely changing the product key to the Windows 8 product key using the same method may work.