Windows 10: Using Windows 7 key to activate bootcamped windows 10?

Hello TenForums!

I have recently decided to BootCamp Windows 10 using my Macbook Pro 2015 which is also running El Capitan. I'm bootcamping because I'm currently out of town and want to preload Fallout 4 onto my External before I get back. Because Windows 10 is free for owners of previous Windows versions, Is it possible to use my Windows 7 key to activate my Bootcamped version of Windows 10?

:)

 

Windows 10 Failed to Activate

Trying to update/activate a Bootcamp installation on a MacBook Pro.

I started with a Windows 7 Pro OEM bootcamp install properly activated. (Installed using Windows 7 bootcamp install usb disk) Ran the upgrade by launching Setup.exe from the Windows 10 bootcamp install usb disk. Everything went smoothly, the bootcamp drivers
installed automatically post-install. Except for one problem: Windows 10 will not activate giving an error about the product key being blocked.

I have 8 more of these machines to do. I am dreading this so much if this is the pain I am going to have to go through for each one.

As I write this it occurs to me there is one difference between the 2 installs. The Windows 7 bootcamp install disc has older (v5.something) bootcamp drivers than the Windows 10 bootcamp install disc (v6.something). Surely a newer driver for the same hardware
would not trigger a hardware change???

None of the canned answers on here seem to address this. Haven't found any other forums posts either that answers this.

 

2 activations 1 key

So i have windows 7 pro edition and i wonder can i install windows 10 on my mac (bootcamp) and upgrade my pc with the same serial key? Basically its just can you activate more than one windows 10 copy with one windows 7 serial key?

 

Hi 21kclimer, welcome to Ten Forums. Windows 10 is a free upgrade from windows 7 SP1 or 8.1 . Right now you have to have a preexisting windows installed first for it to be free. The upgrade will activate without a key needed. After that you can clean install, if you wish, and it will activate without a key (Digital entitlement). If you don't have an existing windows installed, the easiest is to buy a key, or box and install.

 

Windows 10 is also a free upgrade from Windows 7 (no SP1 required) and Windows 8.0 (8.1 is not required). After November 10, hopefully, a Windows 10 update will be out which will allow upgrading with just a Windows 7 product key, but the current version must have the original Windows 7/8/8.1 installed first.

 

Thanks for the reply guys! Do you guys think Bootcamp Windows 7 using my disc and key, and then just upgrading it from there would work? Not sure my MBP could handle the three operating systems

 

Yes, that will work just fine. The default bootcamp is very small I think about 25gb, you might want to increase it when you first set it up. Once you are "bootcamped" there is no easy way to increase the partition. Apple does have good directions on their support pages for setting up bootcamp, and installing windows except they don't tell you about the small default partition size.


Edit: Make sure that you have 64bit windows. Mac doesn't support 32 bit.