Windows 10: Will Windows 8.0 pro upgrade key work?

A few years ago i bought a windows 8.0 pro upgrade dvd with a windows 8 pro upgrade key.
Will this windows 8.0 pro upgrade key work when i do a clean install of windows 10 pro version 1511?Or will it only work with a full licence key?

:)

 

Path to upgrade from Vista to Windows 10 (with 8.0 license)

Hi,

I'm wondering what's the better path to upgrade my Vista (home premium) to Windows 10 Pro with a clean install for free. (since I own a 8.0 upgrade license)

I have:

• a PC with Vista home premium x86 OEM and its license key.
  
• The license key to upgrade from Vista to 8.0 Pro bought 30$ through UpgradeAssistant when 8.0 has been released (but never installed/activated it)
• A brand new SSD to replace the only drive in the laptop and do a clean install.
• ISOs files for Windows 8.0 Pro and 10 Pro multi arch and sufficient and knowledge to create usb install key. (not sure my 8.0 iso is valid because I got it from upgrade assistant while upgrading 8.0 preview x64 to 8.0 Pro x64 on an other PC so I think the
  iso is x64 only. I'm now targeting a x86 laptop)
• A low bandwidth ISP connection at home, high at work (this is why I like iso so much..) Downloading is still possible at home. (about 3hours per iso)

I'm currently thinking of:

• Replace current HDD(Vista) for SSD(uninitialized) and install Windows 8.0 Pro with upgrade license key.
• One of:
  
  a) Insert Windows 10 USB media and (try to) start an upgrade 8.0 to 10 (can it be clean install ?)
  
  b) Update 8.0 to 8.1 (windows store) then to 8.1-update 1 (offline win update) + August update and finally run Win10 upgrade assistant to register the PC hardware id to Microsoft servers. (so no license will be prompted by Win10)
  
• If not already clean (a) or if (b) then format and install Windows 10.

Is there something I missed before starting my quest to windows 10?

Any official download for 8.0 x86 iso available? (if not I will try to find the cleanest I can since I will format it in the process)

Thanks.

 

upgrade to 10 from 8.1 (when 8.1 upgraded from 8.0 upgraded from xp)?

I'm trying to upgrade a windows 8.1 pro pc to windows 10 using the media creation tool as per this: Windows 10 herunterladen

I created a usb, ran setup.exe from in 8.1, but when I got to entering the product key the tool says the number isn't valid (or some such).

I've tried several times (pasted the number from the original purchase confirmation email), no joy.

I upgraded to 8.1 pro from 8.0 pro - the product key is for the latter, bought as an upgrade from xp. So, I'm wondering do I need to downgrade to 8.0 (reinstall 8.0) to use the tool to upgrade to windows 10 perhaps?

Otherwise, I'm not really sure why it isn't recognising my product key.

Any suggestions?

Thanks from Alien Fiend

 

The computer you want to do clean install.................... what Windows OS is it running on ?
Vista, Win 7 ?

If it is a Vista, then you should use the Win 8 upgrade software and install Win 8 first. Then you will be entitled to have a free upgrade to Win 10.
If it is a Win 7, and if it is genuine and activated, you are entitled to have a free upgrade to Windows 10. You don't need that Win 8 upgrade key at all.

 

The pc has now windows 8 pro activated with a windows 8 pro update key.

 

Then you are entitled to have free upgrade to Windows 10 Pro.
You can wait for Windows Update to offer you the free upgrade, or use one of the 2 links below to download the iso file.

Media Creation Tool (MCT)
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...load/windows10

Tech Bench
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/softw...load/techbench

With the iso downloaded, you can do an in-place upgrade install, or if you insist, burn the iso file to a bootable media such as DVD or USB and do a clean install.

Either case, you don NOT need that Win 8 upgrade software.
Activation will be automatic after installation.

 

For an in-place upgrade, you can use my "simplified" method................
Using MCT as example................
Download the Tool and run it.
Then select Create installation media for another PC
That will begin downloading the ISO file to your computer.
When download is completed, RIGHT click at the ISO > click Mount > click Setup.exe.
That will begin installing Windows 10.
You have the choice of keeping settings, files and apps, or keeping nothing.
No product key is required.
Activation will be automatic.

For Clean Install:
Use your F key to access Boot Order > change it to boot with DVD or USB, depending on which bootable media you will be using > insert the bootable media > restart computer.
Installation will begin.
You will be asked for a product key. Just click the SKIP option and continue.
Activation should be automatic.

 

You are welcome.

 

I think you have missed the point here. You can certainly upgrade to windows 10 from a pc upgraded to 8 PRO eg originally 8 core.
Of course once digital entitlement has been established OP could clean install Windows 10.

However, it is not clear to me if you can clean install windows 10 but use an upgrade (not full) 8.1 pro key to activate it ie does an upgrade key count as a valid licence for a clean install with no prior digital entitlement?

I have seen people say it can be done, but have not seen somebody say they have ACTUALLY done it.

Of course, worst case scenario is a bit of wasted time, if it does not work.

 

Read this
https://www.thurrott.com/windows/win...ey-to-activate


And this
Source

 

This is all old news. I have obviously have not made my point clear.

If I had aa FULL 8.1 PRO licence key, I know I can install 10 PRO 10586 and it can be activated using that 8.1 PRO key.

I also know I can have a PC which has been UPGRADED to 8.1 PRO and further upgrade to 10 PRO (10240 or 10586) in the normal upgrade way. I also know you can clean install Windows 10 thereafter (this was the only way to do a clean install for 10240).

I also know I cannot clean install 8.1 PRO and activate it using an 8.1 PRO UPGRADE key. You can only upgrade existing installations.

So the question that OP was asking, and I am also unclear on is:

Can you clean install windows 10 on a pc (where it has never been installed before) and use an 8.1 PRO UPGRADE key, as that key on its own does not count as a valid licence ie can only be used in conjunction with a previos licence ?

 

Post #3......................
The pc has now windows 8 pro activated with a windows 8 pro update key.

Whether the key was an upgrade key or full version key is irrelevant.

I am not in this forum for endless debate. Nor am I interested in exhibiting my computer know-how which I admit is limited.

My only purpose is to offer help to people who ask questions.

I suggest you concentrate on helping people with questions and direct your replies to them instead of playing the "pundit" of computer knowledge.

I shall terminate this one sided " discussion " right here.

 

Several people have already done this on this forum. They had computers with Windows 8 home originally, they upgraded those computers to Windows 8 Pro with a Windows 8 Home to Pro upgrade. They clean installed Windows 10. Since there was a Windows 8 home product key in bios, build 10586 detected the key in bios and installed Windows 10 Home automatically. They then tried to enter the Windows 8 Pro upgrade product key to upgrade their Windows 10 Home. Windows 10 rejected the key. HOWEVER, once they triggered the upgrade to Pro by entering the Windows 10 Pro generic product key, they got Windows 10 Pro but it was not activated because Windows 10 Pro had never been on that computer before. THEN they entered their Windows 8 Pro upgrade key and that activated the installed Windows 10 Pro which was previously - and never before - activated on that computer.

I have also activated Windows 10 Home with a Windows 7 Home upgrade product key (in a virtual machine) and then upgraded that to Windows 10 Pro with the generic Windows 10 product key which then was not activated. Entering Windows 7 Pro product key that I have activated it.

 

I fully understand cases where you did a two step process. I was just simply trying to see if a pro ugrade key would work on a (say) new pc, mobo, vm without any previous OSs?

I admit (and apologise) for missing the part where OP missed the where he said he was running pro on a pc activated with 8 pro, which modifies his original question (which I was trying to answer).

Still as OP has a satisfactory answer, I guess my question is unanswerable until somebody tries it. I guess it is probably violating EULA anyway.

I will end discussion here.

 

The answer to that question is yes it will activate Windows 10 Pro. What it won't do, though, is trigger an upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Pro.

1. Install Windows 10 Pro - not activated. Enter Windows 8/8.1 Pro upgrade product key. It will activate.
2. Install Windows 10 Home. Change product key. Here a Windows 8/8.1 Pro upgrade key (and any Windows 7/8/8.1 Pro product key) will be rejected. Instead enter the Windows 10 Pro generic product key and the upgrade to Pro will be triggered. Now you have a non-activated Windows 10 Pro installed. Change product key again, enter the Windows 8/8.1 Pro upgrade product key and it will activate.

Now - this is all assuming that the Windows 8/8.1 Pro upgrade product key has not been blocked from automatic activation. What I don't know is if phone activation will work in that case - or if the user must actually install Windows 8/8.1 Pro and activate it via phone first. My Windows 7 product key (good for 3 license family pack) has been blocked from automatic activation and I have to call the recorded phone line every time.