Windows 10: Windows10 Activation message appears 2 or 3 years after my Windows7 free Upgrade

I have an OEM Windows7 on this Toshiba Laptop which was upgraded for free to Windows10 in 2017. Suddenly and recently the Activate Windows watermark came up. Many hours of troubleshooting later Microsoft Support are telling me I have to revert to Windows7 or go and buy Windows10. The OEM key is for Windows7 and there does not seem to be a Windows10 digital # on the Laptop and I gave MS remote access which failed to resolve the issue. Any idea where to go next ? Should I revert to Windows7 and loose Apps and risk security / lack of support from 2020?

:)

 

Windows7 to Windows10 upgrade -> missing operating system

Hi all

I would like to get Windows10 running on my Asus N71JA Notebook (

https://www.asus.com/Notebooks/N71Ja/) and would be happy to get some advice.

I already tried a few times to upgrade, through Windows Update or using a bootable USB stick, when Windows10 wants to reboot for the first time during the upgrade, I am stuck with "missing operating System".

Here, let me state my last tries.

1. Clean install of Windows7 with original Windows7 DVD I have, using the given product key with it

2. Activate Windows7

3. Perform all updates through Windows Update (Windows7 SP1, ...)

4. Wait until I get the option to upgrade to Windows10 through Windows Update

5. Perform the upgrade to Windows10 through Windows Update

-> first reboot during upgrade process -> missing operating system

I also did a clean install of Windows10 using a bootable USB stick. This works, I get Windows10 running, but then cannot activate it. But this tells me, that the bios settings are fine. With the same bios settings, I can clean install Windows7 and Windows10,
reboot as I like, no issues at all. Just going through the upgrade process leaves me with "missing operating system".

I already tried to perform an automatic startup repair through the Windows10 bootable USB stick without success.

Could you please advice how to overcome this issue?

Thank you.

Mike

 

Product Key for Windows10 free upgrade from Windows7 Home premium

I have today upgraded my Windows 7 to free upgrade package of Windows10. Now for activating Microsoft Office in Windows10 the earlier key provided with my Windows7 is not working. Since this is a free upgrade I do not have a product package. So please
let me know how to find my new product key for the newly upgraded Windows10.
And how to

• Create a Windows 10 DVD for installation on a new hard drive
• Create a backup Windows 10 DVD
• Create a bootable USB drive with a copy of Windows 10
• What is clean reinstallation? Is it necessary after free upgradation?

 

How to remove old unused files from windows10 (upgraded from Windows7)

The chart is handy to have but making it even handier would have been including the footnotes, 2, 3, 4 and 5, must be some impact on those items.