Hello,
I'm building a new computer today and was going to buy a new Windows 10 key but was told that I could reuse the Windows 7 PRO key that my now broken laptop was running, this was a key that I bought myself so it's not an OEM one that came with the laptop. Is there a certain procedure for this?
I downloaded the media creation tool from the Microsoft site but in the edition it only lets me pick between 10, 10 Home Single Language and 10 N. If I can use my old 7 key where can I get the PRO version of 10?
Advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
The isos are dual home/pro. You choose during installation if a cleaninstall. Upgrades choose automatically.
You should be able to just activate it using old key. If it complains key is in use, you may need to install 7 pro on new pc first and telephone activate it first to transfer pro licence to new pc.
Appreciate the reply.
So just to confirm, I pick Windows 10 as the edition and when I clean install on my new computer I should choose PRO, right?
Is a Windows 7 install really needed? If there is a problem with the key couldn't I just telephone activate instead of installing 7?
Yes. You pick Windows 10 (you will download an ISO containing home and pro). It will ask you when you install if you want to install 10 Home or 10 Pro. Choose Pro.
When it asks for your key put in your 7 key. If it is a transferable (not OEM) key it will work.There is no point in installing 7 at all unless you have overused your key.
Correct. When it asks for a product key click on "I don't have a product key", "Skip", or "Do this later". You cannot enter a Windows 7 product key for installation - only for activation. Once it is installed, you will go to settings, updates and security, and the activation tab, click change product key, and that is where you will attempt to activate it using the Windows 7 product key.Windows 10 does not allow phone activation with a Windows 7 product key - only online activation. If your Windows 7 product key is blocked from automatic online activation then you will have to install Windows 7 and activate that first on the same computer you want Windows 10. Then either do an upgrade, or use the genuineticket.xml file method to install and activate Windows 10.
I ran into the blocked key problem attempting to activate a clean install of W10, so I restored Win7 and used the genuineticket method document in this forum -- and it worked.
I have a family 3 pack Windows 7 retail product key and I just finished physically upgrading all three computers it was previously on so I had to do 3 installs of Windows 7, activate each one over the phone, and copy the genuineticket.xml file to clean install Windows 10. Since I had to install Windows 7 on the new computers to get activation, might just as well take two minutes to generate and save the genuineticket.xml file as insurance.