Transferring Window 7 Product Keys when upgrading to Win 10

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anonymousey

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#198831 24-Jul-2016 20:45

Hiya - I am back again [ last time was when I had encrypting ransomware that had no ransom] as since having my former desktop utterly trashed ...

Yup ... I have since then bought some second hand computers for me [and children] and had them running on different versions of Win 7....

Unfortunately I was only keeping the Product Key list in my paper diary for safety because... I did not realise they might not be reusable if I tried to upgrade in future etc Some of the silver stickers have long worn off which is why I often use Belarc to find out info & then write it down on paper safe like I used to do with Win98 etc

I have just tried to do a fresh install of a Win 10 iso [from microsoft] on the best desktop remaining here ...after figuring that trying to disinfect another nasty virus would only use up my time before this microsoft offer ends....

This new installation has worked great & I can surf with it currently ...but unfortunately it will not recognise my current Product Key...

I have only these keys which I got it via a Belarc sweeps ....but now am not 100% sure that some hardware was not changed over time eg when sorting out the cryptorbit problems etc Basically the Win 7 key was working yesterday but it wont work today within the Win 10 upgrade etc

With the second desktop I have got running Win 7 currently ...I tried to upgrade that but failed ... but discovered I cannot because yep it doesnt meet all specs ...so now wondering if I can transfer this license or not to a spare desktop also still sitting here ready to activate ...

Lastly I had also thought I could transfer my Win 8.1 from a broken screen notebook to a 6710B laptop which had been Vista Business ... now also upgraded via the online offer ...but again neither this product key ...nor my spare 3rd Win 7 product key seems to be working ...

Of course I am kicking myself greatly as it seems while I was trying to keep these desktops or laptops running under WIN 7 ... &or fixing viruses &or letting a youngster change harddrives or parts for me to .... now it looks like all of my product keys will not work or activate with these upgrades ..... perhaps because my keys were for specific motherboards I think?

Just wondering if anybody has any suggestions or workarounds ...or not.... not sure yet if I should just remove all the Window 10 changes and just reset everything back to my earlier systems [fingers crossed they are still accessible to me] &or hunt out my earlier Win 7 installation discs if I can find them again

Hope this makes sense to youse.... and many many thanks in advance for any answers :)

ps I dont understand many computer hardware/software interactions and technical speak so if links or online videos are available for me this is always very helpful :)

freitasm

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#1597859 24-Jul-2016 20:48

"This new installation has worked great & I can surf with it currently ...but unfortunately it will not recognise my current Product Key..."

Windows 10 won't necessarily recognise all Windows 7 keys. In case the key can't be used you'd have to install Windows 7 with that key, then upgrade to Windows 10 (free until 29 July only) and from that point on Windows 10, on that specific computer, will always be automatically activated, regardless of reinstalls.

Also an OEM key can only be used on the PC it came originally with. It can't be used on another PC.

There's a lot of information on which type of Windows 7 key can activate Windows 10 here.

During the free upgrade, you can use a valid Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1 product key to activate Windows 10 (Version 1511 or higher). The following types of product keys are supported:

Product keys included in the packaging or the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) attached to your PC that came installed with Windows.
Product keys included in the confirmation email you received after buying Windows from an online retailer.
Product keys included in the box the Windows DVD came in.
Product keys you bought using Windows Anytime Upgrade or Get Genuine Windows.
If you bought a Windows 8.1 Pro Pack product key, you can use it to activate Windows 10 Pro.

nathan

5695 posts

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Inactive user

#1597894 25-Jul-2016 03:46

What version of Windows 10?

V1511 should work but v1507 won't understand your Win7 product key at all

anonymousey

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1599317 26-Jul-2016 23:06

Thank you for your replies

Unfortunately ... I think I have now make it impossible for any of the upgrades at my place... & I have become so confused and tired now ... that it will likely mean that I end up putting a couple of desktop computers plus 2 laptop down into the basement on the weekend.

I ended up going back to reinstall Windows 7 on these computers... in the hope of starting over with the win10 upgrades again .... and yup could not get the win7product keys I was using last week to even start working again ...

I even had one harddrive start smoking on me ... I removed it from case to try looking at it in a docking station [but then used one of those usb to sata ide hardrive lead thingies] as I wanted to try and check what it was running... in case my extra COA silversticky belonged to this etc This was only because I wont see a young person who helps me until the weekend & the free offer would be over etc ALso because most of my COAs have worn off this is why I was using the Belarc info for help etc

Sadly the reason I am writing is because what is confusing me now ... is why the keys I had last week will not work again at the moment ....& yep I have tried to put the same key to the same box with the same version of win7 but not getting anywheres

Anyways I will try and match up the belarc summaries with some other boxes tomorrow because i am not sure if its because a couple were vista ...upgraded to win7 and then sold secondhand to me for the kids...and then I ended up making some new mistakes when i gave up the upgrading & tried to reinstall back again....

So to summarise... it looks like I have now have four different oem window 7 keys that no longer do anything it seems ...on any of the computers sadly

I will try ringing the 0800 number again tomorrow just in case they have any suggestions ...I was hoping to get at least one desktop and one laptop running for my nephew and 8yo grandson as I have been encouraging them to start learning coding ? as I know they love their minecraft etc So if I find out why the OEM for these computers that were working under win7 wont upgrade to win10 ...or wont downgrade back again ...I will try and put up the answers I was given etc

other than that ... I will try to check out other ideas when I can but I am still a bit stunned at how difficult and stressful this has been and I kinda wish I never ever started trying to upgrade to win10 etc TBH it seems the different repairs my youngsters done to the computers over the last year or so ... will likely mean that their hardware is all now useless [& havent told them yet] ...especially if this windows software wont work for us anymore :(

ps I am posting from a DSE laptop I bought earlier this year which was upgraded to Win10 on the same day ... now got my fingers crossed if it gets sick or has more memory or a bigger hardrive put it in eventually ...that all the keys which came with it dont disappear on me too ....