Upgrading an OEM Vista to OEM 8.1....

Scania · 12 Apr 2016 at 22:28

With a view to using it to upgrade to Windows 10, I have just acquired an 8.1 OEM license key through the MM wanted section, I'm intending to install it on my other halfs Sony Vario which is currently running Vista x86, am I right in assuming it'll work (the seller assures me the key has never been used previously) and all I have to do is download the Win 8.1 iso and put it on a USB key or burn it to DVD....?

Thanks.

linktoinsanity · 13 Apr 2016 at 09:38

It will work, but I do not believe Windows 8.1 supports directly upgrading Vista installations so you would have to do a clean install.

I think Windows 8 was the last version you could upgrade Vista to directly. Someone else may want to confirm this?

Scania · 13 Apr 2016 at 11:00

linktoinsanity said:
It will work, but I do not believe Windows 8.1 supports directly upgrading Vista installations so you would have to do a clean install.

I think Windows 8 was the last version you could upgrade Vista to directly. Someone else may want to confirm this?

Thanks for confirming what I suspected, it'll be a clean install so no issue there.

El_Watcher · 13 Apr 2016 at 14:58

If you plan to go to 10, why not just install 10 using the 8 key?

Scania · 13 Apr 2016 at 15:08

El_Watcher said:
If you plan to go to 10, why not just install 10 using the 8 key?

It'll let me do this?

I tried previously doing this with my 7 key on my own rig and got nowhere so ended up running the update and doing it that way.

linktoinsanity · 13 Apr 2016 at 15:35

Scania said:
It'll let me do this?

I tried previously doing this with my 7 key on my own rig and got nowhere so ended up running the update and doing it that way.

Early versions of Windows 10 would not allow this, but the more recent versions can.

It would save you a lot of time.

Scania · 13 Apr 2016 at 21:00

The key I've aquired has no COA sticker, the computer it's being used for belongs to my partner who works for Staffordshire Police and she wants it 100% legit and above board, am I right in saying without a COA sticker it breaks the licence agreement and as such is effectively not genuine in Microsofts eyes... (I only have a photograph of it which the seller has sent to me, he has no COA for it)

The seller assures me it's genuine and I don't doubt him whatsoever, but, my partner wants it right and above board, if somebody could advise me I'd be grateful.