Does win 7 retail key copy to win 10?

Efour

Efour

Efour

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5 years ago I bought windows 7 home retail. Recently upgraded to 10 like most.

Noticed the product key was generic like other upgrades.

If I now change my motherboard cpu etc is my old win 7 key going to work?

I'm reading lots of different things from different sources ranging from buy another w10 to it will activate fine on the phone with the old key upgraded to a w10 product.

Anyone done it? Know a factual 100% answer
 
I think he's asking if the 7 key will still be accepted after the free upgrade offer has ended, so in other words, if his retail home 7 key has become a retail 10 key, allowing him to reuse it when he upgrades.

Kind of curious as well as I have a retail 7 pro key and I plan to upgrade at the end of the year.
 
You can still use your Windows 7 key to activate Windows 7. The windows 7 key will also activate Windows 10. The ten install is based on your hardware config. If that hardware config has been activated, then you are fine.
 
Sorry ill clarify my home premium retail was used to upgrade to win 10 home. It has been used on only my current Sandybridge pc since release.

If now I choose to full upgrade cpu moBo ram... from p67 The whole lot to x99 or whatever can I reinstall win 10 using my original win 7 key when on the x99
 
No. It's tied to the hardware but if your seven key is retail, then you can use that on the new hardware and go through the free upgrade to ten. Bare in mind the upgrade offer expires Jul 29th.
 
howiepoohs said:
No. It's tied to the hardware but if your seven key is retail, then you can use that on the new hardware and go through the free upgrade to ten. Bare in mind the upgrade offer expires Jul 29th.
Click to expand...

I dont think this matters anymore.

I used a windows 8 key which was updated to 10.. was on a old PC i broke down and sold.

Saturday i built a new PC.. (different hardware completely) i then installed windows 10 and then used my old windows 8 key to activate... which it has done fine.. didn't need to install 8 then upgrade.

I think Microsoft now take the stance as long as one key is not actively being used on two pieces of hardware it does not matter.

I think it would only become a problem if by some miracle i rebuilt the old machine with the same hardware then tried and used the key on that second machine.

Twice i have done this and never had problems with activation.
 
See I thought I'd need a new key too but people are saying the same... saving 100 on a new build would be rather tasty
 
On my PC build I had a Retail copy of Windows 7 installed. I did an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 a few months a go. I then formatted and did a clean install of Windows 10 and the installation activated fine with the Digital Entitlement.

First Question.

Does the Microsoft servers keep a record of my original Windows 7 retail key, I ask this because I wasn't asked to input this key when I did the clean install. A generic Windows 10 key shows up when I check it.

I am worried that it will not recognise my Windows 7 Retail key if I build a new machine and try to put Windows 10 on it after July 31st.


Second Question

Is it worth just going in to windows and changing the key to my original Windows 7 retail key, hoping that the key will then be logged on the Microsoft servers as the new Windows 10 key?

Thanks in advance
 
Whenever I have used retail keys in the past, they have worked again when moving the license over to a completely different computer (full hardware upgrade) - I think this is the whole point of the retail license, so you can re-use on other hardware. I have also used OEM licenses and move them across too by calling the MS phone activation number and doing that short automation process.
 
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