Can I activate my Win10 and... save it for later?

[claypigeon101]

Hi guys!
Hoping you can help me out here.

I've had my 'Go ahead and install Win10' confirmation message and I don't want to do it just yet. Running 7 Pro x64.

I understand that I need to go through with the Win10 upgrade process to associate my legit Win7 key with Win10. I *want* to make this association.. without having to install Win10 and change my system just yet. Can I do this?!

I've used Rufus to create a GPT Win10 Pro USB install key... but I want to save it for later because I'm happy on 7 for the time being. But I know that some time next year my Win10 FREE* upgrade period runs out and my Win7 key no longer automatically registers for Win10 also.

So... if this post makes sense...
Does anyone know how to go about letting my Win7 key now register legitimately for Win10 also, without having to upgrade and change my OS?

What do you think. A little puzzled.
Thanks!

 

[tnx]

Have you got a spare HDD ?
Install your legit Win 7 onto this drive, make sure it is activated. Then do the Win 10 upgrade. Your hardware will then be on their servers, so then you will be able to do a clean Win 10 install. Test it out after you have upgraded and make sure your Win 10 gets activated.
Then once you know all is ok sling your original drive back in.
Swapping the HDD does not effect the activation like swapping the motherboard would.

 

[ED209]

this is what i did in the end.

went from W7 activated to W10 activated.

done clean install of W10 and activated on hardware ID

i have now since gone back to using W7 due to issues with W10 but in theory my hardware is now tagged to be used with W10 so down the line when i decide to go back to W10 i should be fine

there has been some info going around saying you can now use a W7 or W8.1 key to activate W10 but im not too sure much on this

 

[ironhorse]

Have you got a spare HDD ?
Swapping the HDD does not effect the activation like swapping the motherboard would.

That's what I was lead to believe, but wasn't the case in my mum's laptop grrr

she had her hard drive fail after the windows upgrade from 7-10, everything was activated running great until the HDD failure.

She had no back up media for win7, so I thought no probs I'll do a clean win10 install as you can download the iso's from MS, everyone happy. BUT, did win10 activate with the new HDD did it hell as like.

I spent numerous phone calls to the land of curries, only to be told by MS that I had to reinstall win7 first then update to 10. ahhhhggg but I have no media for 7, contact your laptop manufacturer then I was told.

Luckily I managed to find an original win7 ISO online and activate with the code on the back of the laptop, and then accept the free upgrade to 10 afterwards.

So it seems that changing the HDD is according to MS a major change and you can't do a fresh install

 

[tnx]

I upgraded from Win 7 to Win 10 in the manner I described.
In fact I have done it with both of my running machines. I have a few HDD and I have swapped many times messing about testing Win 10 and every time Win 10 activated, no matter what HDD I used.

 

[claypigeon101]

Install your legit Win 7 onto this drive, make sure it is activated. Then do the Win 10 upgrade. Your hardware will then be on their servers, so then you will be able to do a clean Win 10 install. Test it out after you have upgraded and make sure your Win 10 gets activated.

this is a brilliant idea. Thanks so much.