Microsoft Will Now Let Windows 10 Upgraders Use Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 Product Key to Activate

Dano · 6 Nov 2015 at 22:53

Tried this earlier, refused to accept my retail W7 key saying it was locked.

Glanza · 6 Nov 2015 at 23:10

Common sense finally prevails.

nightmare99 · 7 Nov 2015 at 23:42

Tried this earlier, refused to accept my retail W7 key saying it was locked.

Which build did you try it with?

thenewoc · 8 Nov 2015 at 07:17

TH2 hasn't been released just yet so the only way to do it at the moment if you want to do a fresh install straight away is to opt in to the insider builds once the initial install is complete. You then need the insider builds to be brought up to build 10565 if my memory serves me correct. Once you're at that point you can go to the activation screen and enter your previous (qualifying version) windows key.

krooton · 9 Nov 2015 at 11:18

OK, I had a spare Win 7 Pro key.

Downloaded the relevant Insider ISO, created USB boot disk, installed Win 10 and it accepted my Win 7 Pro key perfectly and I am now running Win 10 Pro.

What I can't figure out now, is how to move to just the standard, release build, rather than the Insider Previews? Google recommended a few things but I can't seem to get any of them to work, I only used Insider Preview to use my key on install.

gareth170 · 9 Nov 2015 at 13:20

krooton said:
OK, I had a spare Win 7 Pro key.

Downloaded the relevant Insider ISO, created USB boot disk, installed Win 10 and it accepted my Win 7 Pro key perfectly and I am now running Win 10 Pro.

What I can't figure out now, is how to move to just the standard, release build, rather than the Insider Previews? Google recommended a few things but I can't seem to get any of them to work, I only used Insider Preview to use my key on install.

are you registered as an Insider?

if not. i would have waited till it's released, hopefully tomorrow

krooton · 9 Nov 2015 at 14:41

I did register, that's how I got access to the ISO.

But won't it keep trying to update me to whatever new preview build comes out?

gareth170 · 9 Nov 2015 at 18:07

krooton said:
I did register, that's how I got access to the ISO.

But won't it keep trying to update me to whatever new preview build comes out?

yes until you leave the insider program....

Raiden85 · 10 Nov 2015 at 12:48

I was on the public release of 10 Pro (clean install 2 weeks after release) but signed into the insider program a few days ago so I could download build 10586. Installed great and when I was back in Windows and I checked Windows update and it kicked me out of the insider program. To use it I would have to sign into it again

Was going to sign out anyway. So far everything is working great.

When I first logged in after the upgrade it said it removed Spybot S&D 2.4, CPU-Z and something else I can't remember due to compatibility issues. I just reinstalled them over the top and everything ran fine, few days later it's still fine.