Reusing Product Key when upgrading to 64 bit?

Poodmund

Poodmund

Poodmund

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Joined
2 Sep 2009
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482
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Hi guys,

I bought Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 32-Bit OEM when purchasing my pc which also included the Windows 7 Upgrade Voucher (this was nearly 2 years ago), however the Windows 7 was also 32 bit. I was wondering whether I could use a 64 bit retail version that belongs to a friend to install it on my PC and I use my product key to activate it?

I don't know whether this works or is legal or anything and was hoping someone could shed some light,

Thanks!
 
Well windows 7 retail does use the same product key for both versions, I installed Win 32bit Pro then replaced it with 64bit when I bought more ram, both versions came in the box with just the one key so I think you have a fair chance of the key working but I have no experience of your exact problem.
 
Yes, you can use the same key with both versions. However, you can only run one pc per key, and you would (probably) have to find the exact same media.
 
So to confirm, if I installed someone else's Windows 7 64-Bit Retail and used my Serial Key for my Windows 7 32-Bit OEM then it would work and be authentic/legal?
 
No. If you installed someone elses retail copy, you'd need to use your retail key.....

You can't use an OEM key on a Retail copy.
 
When I search the internet I get very conflicting arguments about whether it will install/function/validate properly.

Gah! I think I'll just leave as is as I'm only losing half a gig or so of RAMM and just wait until my next build.
 
Poodmund said:
When I search the internet I get very conflicting arguments about whether it will install/function/validate properly.

Gah! I think I'll just leave as is as I'm only losing half a gig or so of RAMM and just wait until my next build.
Click to expand...
It'll be fine, with the proviso that your friend's edition (HP, Professional or whatever) needs to be the same as yours. If it isn't, you can just build a new ISO with the ei.cfg file modified or removed altogether, as per the instructions here. :)
 
Yes, but it doesn't matter whether if it's OEM or retail, x86 or x64 - what *does* matter, as I stated above, is whether it's Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate (it's unlikely to be anything else).

If it's the same edition, you don't need to do anything at all, if it's different, you'll have to create an ISO from it, modify or delete the ei.cfg file with the tool I linked above and burn a new disc. It only takes a few minutes and is about as simple as these things ever get.
 
Even though its a double post just thought I'd say this...

On Monday I got a HDD Disk Read error and Microsoft was pinging messages up in front of me saying "Backup your important media now!" etc. Bought a 1TB WD SATA3 HDD off here and it arrived this morning. Now the important part, a friend who had the Windows 7 64 Bit Retail Disk made an iso of it and sent it to me and I used a tool I found to make a bootable USB pen of it and did a clean install of it on the new HDD today using my Windows 7 32 Bit OEM Product Key.

The fact that I'm now posting here means that it works and it passes the activation and genuine authorisation and all that stuff.

So again, thanks for the advice guys.
 
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