How to install and activate Windows 10 using your Windows 7 or Windows 8 product key
Summary
Microsoft recently announced the first major update to Windows 10 which includes numerous improvements for end users and businesses. One of the welcome improvements is the compliance check when qualifying for the Windows 10 upgrade. Previously, Windows 7, Windows 8.0 and Windows 8.1 users needed to have either of those versions Windows installed and activated in order to qualify for the free upgrade offer. For persons who needed to perform a clean install of Windows 10 from the outset, it was a two step process of first validating the machine through the upgrade routine, ensure the Windows 10 Upgrade was activated, then proceed to perform a Reset. With the latest November Update (1511), users no longer have to go through this process. In this article, we take a look at how to install and activate Windows 10 using your Windows 7 or Windows 8 product key.
Details
For the purposes of this article, I am using a Windows 7 license to perform clean install using Windows 10.
Please note: The copy of Windows 10 you download must correspond with the edition of Windows you are licensed for:
- Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Windows 8.0 Core, Windows 8.1 Core must use a Windows 10 Home ISO
- Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 8.0 Pro, Windows 8.1 Pro must use a Windows 10 Pro ISO
- If you are using Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8.0 Enterprise, Windows 8.1 Enterprise editions you won’t be able to use the free upgrade offer.
Review complete instructions how to download the Windows 10 ISO in the following article:
Review instructions here how to start a clean install if you desire, if you want to perform an upgrade, click here.
Have your Windows 7 or 8/8.1 product key ready. If you purchased a retail license, you can find the product key within the product box. The Windows 7 product key is normally found on an orange sticker attached to a pamphlet inside the box. The Windows 8/8.1 product key is found on a small business size card. See examples below. Please note, you can also use your OEM product key too if Windows came preinstalled on your computer.
Windows 8/8.1
If your computer came preinstalled with an OEM version of Windows 7, look for the Certificate of Authenticity sticker attached to the chassis of your computer. Normally this can be at the side or top of the system unit. For laptops, look at the bottom of the chassis or inside the battery or memory compartment. It looks like the following:
If you are running an OEM preinstalled Windows 8/8.1 license, Windows 10 setup should automatically detect the product key and install it automatically.
With Windows 8, Microsoft had changed from stickers that have the product key that the user has to type in when installing the operating system to new BIOS embedded product keys. The idea is that by eliminating the sticker, you eliminate one of the easier ways for nefarious users to get a legitimate product key. Eliminating the product key sticker also removes any worry that the sticker might get damaged while at the same time eliminating the long and irritating process of typing in various letters and numbers when installing the operating system.
If the user has to reinstall the operating system on a machine that came with Windows 8, the installation process automatically grabs the software product key from the motherboard BIOS with no input from the user. This means that those familiar Windows product key stickers will no longer appear on the Windows 8 computers.
If you have lost your Windows product key, Microsoft recommends you purchase a new one.
You might be lucky by contacting Microsoft Support who might be sympathetic to your situation:
http://support2.microsoft.com/kb/326246/en-us
If you are prompted to enter a product key during Windows 10 setup (November Update aka 1511) from within a running version of Windows, your Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 product key will not work. Instead, you should activate your Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 first, then re-run Windows 10 setup. You will not be prompted to enter a product key.
During Setup: If you are prompted to enter a product key when you boot from the Windows 10 setup installation media, click the option ‘I don’t have a product key’. Select the appropriate edition you are licensed for.
Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Windows 8.0 Core, Windows 8.1 Core will install Windows 10 Home ISO
Out of Box Experience, if you are prompted for a product key, Click Do this Later.
Complete the installation
Review instructions how to activate
Suppose I decide to reinstall Windows 7 or Windows 8?
You can reinstall or restore a system image of your previous version of Windows and continue using it, this will not affect the validity of the license.
If you continue to experience problems entering your product key:
Click Start > Settings (press Windows key + i) > Update & security > Activation then click Change product key
Click Command Prompt (Admin)
At the command prompt, type the following commands:
slmgr.vbs -ipk xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx (allows you to replace the current product key with the specified)
xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx — represents your product key
Hit Enter on your keyboard
Wait a while and it should activate, if not, give it a few days.
Ключи активации Windows 7
Тот кто хочет активировать Windows 7, но не хочет платить деньги или использовать активаторы, остается вариант воспользоваться бесплатными ключами. Список актуальных ключей для разных редакций смотрите ниже.
Внимание! Для каждой редакции (версии) Windows нужно использовать свой ключ. Так же все редакции представлены в 32 и 64 битных версиях, кроме Starter (она только 32 bit).
Starter (Начальная)
PKRHK-6622Q-T49PV-CC3PX-TRX2Y
YDMGR-MYQ3R-4XKRK-VHPDK-H7BY2
GXRHM-CGB6Y-4WRD9-KFD7C-QXQ2B
C7KYW-CBKVC-DPC82-7TPKD-Y8T2C
BQXR3-84D93-G2RK7-HDKH2-X938C
BR3DD-WJ2D6-RM84G-BHWQK-WFHW3
H7RRB-QPCYB-BMHYY-KB2YV-T8YYW
Home Basic (Домашняя базовая)
W6RR4-826PY-HM6PP-Q7RJC-XX2TD
TP7T3-42Y4M-B223Y-VFMMR-KHRY7
XBTTX-HF7M3-6D622-HY3QR-628QQ
7XHHT-J3RTJ-3D8GQ-96VRP-Q2KP3
2XPKP-Y6BYV-CC2GD-VR2GQ-YMVGP
KJ8G4-3PBDT-TH3MY-KVBPW-YKXBJ
YDY9Q-63KD7-X3WRJ-9J2C8-FHQWH
Home Premium (Домашняя расширенная)
3WY24-X3F6K-48H8Q-Y4D36-6J3CW
6CXFX-6B9Y9-HDHW9-CTTPV-Y9FJF
D4R3R-JGVKQ-B77CX-7DB4X-9K8C4
CQPJV-PBKWX-2JP9D-C39JM-B3VT2
MMXVY-9CV3T-FPJP6-CCGVK-H4VGD
TTGR9-TYWBJ-KBCDD-PD8X9-4P34P
FC2XY-BDJMD-H74HT-CF3J3-4P276
Professional (Профессиональная)
TMD3T-YPTC4-96KC4-KQHC9-PX6H6
J4CBF-MMDBV-BHM4G-PY8QH-6CV2Q
YP4RM-62HYH-283BC-433VQ-CHY66
RF8MD-VBK2Q-2XG3J-HCYRY-92H33
JYTWY-9C7PV-H4YFP-DKFG9-4CFQD
YGPDK-2PQ43-36TYB-PXYJ4-74YV2
HTHKY-64CR6-72B6P-W8HWQ-X7C99
Enterprise (Корпоративная)
BTXQ4-86VDG-GBGCQ-HVRP9-2X4GM
MMMQ2-623PY-6FQCQ-DKCTK-HWBQ9
6D7QQ-B4GGF-294CD-TW63B-GBV46
TJK67-VDMWF-GHTMH-8YD3Q-P6RWT
49CGJ-4MTTF-WCM4W-K8WMG-3G2VT
33GBK-98C3X-K8PKB-JK8HQ-DMXMQ
XF6B9-DQGTB-XHVPR-JTD9F-QGDDW
Ultimate (Максимальная)
2Y4WT-DHTBF-Q6MMK-KYK6X-VKM6G
49PB6-6BJ6Y-KHGCQ-7DDY6-TF7CD
CMBJC-VHBMB-C4H3F-QCXGM-X48JP
PTJCK-DPFYX-73W7B-GMMKC-RB6CJ
9FP3F-DKD8H-PRYD3-YFCRY-TFW6R
YJJYR-666KV-8T4YH-KM9TB-4PY2W
342DG-6YJR8-X92GV-V7DCV-P4K27
Как активировать Windows 7 ключом
Активировать операционную систему Windows можно двумя способами:
- непосредственно в процессе установки;
- после завершения установки.
В процессе установки
На определенном этапе установки операционной системы появляется окошко с предложением ввести ключ продукта.
Можно ввести ключ или оставить поле для ввода пустым. Рекомендуется убрать галочку автоматической активации.
После установки
Когда операционная система установлена, можно ввести ключ, пройдя по указанному пути ниже.
Пуск → Панель управления → Система и безопасность → Система → Изменить ключ продукта
Важно! Windows 7 идеальное решение для слабых ПК. Если у вас тормозит Windows 10 или 8.1 то 7 лучший выбор.
Как активировать Windows 7 без ключа
Активировать ОС можно и без ключа, для этого вам понадобиться программа активатор.
Это программа, эмулирующая ближайший сервер Microsoft, куда копия Windows отправляет запрос на подлинность введенного ключа. Короткая проверка, и система дает «зеленый свет».
На рынке пиратского ПО много рабочих активаторов, среди которых выделяется KMSAuto от Ratiborus. Скачать его, и другие утилиты для активации, можно по ссылке ниже.
Источник статьи: http://windows-10-keys.ru/windows-7/