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Windows 10 Activation

ThinkWithPortals
By ThinkWithPortals
in Windows
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I have a copy of Windows 10, bought from a store on a USB stick. The product key that came with it has already been used on another PC, but I can still install W10 from it if I have a valid Windows 10 key.

I know that Microsoft allows people to upgrade or install Windows 10 using their old 7 or 8 key. I could do this, but what if I do this after the free upgrade expires?

 

My question is, if I install W10 from the USB after the free upgrade period ends on July 29th, will my 8.1 key still be accepted as a valid W10 key?

Project White Lightning (My ITX Gaming PC): Core i5-4690K | CRYORIG H5 Ultimate | ASUS Maximus VII Impact | HyperX Savage 2x8GB DDR3 | Samsung 850 EVO 250GB | WD Black 1TB | Sapphire RX 480 8GB NITRO+ OC | Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ITX | Corsair AX760 | LG 29UM67 | CM Storm Quickfire Ultimate | Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum | HyperX Cloud II | Logitech Z333

Benchmark Results: 3DMark Firestrike: 10,528 | SteamVR VR Ready (avg. quality 7.1) | VRMark 7,004 (VR Ready)

 

Other systems I've built:

Core i3-6100 | CM Hyper 212 EVO | MSI H110M ECO | Corsair Vengeance LPX 1x8GB DDR4  | ADATA SP550 120GB | Seagate 500GB | EVGA ACX 2.0 GTX 1050 Ti | Fractal Design Core 1500 | Corsair CX450M

Core i5-4590 | Intel Stock Cooler | Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI | HyperX Savage 2x4GB DDR3 | Seagate 500GB | Intel Integrated HD Graphics | Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 | be quiet! Pure Power L8 350W

 

I am not a professional. I am not an expert. I am just a smartass. Don't try and blame me if you break something when acting upon my advice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...why are you still reading this?

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4 minutes ago, ThinkWithPortals said:

 

My question is, if I install W10 from the USB after the free upgrade period ends on July 29th, will my 8.1 key still be accepted as a valid W10 key?

Maybe not. We don't know. If you are want to use the key, use it now.

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To play it safe, use the key now. Microsoft hasn't told what'll happen after the upgrade period. Maybe they'll forget about the free Win 10, maybe it'll be cheaper, maybe they'll go all in on the classic $100 version. We don't know. One other thing to consider is that since your installation media is retail, it might not support upgrade in the first place. The upgrade media is still available for download but again, all bets are off starting Julyy 29th.

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19 minutes ago, ThinkWithPortals said:

I have a copy of Windows 10, bought from a store on a USB stick. The product key that came with it has already been used on another PC, but I can still install W10 from it if I have a valid Windows 10 key.

I know that Microsoft allows people to upgrade or install Windows 10 using their old 7 or 8 key. I could do this, but what if I do this after the free upgrade expires?

 

My question is, if I install W10 from the USB after the free upgrade period ends on July 29th, will my 8.1 key still be accepted as a valid W10 key?

Probably not so as @Naeaes and @Electronics Wizardy said, do it now.

Judge a product on its own merits AND the company that made it.

How to setup MSI Afterburner OSD | How to make your AMD Radeon GPU more efficient with Radeon Chill | (Probably) Why LMG Merch shipping to the EU is expensive

Oneplus 6 (Early 2023 to present) | HP Envy 15" x360 R7 5700U (Mid 2021 to present) | Steam Deck (Late 2022 to present)

 

Mid 2023 AlTech Desktop Refresh - AMD R7 5800X (Mid 2023), XFX Radeon RX 6700XT MBA (Mid 2021), MSI X370 Gaming Pro Carbon (Early 2018), 32GB DDR4-3200 (16GB x2) (Mid 2022

Noctua NH-D15 (Early 2021), Corsair MP510 1.92TB NVMe SSD (Mid 2020), beQuiet Pure Wings 2 140mm x2 & 120mm x1 (Mid 2023),

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1 hour ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

Maybe not. We don't know. If you are want to use the key, use it now.

 

1 hour ago, Naeaes said:

To play it safe, use the key now. Microsoft hasn't told what'll happen after the upgrade period. Maybe they'll forget about the free Win 10, maybe it'll be cheaper, maybe they'll go all in on the classic $100 version. We don't know. One other thing to consider is that since your installation media is retail, it might not support upgrade in the first place. The upgrade media is still available for download but again, all bets are off starting Julyy 29th.

 

57 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

Probably not so as @Naeaes and @Electronics Wizardy said, do it now.

Ok, I've decided, I'm not doing it. I like 8.1.

 

Anyway, if I decide in the future I want W10 I've devised a cunning plan that allows me to get W10 free, completely legally...

 

Thanks all :P

Project White Lightning (My ITX Gaming PC): Core i5-4690K | CRYORIG H5 Ultimate | ASUS Maximus VII Impact | HyperX Savage 2x8GB DDR3 | Samsung 850 EVO 250GB | WD Black 1TB | Sapphire RX 480 8GB NITRO+ OC | Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ITX | Corsair AX760 | LG 29UM67 | CM Storm Quickfire Ultimate | Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum | HyperX Cloud II | Logitech Z333

Benchmark Results: 3DMark Firestrike: 10,528 | SteamVR VR Ready (avg. quality 7.1) | VRMark 7,004 (VR Ready)

 

Other systems I've built:

Core i3-6100 | CM Hyper 212 EVO | MSI H110M ECO | Corsair Vengeance LPX 1x8GB DDR4  | ADATA SP550 120GB | Seagate 500GB | EVGA ACX 2.0 GTX 1050 Ti | Fractal Design Core 1500 | Corsair CX450M

Core i5-4590 | Intel Stock Cooler | Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI | HyperX Savage 2x4GB DDR3 | Seagate 500GB | Intel Integrated HD Graphics | Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 | be quiet! Pure Power L8 350W

 

I am not a professional. I am not an expert. I am just a smartass. Don't try and blame me if you break something when acting upon my advice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...why are you still reading this?

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Just now, ThinkWithPortals said:

 

 

Ok, I've decided, I'm not doing it. I like 8.1.

 

Anyway, if I decide in the future I want W10 I've devised a cunning plan that allows me to get W10 free, completely legally...

 

Thanks all :P

If it means your exploiting the unlimited Free upgrade for disabled people then that's just bad.

Judge a product on its own merits AND the company that made it.

How to setup MSI Afterburner OSD | How to make your AMD Radeon GPU more efficient with Radeon Chill | (Probably) Why LMG Merch shipping to the EU is expensive

Oneplus 6 (Early 2023 to present) | HP Envy 15" x360 R7 5700U (Mid 2021 to present) | Steam Deck (Late 2022 to present)

 

Mid 2023 AlTech Desktop Refresh - AMD R7 5800X (Mid 2023), XFX Radeon RX 6700XT MBA (Mid 2021), MSI X370 Gaming Pro Carbon (Early 2018), 32GB DDR4-3200 (16GB x2) (Mid 2022

Noctua NH-D15 (Early 2021), Corsair MP510 1.92TB NVMe SSD (Mid 2020), beQuiet Pure Wings 2 140mm x2 & 120mm x1 (Mid 2023),

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57 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

If it means your exploiting the unlimited Free upgrade for disabled people then that's just bad.

No, not at all.

Wait, that's a thing?

 

Plan was

- Extract W10 product key from family member's laptop (their W10 install is super broken)

- Extract W8.1 product key from my system

- Use USB and W10 product key to install W10 on my machine

- Download an 8.1 ISO and use my 8.1 key to install 8.1 on their laptop

 

Project White Lightning (My ITX Gaming PC): Core i5-4690K | CRYORIG H5 Ultimate | ASUS Maximus VII Impact | HyperX Savage 2x8GB DDR3 | Samsung 850 EVO 250GB | WD Black 1TB | Sapphire RX 480 8GB NITRO+ OC | Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ITX | Corsair AX760 | LG 29UM67 | CM Storm Quickfire Ultimate | Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum | HyperX Cloud II | Logitech Z333

Benchmark Results: 3DMark Firestrike: 10,528 | SteamVR VR Ready (avg. quality 7.1) | VRMark 7,004 (VR Ready)

 

Other systems I've built:

Core i3-6100 | CM Hyper 212 EVO | MSI H110M ECO | Corsair Vengeance LPX 1x8GB DDR4  | ADATA SP550 120GB | Seagate 500GB | EVGA ACX 2.0 GTX 1050 Ti | Fractal Design Core 1500 | Corsair CX450M

Core i5-4590 | Intel Stock Cooler | Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI | HyperX Savage 2x4GB DDR3 | Seagate 500GB | Intel Integrated HD Graphics | Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 | be quiet! Pure Power L8 350W

 

I am not a professional. I am not an expert. I am just a smartass. Don't try and blame me if you break something when acting upon my advice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...why are you still reading this?

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6 minutes ago, ThinkWithPortals said:

No, not at all.

Wait, that's a thing?

 

Plan was

- Extract W10 product key from family member's laptop (their W10 install is super broken)

- Extract W8.1 product key from my system

- Use USB and W10 product key to install W10 on my machine

- Download an 8.1 ISO and use my 8.1 key to install 8.1 on their laptop

 

Yeah anybody who requires software or hardware assistance "Assistive Technologies" can get the free upgrade to Windows 10 past July 29th.

Judge a product on its own merits AND the company that made it.

How to setup MSI Afterburner OSD | How to make your AMD Radeon GPU more efficient with Radeon Chill | (Probably) Why LMG Merch shipping to the EU is expensive

Oneplus 6 (Early 2023 to present) | HP Envy 15" x360 R7 5700U (Mid 2021 to present) | Steam Deck (Late 2022 to present)

 

Mid 2023 AlTech Desktop Refresh - AMD R7 5800X (Mid 2023), XFX Radeon RX 6700XT MBA (Mid 2021), MSI X370 Gaming Pro Carbon (Early 2018), 32GB DDR4-3200 (16GB x2) (Mid 2022

Noctua NH-D15 (Early 2021), Corsair MP510 1.92TB NVMe SSD (Mid 2020), beQuiet Pure Wings 2 140mm x2 & 120mm x1 (Mid 2023),

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2 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

Yeah anybody who requires software or hardware assistance "Assistive Technologies" can get the free upgrade to Windows 10 past July 29th.

I had no idea. Good guy Microsoft :P

Project White Lightning (My ITX Gaming PC): Core i5-4690K | CRYORIG H5 Ultimate | ASUS Maximus VII Impact | HyperX Savage 2x8GB DDR3 | Samsung 850 EVO 250GB | WD Black 1TB | Sapphire RX 480 8GB NITRO+ OC | Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ITX | Corsair AX760 | LG 29UM67 | CM Storm Quickfire Ultimate | Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum | HyperX Cloud II | Logitech Z333

Benchmark Results: 3DMark Firestrike: 10,528 | SteamVR VR Ready (avg. quality 7.1) | VRMark 7,004 (VR Ready)

 

Other systems I've built:

Core i3-6100 | CM Hyper 212 EVO | MSI H110M ECO | Corsair Vengeance LPX 1x8GB DDR4  | ADATA SP550 120GB | Seagate 500GB | EVGA ACX 2.0 GTX 1050 Ti | Fractal Design Core 1500 | Corsair CX450M

Core i5-4590 | Intel Stock Cooler | Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI | HyperX Savage 2x4GB DDR3 | Seagate 500GB | Intel Integrated HD Graphics | Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 | be quiet! Pure Power L8 350W

 

I am not a professional. I am not an expert. I am just a smartass. Don't try and blame me if you break something when acting upon my advice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...why are you still reading this?

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5 hours ago, ThinkWithPortals said:

I know that Microsoft allows people to upgrade or install Windows 10 using their old 7 or 8 key. I could do this, but what if I do this after the free upgrade expires?

 

My question is, if I install W10 from the USB after the free upgrade period ends on July 29th, will my 8.1 key still be accepted as a valid W10 key?

Your key should work, as it has been stored on Microsoft servers that it has been upgraded to Windows 10.

You need have your main account, a Microsoft account as well, as it ties your product key(s) with your account as well.

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