Do I need a windows 10 product key

[LeonHaker]

I was running windows 8.1 before, got a notification that I can upgrade to windows 10, so I did and it worked perfectly.

Now I had to downgrade to windows 8.1 again for certain reasons and now again I want to install windows 10.

 

Do I need a windows 10 product key or will windows automatically detect my hardware and activate it?

[DeathSmile26]

you need the key nothing comes for free

[LeonHaker]

1 minute ago, DeathSmile26 said:

you need the key nothing comes for free

But I already had the windows 10 legal version, I don't have the key.

[comicsansms]

A Windows 7/8/8.1 or 10 key will still activate Windows 10.

[DeathSmile26]

its not legal without a key

[Shog]

Comic is right, you should be good and the Windows 10 should automatically read your key. 

[DeathSmile26]

what that means i never have to purchase a new windows if i already had one.

LOOKS LIKE MY BUDGET INCREASED

[jj9987]

You can try to install Windows 10, if the key already exists on the motherboard, then no, you don't need a new key.

I'm more or less sure, that you do not need to buy another key.

[Cracklingice]

3 minutes ago, DeathSmile26 said:

what that means i never have to purchase a new windows if i already had one.

LOOKS LIKE MY BUDGET INCREASED

You clearly don't understand how it works.  You don't need a new key to reinstall the OS on the same computer.

[Shog]

6 minutes ago, DeathSmile26 said:

what that means i never have to purchase a new windows if i already had one.

LOOKS LIKE MY BUDGET INCREASED

You don't follow Windows 10 much do you? You could even take a pirated version of windows 7 and upgrade and get a full free copy. I took the key from an old computer and used it for my new build to activate windows 10. 

[DeathSmile26]

10 minutes ago, jj9987 said:

You can try to install Windows 10, if the key already exists on the motherboard, then no, you don't need a new key.

I'm more or less sure, that you do not need to buy another key.

 

10 minutes ago, Cracklingice said:

You clearly don't understand how it works.  You don't need a new key to reinstall the OS on the same computer.

 

9 minutes ago, Shog said:

You don't follow Windows 10 much do you? You could even take a pirated version of windows 7 and upgrade and get a full free copy. I took the key from an old computer and used it for my new build to activate windows 10. 

does it work if i assemble a whole new computer

[Cracklingice]

1 minute ago, DeathSmile26 said:

 

 

does it work if i assemble a whole new computer

This is when you should be required to provide a fresh key.  Unless it is a retail version of windows and is no longer in use on the old computer.

[Shog]

8 minutes ago, DeathSmile26 said:

 

 

does it work if i assemble a whole new computer

Yeah, it did for me. All I did was use the Windows 10 installer from their tool and then skipped the key (telling you what I did). After the computer got brought up I took a windows 7 pro key from a computer husk I got to recycle and I typed in the activation box. The screen went from the watermarked version of windows 10 to an activated version.

Edited to add: I did this on my work computer too. We bought a windows 7 computer to save some $$$ when the upgrade was free, one of the computers broke and the manuf./supplier sent us computers with win 7 instead of 10. We upgraded them after the free update was canceled using the 7 key. 

[DeathSmile26]

2 minutes ago, Shog said:

Yeah, it did for me. All I did was use the Windows 10 installer from their tool and then skipped the key (telling you what I did). After the computer got brought up I took a windows 7 pro key from a computer husk I got to recycle and I typed in the activation box. The screen went from the watermarked version of windows 10 to an activated version.

thanks dude

[Shog]

5 minutes ago, DeathSmile26 said:

thanks dude

Let us know what your experience is! I got my computer.... a month or two ago so you should be good!

[DeathSmile26]

3 minutes ago, Shog said:

Let us know what your experience is! I got my computer.... a month or two ago so you should be good!

i am about to assemble my computer in the next week.

my build:- https://be.pcpartpicker.com/list/TcBrWX

[KenjiUmino]

it you had it activated on this system before, you should not have any trouble and should not need a key.

 

it looks like windows 10 somehow "remembers" some of your hardware if it has been activated on it before ... maybe the CPU or the mainboard - not sure - but i built a system out of used parts recently and when i installed windows 10 pro on it, it did not ask for a key and told me it is properly activated first time i logged in. 

 

like windows sent the cpu serial number to the activation server and the server replied like "yep, this cpu has been running an official version of win 10 pro before, you are good to go"

[DeathSmile26]

so guess it's bad luck