OEM Windows 7 to Windows 10 New PC

prunehairs · Aug 14, 2017

Hi,

I have an old HP laptop with an OEM Windows 7 Pro key. I would like to take this key and use it on my wife's new Desktop that I am building. I would also like to do the accessibility Windows 10 upgrade. Is there any way to do this with an OEM key? The laptop is an HP ProBook 6550b.

Thanks!

USAFRet · Aug 14, 2017

prunehairs :

Upgrade the laptop to Win 10. You may not even need to use the Accessibility version.
Link the Win 10 digital entitlement to your MS account. Here:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-3164428/windows-build-1607-activation.html

Install Win 10 on the new system, and go through the Activation Troubleshooter to activate that linked license to this new system.

Hardware Brad · Aug 14, 2017

Technically you are not supposed to, but you could install windows 10 pro on the new desktop with the media creation tool that you install from microsoft's website and use that windows 7 pro key to activate it. However, if the laptop was upgraded to windows 10 already, it may have tied that product key to that laptops motherboard, in which case there would be no way to use that key to activate another system.

USAFRet · Aug 14, 2017

Hardware Brad :

A Win 7 that has been Upgraded to Win 10 and activated is now a "digital entitlement". And can be moved to different hardware, OEM or otherwise.

Hardware Brad · Aug 14, 2017

USAFRet :

Interesting, I will have to look into this.

USAFRet · Aug 14, 2017

Hardware Brad :

It all hinges on how you got Win 10.
Here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12440/windows-10-activation

VJ_Gamer · Aug 14, 2017

I guess it wont work:

Windows 10 upgrade has been ended, but you can upgrade if you are using assistive touch by following the below link

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/microsoft-windows-10-free-upgrade-offer-assistive-features/

But I think you cant transfer an upgraded windows 10 license according to the below link:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-windows_install/can-i-legally-transfer-an-oem-copy-windows-to/65969bdd-46cf-413d-b882-f953ec46f3d2

Good Luck.

Peace.

USAFRet · Aug 14, 2017

VJ_Gamer :

1. The free Upgrade window ran out a year ago.
However, tHere have been many reports in the media, and here in Tom's, of people doing it recently, and it still works.
Either a direct upgrade, or a clean install of Win 10 and entering a previous WIn 7 license key. Recently,a s in the last couple of months.

2. Your link to the OEM concept was/is valid for a regular Win 7 OEM license. You can't move that to new hardware.
But, if successfully Upgraded to Win 10, that now becomes a 'digital entitlement', and the OEMness pretty much goes away.

VJ_Gamer · Aug 14, 2017

USAFRet :

Yup, but in the link he is saying at the last that you cannot transfer an upgraded windows 10 license from one PC to another. I didn't try that, but you have a point.

Edit:- The first reply in the link.

Peace.

USAFRet · Aug 14, 2017

VJ_Gamer :

well...I have done exactly that, with only the tools and functions provided to me by MS.
I believe the only case this fails is with a preinstalled OEM Win 10.

VJ_Gamer · Aug 14, 2017

USAFRet :

I guess his laptop is having a preinstalled windows 7 OEM.

Edit:- And he is transferring from laptop to Desktop.

Peace.

Mohan_27 · Aug 14, 2017

prunehairs :

Yes,
You can use a windows 7 pro key for a windows 10 pro. I have done it myself and it works.

BigFeet13 · Aug 14, 2017

I just upgraded my mom's old acer from Windows 7 OEM to Windows 10 Home with the Media Creation Tool. It activated with digital entitlement. No issue whatsoever.

prunehairs · Aug 14, 2017

USAFRet :

prunehairs :

Upgrade the laptop to Win 10. You may not even need to use the Accessibility version.
Link the Win 10 digital entitlement to your MS account. Here:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-3164428/windows-build-1607-activation.html

Install Win 10 on the new system, and go through the Activation Troubleshooter to activate that linked license to this new system.

Should I use the Anniversary Edition Media Creation tool to upgrade as well as a clean install?

Mohan_27 · Aug 14, 2017

prunehairs :

USAFRet :

Should I use the Anniversary Edition Media Creation tool to upgrade as well as a clean install?

Get windows 10 from here:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10
Download it onto a flash drive or a CD.
Then boot it from your Bios

prunehairs · Aug 15, 2017

USAFRet :

So I have tried what you said, however, the windows key is not letting me activate it. It is telling me to go to the Windows Store and buy a genuine key...What should I do? Did I do something wrong?

Mohan_27 · Aug 15, 2017

prunehairs :

USAFRet :

So I have tried what you said, however, the windows key is not letting me activate it. It is telling me to go to the Windows Store and buy a genuine key...What should I do? Did I do something wrong?

Did you install windows 10 on a flash drive or a disk?

prunehairs · Aug 15, 2017

Mohan_27 :

prunehairs :

Did you install windows 10 on a flash drive or a disk?

I did a clean install with a USB drive.

prunehairs · Aug 15, 2017

USAFRet :

prunehairs :

Upgrade the laptop to Win 10. You may not even need to use the Accessibility version.
Link the Win 10 digital entitlement to your MS account. Here:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-3164428/windows-build-1607-activation.html

Install Win 10 on the new system, and go through the Activation Troubleshooter to activate that linked license to this new system.

Thank you my good sir this worked like a charm. All I had to do was put the old Windows 7 Key in and it activated. You people are geniuses!

OEM Windows 7 to Windows 10 New PC

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