On Wednesday, 8 January 2020 07:13:19 GMT Wols Lists wrote: > On 06/01/20 23:37, Mark Knecht wrote: > > Michael, > > > > I got Win 10 Pro installed via the M$ tool that creates USB install > > > > devices. It worked fine. Reading online it seems that if M$ sees the new > > disk as still the same 'hardware' then it's supposed to automatically > > validate and I'd be good to go. so far, after 2 hours it hasn't done > > that but I'll give it awhile and see what happens. As it only took an > > hour I might still try the disk copy path and see if that comes up > > validated as that would also transfer the couple of applications I have > > on the original hard drive. > > > > Anyway, thanks for the ideas. > > A few more ideas from my experience - > > Have you ever re-installed windows and actually used the licence key > that came with the laptop? No? Then try a clean install of Win10 using > the Win7 key.
This will not work unless the upgrade from Win 7/8.1 took place before the Microsoft imposed deadline of July 2016. > Nearly all regular computers come with a bulk licence install, and the > key that is actually on the sticker is usually completely unused. If you > try to install Win10 with a Win7 key that has never been used, it will > activate. That's how I did a clean install on my laptop. (And it's > certainly true of Office, maybe of Win also - if you give it a key, it > will install the version that matches the key.) The OS Product Key for a Win 7 will not work on a Win 10, unless the free upgrade option had been performed before July 2016. At least it has not worked here ... You'll need a Product Key, Digital License, or a Microsoft Account which has been linked to an activated Windows 10 Digital License. > Or just buy a key from Amazon. I think I paid about £15 and had > absolutely no trouble. I've bought a bunch of Win and Office keys off > Amazon at between £10 and £20 and they've all installed no problem > whatsoever. (Thanks to an EU legal ruling, MS cannot block the sale of > 2nd-hand licence keys ...) I didn't know this! Thanks for sharing. -- Regards, Mick
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