Will Windows 8.0 pro upgrade key work?

Post #3......................
The pc has now windows 8 pro activated with a windows 8 pro update key.

Whether the key was an upgrade key or full version key is irrelevant.

I am not in this forum for endless debate. Nor am I interested in exhibiting my computer know-how which I admit is limited.

My only purpose is to offer help to people who ask questions.

I suggest you concentrate on helping people with questions and direct your replies to them instead of playing the "pundit" of computer knowledge.

I shall terminate this one sided " discussion " right here.

cereberus said:

So the question that OP was asking, and I am also unclear on is:

Can you clean install windows 10 on a pc (where it has never been installed before) and use an 8.1 PRO UPGRADE key, as that key on its own does not count as a valid licence ie can only be used in conjunction with a previos licence ?

Several people have already done this on this forum. They had computers with Windows 8 home originally, they upgraded those computers to Windows 8 Pro with a Windows 8 Home to Pro upgrade. They clean installed Windows 10. Since there was a Windows 8 home product key in bios, build 10586 detected the key in bios and installed Windows 10 Home automatically. They then tried to enter the Windows 8 Pro upgrade product key to upgrade their Windows 10 Home. Windows 10 rejected the key. HOWEVER, once they triggered the upgrade to Pro by entering the Windows 10 Pro generic product key, they got Windows 10 Pro but it was not activated because Windows 10 Pro had never been on that computer before. THEN they entered their Windows 8 Pro upgrade key and that activated the installed Windows 10 Pro which was previously - and never before - activated on that computer.

I have also activated Windows 10 Home with a Windows 7 Home upgrade product key (in a virtual machine) and then upgraded that to Windows 10 Pro with the generic Windows 10 product key which then was not activated. Entering Windows 7 Pro product key that I have activated it.

I fully understand cases where you did a two step process. I was just simply trying to see if a pro ugrade key would work on a (say) new pc, mobo, vm without any previous OSs?

I admit (and apologise) for missing the part where OP missed the where he said he was running pro on a pc activated with 8 pro, which modifies his original question (which I was trying to answer).

Still as OP has a satisfactory answer, I guess my question is unanswerable until somebody tries it. I guess it is probably violating EULA anyway.

I will end discussion here.

cereberus said:

I fully understand cases where you did a two step process. I was just simply trying to see if a pro ugrade key would work on a (say) new pc, mobo, vm without any previous OSs?

The answer to that question is yes it will activate Windows 10 Pro. What it won't do, though, is trigger an upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Pro.

1. Install Windows 10 Pro - not activated. Enter Windows 8/8.1 Pro upgrade product key. It will activate.
2. Install Windows 10 Home. Change product key. Here a Windows 8/8.1 Pro upgrade key (and any Windows 7/8/8.1 Pro product key) will be rejected. Instead enter the Windows 10 Pro generic product key and the upgrade to Pro will be triggered. Now you have a non-activated Windows 10 Pro installed. Change product key again, enter the Windows 8/8.1 Pro upgrade product key and it will activate.

Now - this is all assuming that the Windows 8/8.1 Pro upgrade product key has not been blocked from automatic activation. What I don't know is if phone activation will work in that case - or if the user must actually install Windows 8/8.1 Pro and activate it via phone first. My Windows 7 product key (good for 3 license family pack) has been blocked from automatic activation and I have to call the recorded phone line every time.

Thanks all for the information.