Shhh!!! Free upgrade from W7/W8/W8.1 still working !!

jimbo45 said:

Hi folks
I recovered another old server -- rescued again from I.T dept scrapping it and totally wiped HDD's. Nothing of mine was or ever had been on that machine.

Created media creation tool for current version of Windows and installed W10 Pro eng-GB edition.
checked "I don't have a product key and installed.

At first boot I went to activation -->change product key as Windows was flagged as not activated.

entered an old Technet key for Windows 8.1 pro (VL, multiple activation edition) -- key was from around aug 2013 so 5 yeas old !!.

Checked activation after entering the product key.

"Windows has been activated with a digital licence".

I'm sure this is legal - but I'm surprised those activation servers haven't shut this down by now.

Cheers
jimbo

It has been like this ever since the official close date. This is well known on this forum.

I've seen just the opposite reported on Microsoft's private Yammer group. Multiple PC's would not activate with Windows 7 or 8 keys. I don't remember if it was upgrade installs or clean installs where they attempted to activate with a 7 or 8 key though. I may go have a look see if I can find more info.

EDIT: Looks like it was upgrades using the MCT, they get an error message that says that the setup can't validate the product key. It could be something else mucking things up but the consensus was, this was by design. It was 3 PC's that did it. That's not definitive one way or the other so I guess YMMV?

alphanumeric said:

I've seen just the opposite reported on Microsoft's private Yammer group. Multiple PC's would not activate with Windows 7 or 8 keys. I don't remember if it was upgrade installs or clean installs where they attempted to activate with a 7 or 8 key though. I may go have a look see if I can find more info.

I do not pay a lot of attention to such reports as it is my experience the issue is PEBCAK in most cases.

The user either uses a key for a wrong edition (normal, N or SL), a VLK, a generic key, a blocked key, internet driver issues etc.

It most certainly works if you use a valid key for the right edition for upgrades or clean installs, and you are properly connected to the internet.

In some cases, it is necessary to transfer an old key to a new device using telephone activation on old OS first as well if it is detected key is in use on another device.

cereberus said:

I do not pay a lot of attention to such reports as it is my experience the issue is PEBCAK in most cases.

The user either uses a key for a wrong edition (normal, N or SL), a VLK, a generic key, a blocked key, internet driver issues etc.

It most certainly works if you use a valid key for the right edition for upgrades or clean installs, and you are properly connected to the internet.

Totally agree, see my above Edit: :)

alphanumeric said:

Totally agree, see my above Edit: :)

Yep!

Some time back Microsoft advised MVP's not to suggest using the old OS product key as a remaining method, only refer them to buy a key / new license. I can't remember when that happened though? I didn't get a specific e-mail it was just mentioned in a PGI or something? It was mostly aimed at those on the Microsoft Community forum. Something like that?

Hi folks

a legal VL multiple activation license is still a LEGAL license so there is IMO no way that this would stop working until Ms say that W8.1 or whatever was no longer a "Qualifying product" for upgrade.

People who have trouble with these licenses might have bought invalid or stolen keys from Internet or whatever.

I have to admit though I was surprised that given a legal key the upgrade to W10 still works after all these years my key was from around Aug 2013 so around 5 years old !!!! (which is just a tiny bit older than me actually !!!!!).

I can't believe it totally but perhaps W8.1 still has the possibility to update while people who had W7 / W8 etc get problems. Could be that the numbers of people who installed W8.1 and activated it compared with the number who installed W7 and W8 was miniscule so Ms just didn't bother with locking the activation codes.

Anway to recap to get free update to W10 Pro from "qualifying systems". (W7 PRO/ultimate, W8 pro / W8.1 Pro)
do the following :

1) you don't need to ensure the old OS is actually activated - just do a a clean install and IMO there's no point in not doing a clean install from these older OS'es

2) Download Windows MCT (media creation tool).

3) add the ei.cfg to the sources folder - this saves problems on getting correct edition -- default via this type of upgrade is Windows Home !!. Adding this file (check on the Forum for way of how to do this). With this file added at install time you get a prompt of what edition you want to install.

4) run the install but choose "I don't have a product key" -- ignore other advice on the forum to enter the "generic one".

5) after installation complete at first boot go to Windows activation -- you will probably see Windows not activated.

6) choose in the activation menu Enter product key.

7) now enter your W7/W8/W8.1 product key.

8) you should now find "Windows activated with digital Licence".

Cheers

jimbo

I do own a small refurb firm, dealing mostly with Dell/Fujitsu/HP/Lenovo business-line laptops and desktops.
These machines were (almost exclusively) shipped with a 7/8/8.1 Pro license.
Though the official upgrade path has been closed long time ago, I'm still acquiring Windows 10 Pro digital licenses.

I'm using sysprepped (and generalized) images via Windows Deployment Services.

If the target machine bears a Windows 7 Professional COA, all you have to do is "Change Product Key" in the Activation window, type in, and activate, even after a clean install (image) on hardware that never acquired a Windows 10 digital license before. Dell, Lenovo and some Fujitsu do activate successfully even if you're using another (bit-clone) imaging solution like Acronis...HP machines don't like cloning when it comes to activation - use WDS instead.

If the machine bears a Windows 8 Pro sticker - there's no product key you could enter, and the OEM keys retrieved with known tools don't work either in most cases. There are numerous possibilities, depending on whether the machine has been shipped with (or has been made ready for) Windows 8.1.:

1. The machine has been (UEFI/MSDM) licensed for Windows 8 (not Windows 8.1):

These are the rigs that won't ask for a product key if you dare to install Windows 8, but they will ask for one if you want to install Windows 8.1 (and Windows 10). You have to install Windows 8, upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 then upgrade to Windows 10. This gets a digital license for the hardware, and you can clean install (image) any Windows 10 build on it after that.

BUT... I have encountered some mood swings in case of Windows 10 versions (builds); recently, I've had some Dell OptiPlex 7010 Desktops (3rd Gen, with recent UEFI/BIOS, SLIC2.1) which behaved strangely:

• Windows 8.1 doesn't ask for a product key
• But any Windows 10 version does ask for a product key
• Upgrade from Windows 7(SLIC)/8.1 to Windows 10 up to v1709 works flawlessly and acquires a digital license for the machine
• Upgrade from Windows 7(SLIC)/8.1 to Windows 10 v1803 no longer works - breaks with a "your product key couldn't be verified" message. Naturally, the path is to upgrade to v1709, acquire digital license, then install (image) v1803 - and it will be activated.

Alternative: Such machines mostly do have a SLIC2.1 module embedded in BIOS, so you can install a Windows 7 OEM image, then upgrade right away to Windows 10.This gets a digital license for the hardware, and you can clean install (image) any Windows 10 build on it after that.

2. The machine has been (UEFI/MSDM) licensed for Windows 8.1

In MOST cases, Windows 10 (and indeed, Windows 8.1) will clean install (image) and activate right away, without asking for a key.

I'm not considering native OEM Windows 10 rigs - if the machine bears a Windows Pro sticker (without the "8") - you're almost sure your machine already has a license for Windows 10.