Have a Windows 8.1 Pro product key Retail,if I Upgrade that to Windows 10 Pro on the same computer,obviously, that will probably not a problem .
Since windows 10 does NOT utilize product keys any more and using digital entitlements, what if I need to install Windows 10 in another PC in the future.?
Can I still Reinstall Windows 8.1 Pro using the same Product key, after the 1 month grace period for allowing users to Revert back?
You will not be able to reuse the Win 8.1 Pro on another PC because MS will know it was used for the first Windows 10 upgrade. However, if after the 1 month period you decide you do not want to continue with Windows 10 you will be able to put Win 8.1 back on that PC. Basically you have bought one license so will only be able to have one working PC with that license.Have a Windows 8.1 Pro product key Retail,if I Upgrade that to Windows 10 Pro on the same computer,obviously, that will probably not a problem .
Since windows 10 does NOT utilize product keys any more and using digital entitlements, what if I need to install Windows 10 in another PC in the future.?
Can I still Reinstall Windows 8.1 Pro using the same Product key, after the 1 month grace period for allowing users to Revert back?
Did MS give a specific time or date the offer of the Upgrade will terminate or it is Open ended?
First, philc43's reply is completely incorrect. Nothing happens to your Windows 8.1 retail key when you use it to upgrade to Windows 10. It continues to work exactly like it did in the past.
The free upgrade to Windows 10 is for 1 year from July 28, 2015. Once a computer is upgraded, it has a Windows 10 activation stored for life on Microsoft activation servers. After July 28, 2016 if you want to upgrade any new computers, it won't be free.
Yes you CAN , not legally, but you can do it. In order to be legal, you would need to remove the first install and then you are allowed to install on another machine. As long as you install your 8.1 on another machine before the upgrade period ends, then you can upgrade again to Win 10. Clear as mud ?
I know for a fact that you can reinstall Windows 8.1 with the key used to upgrade to Windows 10. I've done it on the PC it was originally used on. After the 30 day rollback ended. I have also heard that you can also reuse that 8.1 key on another PC and also upgrade that PC Windows 10 via the free upgrade. I have not confirmed it myself. If it's a Retail key it makes sense that you can do it. I don't agree with doing it, I don't think its ethical, but its not for me to say. If Microsoft lets you do it, so be it.
Nope. You need not install 8 and upgrade - you can activate 10 with your retail 8 key as often as you like.
It really isn't complicated. If you have one key you are allowed to use it on one PC. Not 2 or 10 or 15,000.
If you keep re-installing on different hardware (I do with VMs) then you have to phone up to activate in the end. If you try to run different instances concurrently on the same key it will get blocked but for sure you can move them as much as you like (as long as your license is transferable).
Yep. Just like you could physically have the Windows 8.1 installed on more than one computer - it just wouldn't be legal. Wipe the first computer, put Linux on it, install Windows 10 on a new computer, activate it with the Windows 8.1 Product Key, perfectly legal, and free until July 28, 2017. Then you'll have to pay for the upgrade to Windows 10 for the new computer.
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