Install Win 7 Pro on Win 8.1 PC already upgraded to Win 10 Home

Hello Guys,
On my laptop, I had Windows 8.1 Base/ Home pre installed. Then I updated the laptop to Windows 10 Home successfully.

If I can now somehow buy a Windows 7 Pro license and install W7 Pro on this laptop and then upgrade it to W10. Will it then be a W10 Pro installation with a new W10 license or will it still get the old W10 Home license which was previously activated on this laptop?


I checked an well known online shop giving a good price on W7 Pro license. And who wouldn't love to have W10 Pro instead of W10 Home!

Brink said:

Hello Fahid,

If you upgrade from an activated Windows 7 Pro, you'll upgrade to Windows 10 Pro. :)


https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...tallation.html

Thanks but can you please be a little more specific in my foreseen scenario?

I have already upgraded the device to W10 Home because of W8.1 OEM license.

It is said that MS server binds a specific certificate to my Hardware hash.

Wouldn't it just take my device's hardware hash and just validate my installtion through the certificate that is already associated to my device hardware profile, wherein the Edition of Win10 is Win10 Home?

Now that explains it much better.
If I upgrade from W7P - I get W10P
If I perform clean install - I get the license of my Last upgrade

Like if after upgrading from W7P to W10P, next clean install will get me W10P and not W10H, am I right?

Hi there

as Brink says -- it WILL give you W10 RTM PRO

However in order to do this do the following steps. Note SWITCH OFF PROTECTED BOOT in the BIOS if you have it and also UEFI (keeps it simpler - W7 runs into problems sometimes with UEFI boot)

1) BACKUP existing system - in case of failure so at least you will be able to restore and have a working system again.
2) Clean install W7 - and I mean CLEAN install W7 -- DO NOT ENTER PRODUCT KEY at this stage. At install delete all the Windows existing partitions using the options in the install menu -- or format HDD before starting.

The install menu will show you your existing partitions when it asks you where would you like to install Windows - from the options just delete all the partitions on the HDD you want Windows on. (Don't delete your DATA partitions or other HDD partitions of course).

3) Depending on your W7 ISO you might have to download 1GB or more of updates --even on an SP1 ISO. You MUST APPLY ALL UPDATES before any W10 update.
5) Don't install any USER applications apart from say Drivers (video / card readers etc).
6) Activate Windows - either directly over the Internet --if it doesn't activate first time then choose change product key and enter your W7 key.
7) after all this just Re-boot. You should see after the reboot the Windows Update Logo in the system area (normally Right hand side of bottom taskbar). Don't use this as this generates an email to Ms. Keep following the instructions here to complete upgrade process.

8) Apply your update using the Media creation tool -- now you'll have updated RTM W10 PRO edition.

(Depending on where you live you might be prompted DURING the install process that the Update to W10 is ready - I Ignored that and updated via the media creation tool - worked fine).

Note there are a LOT of updates from W7 from a clean re-install of it. There are over 1GB of downloads -- If you want W10 pro it's easier if you can find a CHEAP W8 or W8..1 Pro !!! to upgrade from.

Note also - Installing from "Activated" systems using unofficial activators or unofficial KMS servers WILL NOT BE ACTIVATED after Install so only use VALID KEYS.

Cheers

Jimbo

What about the clean install thereafter?

Once I have upgraded my device to Win 10 Pro from Win 7/8.1 Pro

Now, will a clean install give me Win 10 Pro?
or Win 10 Home, because I have previously upgraded this device to Win 10 Home from Win 8.1 Base/ Home?

If a clean install will still get me Win 10 Home, then why bother buying Win 7/8 Pro at all even for One Euro

Fahid said:

What about the clean install thereafter?

Once I have upgraded my device to Win 10 Pro from Win 7/8.1 Pro

Now, will a clean install give me Win 10 Pro?
or Win 10 Home, because I have previously upgraded this device to Win 10 Home from Win 8.1 Base/ Home?

If a clean install will still get me Win 10 Home, then why bother buying Win 7/8 Pro at all even for One Euro

Hi there

I thought the whole idea was to get Windows 10 PRO when your original installation was a W10 HOME edition.

If you just want the W10 HOME edition simply upgrade from the OS you already have.

However assuming you want and have W10 PRO already on your PC (and activated) a CLEAN install of W10 will keep it activated and as W10 PRO --YOU DO NOT NEED TO RE ENTER ANY PRODUCT KEY.

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

Hi there

as Brink says -- it WILL give you W10 RTM PRO

However in order to do this do the following steps. Note SWITCH OFF PROTECTED BOOT in the BIOS if you have it and also UEFI (keeps it simpler - W7 runs into problems sometimes with UEFI boot)

1) BACKUP existing system - in case of failure so at least you will be able to restore and have a working system again.
2) Clean install W7 - and I mean CLEAN install W7 -- DO NOT ENTER PRODUCT KEY at this stage. At install delete all the Windows existing partitions using the options in the install menu -- or format HDD before starting.

The install menu will show you your existing partitions when it asks you where would you like to install Windows - from the options just delete all the partitions on the HDD you want Windows on. (Don't delete your DATA partitions or other HDD partitions of course).

3) Depending on your W7 ISO you might have to download 1GB or more of updates --even on an SP1 ISO. You MUST APPLY ALL UPDATES before any W10 update.
5) Don't install any USER applications apart from say Drivers (video / card readers etc).
6) Activate Windows - either directly over the Internet --if it doesn't activate first time then choose change product key and enter your W7 key.
7) after all this just Re-boot. You should see after the reboot the Windows Update Logo in the system area (normally Right hand side of bottom taskbar). Don't use this as this generates an email to Ms. Keep following the instructions here to complete upgrade process.

8) Apply your update using the Media creation tool -- now you'll have updated RTM W10 PRO edition.

(Depending on where you live you might be prompted DURING the install process that the Update to W10 is ready - I Ignored that and updated via the media creation tool - worked fine).

Note there are a LOT of updates from W7 from a clean re-install of it. There are over 1GB of downloads -- If you want W10 pro it's easier if you can find a CHEAP W8 or W8..1 Pro !!! to upgrade from.

Note also - Installing from "Activated" systems using unofficial activators or unofficial KMS servers WILL NOT BE ACTIVATED after Install so only use VALID KEYS.

Cheers

Jimbo

This is nearly exactly the way I had to do it from a retail copy of W8.1PRO that I had . I was unable to use the bios/uefi embedded product key which was also WIN 8.1 PRO . which I though was/is odd so if any thoughts on that Jimbo give me a shout please .

Thanks
If you follow Jimbos instructions you wont go far wrong .

Thanks a lot all you guys, you are the helping hand I needed to clear my mind. Thanks