Will Windows 10 Installs from ISO USB still accept Windows 8 Keys?

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  1. jerry76
    Posts : 88
    Windows 10 Home
       New #1

    Will Windows 10 Installs from ISO USB still accept Windows 8 Keys?


    I want to do a clean install of W10 from an iOS image burned to a USB not just using the in-windows tool upgrade thing. So if I do that and boot from the USB can I use Windows 8 key and Windows 10 will accept it to activate?

    The computer is currently running Windows 8.1 and I'm not sure if the key is still accepted when installing Windows 10 from ISO USB. I don't want to do it and then have a unactivated version of Windows that is going to start locking me out of features until I buy a new key
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  3. dalchina
    Posts : 43,022
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       New #2

    a. From what I've seen, still valid.
    b. The relevant tutorial is still shown as valid
    Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First
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  4. hsehestedt
    Posts : 4,188
    Windows 11 Pro, 22H2
       New #3

    dalchina is correct. I just did a couple of installs about 2 weeks ago and Windows 7 and 8 keys worked fine for me (I still have a number of unused Win 7 / 8 / 8.1 keys).
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  6. Try3
    Posts : 16,966
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       New #4

    jerry76 said:
    I don't want to do it and then have a unactivated version of Windows that is going to start locking me out of features until I buy a new key
    Make system images both routinely and before running any major software operation including OS updates/upgrades.
    Then you could restore your system image if that major software operation went wrong and you'd be back to where you started from.


    Denis
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  7. idgat
    Posts : 2,151
    Windows 11 Pro (latest update ... forever anal)
       New #5

    Provided it is a like-for-like installation - Home version installed for Home key, Pro version installed for Pro key

    But if it's an OEM key ....
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  8. jerry76
    Posts : 88
    Windows 10 Home
    Thread Starter
       New #6

    hsehestedt said:
    dalchina is correct. I just did a couple of installs about 2 weeks ago and Windows 7 and 8 keys worked fine for me (I still have a number of unused Win 7 / 8 / 8.1 keys).


    Im assuming when you did it though, you didnt just enter your key, ....you had to do the whole gatherosstate.exe file on your desktop, and create a GenuineTicket.xml, copy it into the new install, and all that? Listed in the tutorial dalchina linked
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  9. Try3
    Posts : 16,966
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       New #7

    Assuming your Windows 8.1 is activated, you could choose this route:
    - do the "upgrade thing", then
    - go online so that Windows 10 activates & saves a copy of the activation in the MS activation servers [without any action on your part], then
    - clean install Windows 10 without entering any product key at all, then
    - go online so that it re-activates using the records in the MS activation servers [without any action on your part].
    This is all covered in
    Clean Install - TenForumsTutorials

    And do start making system images. Macrium Reflect is quite a popular system imaging utility.


    Best of luck,
    Denis
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  10. Megahertz
    Posts : 6,361
    Windows 11 Pro - Windows 7 HP - Lubuntu
       New #8

    The most safest way is to generate a GenuineTicket.xml under Win 8 to activate the Win 10 after the clean install.
    Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First
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  12. Bree
    Posts : 31,692
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       New #9

    idgat said:
    Provided it is a like-for-like installation - Home version installed for Home key, Pro version installed for Pro key
    But if it's an OEM key ....
    In my experience an OEM Win7 key will not be accepted if you enter it when asked during the install. But if you skip entering a key and install the correct edition (Home or Pro) you can then use the OEM key to activate it by changing the installed key in Settings > Activation.
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  13. hsehestedt
    Posts : 4,188
    Windows 11 Pro, 22H2
       New #10

    jerry76 said:
    Im assuming when you did it though, you didnt just enter your key, ....you had to do the whole gatherosstate.exe file on your desktop, and create a GenuineTicket.xml, copy it into the new install, and all that? Listed in the tutorial dalchina linked
    I didn't have to do a thing other than to enter the key.

    However, as others have pointed out, these were NOT OEM keys. These were retail license keys.
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