Upgrading An Old Laptop From 8 to 10

Normally you have the option to skip entering key and it will activate from ms servers

The free upgrade from Win7 and Win8/8.1 has been stopped and now using the MCT doesn't list Win7 and Win8.1 .iso downloads. I would assume that new installs of those versions won't allow activation which may also be blocked from installing Win10. However, I just Upgraded an HP Envy 17 that originally came with Win8, Upgraded to Win10 and now to Win11 with no issue for activation. This is a test install on Unsupported hardware.

caxtin said:

I know free upgrade to Windows 10 has already ended, but, any solution to install Windows 10 Pro with the Windows 8 keys? I did not find it, but I would guess the original would be Windows 8, Home (just a guess).

Even before MS removed the ability to activate Windows 10 with a Window 7/8 key, it never worked if you used the key while installing. What you had to do was skip entering a key when asked, then when 10 was installed with a generic key you change the installed key to your W7/8 one.

MS had turned off activation using W7/8 keys by mid-October this year. I tested that here:
Free Activation from Windows 7/8 key or upgrade to Windows 10/11 Ends - post #15

Windows 8 PCs have their key embedded in the bios firmware. ShowKeyPlus can tell you what the key is, and what type: Core (aka Home) or Pro.

A clean install on a W8 PC would read the key from the bios, then install the version that matched the key, Home or Pro. If you are not being given the option to pick the version to install, and you end up with 10 Home, then you can upgrade that to 10 Pro by changing the installed key to the generic Pro key VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T.
Generic Product Keys to Install Windows 10 Editions

If you are connected to the internet and the PC does not have a digital licence for10 Pro, then it will not allow you to upgrade from Home to Pro. To get round this, disconnect from the internet before you change the installed key. Now that MS have turned off the free upgrade from W7/8 the only way to activate this install of W10 Pro would be with a Windows 10 Pro key.

Bree said:

Windows 8 PCs have their key embedded in the bios firmware. ShowKeyPlus can tell you what the key is, and what type: Core (aka Home) or Pro.

Before I cleaned up the 8 system, I extracted every key of all the apps installed, including the Windows 8 ID and License keys. The key you mentions in the BIOS Firmware, is it different from the Key in Windows when it's running? I also have a screen shot of the System Information of in the BIOS; no Windows key, just serial and product numbers.

During installation of Windows, it showed me a window to select which version Windows. I had selected Windows 10 Pro. So, I should select Windows 10 Home at that time?

It's been my experience that installing of Win10 on a Win8 computer will pick up the information needed to get the Digital License and will install either Home or Pro based on that information, nothing needed checking/selecting to do that. Or in other words it will install the version/edition the computer originally came with.

Bree said:

Windows 8 PCs have their key embedded in the bios firmware. ShowKeyPlus can tell you what the key is, and what type: Core (aka Home) or Pro.

Wow, I just learnt something new. I installed Windows on this laptop, without putting in any key. I used my Key Recovery app, and found out there are two keys for the laptop.
- Windows 10 Home
- Windows 10 Home (BIOS)
I never noticed this ever; been doing windows installation now for so many years. I sure live to learn.
The installation went smoothly. My next would be to upgrade to 10 Pro.

I would have to create a snapshot image of the current state, before trying to upgrade to the Pro version.
Will keep you posted.

Cheers

caxtin said:

Wow, I just learnt something new. I installed Windows on this laptop, without putting in any key. I used my Key Recovery app, and found out there are two keys for the laptop.
- Windows 10 Home
- Windows 10 Home (BIOS)
I never noticed this ever; been doing windows installation now for so many years. I sure live to learn.

I thought you said this was a W8 PC originally? If so that bios key would be a W8 one. You can check exactly what a key is by typing it into ShowKeyPlus

Two keys would be expected. When clean installing W10 on a W8 PC Setup uses the bios key to determine which edition to install and, back when MS still allowed it, to get a digital licence for the PC. The installed key however would not be the W8 one, it would be the generic key for the edition installed. For Home that would be YTMG3-N6DKC-DKB77-7M9GH-8HVX7. A generic key cannot activate Windows on its own, it requires an existing digital licence for the PC to activate.

Is the installed W10 Home activated? If that bios key really is a W10 Home key then it should be. If it's a W8 key, then if this PC had been upgraded to W10 Home any time before October then it would have an existing digital licence for Home, even if it had later been returned to W8.

Just to add, I'd upgraded 2 Notebooks some time ago to Win10 that originally came with Win8 [sticker on the bottom] to Win10. One is a 15" I bought in 2013 and the other is a 17" I was given for parts. I've rehabbed a number of Notebooks given me for parts but using some of the parts I'd saved got some working with Win10, have given a few away and sent 4 to Honduras with a missionary for a school, still have 3 on hand if I find someone with a need. Downside to having them is most people already have one, children's needs for schoolwork, etc.