New
#11
Anybody can upgrade to the RTM from the preview. The question is, if you did a clean install instead of upgrading from a qualifying OS, will you be activated and good to go? The way I read it is, if you upgraded from windows 7 or 8.1, that fact is stored in the TP and you'll be good to go. If you clean installed the TP, you may have to prove ownership of a qualifying OS. That's just my read, it's open to interpretation, so make up your own mind, or wait for Microsoft to actually spell it out in black and white.
Everyone may have a slightly different key-path. In my case, cause I have OEM 8.1 Pro, I think MS will use the UEFI stored key to verify, then issue a WIN 10 key of it's own. That's very similar, in fact the same, as when I got a machine 4 yrs ago with OEM WIN 7 Home Prem, Then did the "Anytime Upgrade" to WIN 7 Ultimate. The WIN 7 upgrade validated from OEM key and issued it's own for Ultimate. I had both keys stored on the box. No, UEFI, of course.
My laptop has a Windows 8.0 OEM key in the BIOS. I'm running 8.1 Pro though with Media Center though. That's three keys to pick from. If they use the 8.0 key I'll only get 10 Home. Use the 8.1 Pro key and I get 10 Pro. if I were to upgrade to the TP right now I would get the Pro version. What does a clean install get me? See where I'm going with this. It should be easy but it could be complicated.
Seriously, though, it should work highest backward, LIFO, last key (highest) should be the "give up" key. Therefore, you get 10 Pro.
Yes I agree. My point was, if you clean install, is it Home or Pro, and what version do you get when you upgrade to the RTM? If it installs Home, and you may miss out on a chance to get the pro version. It's only just recently that I noticed it saying 10 Home or 10 Pro. The early builds just said Windows 10.
I use showkey, https://www.tenforums.com/software-ap...7-showkey.html it lists the BIOS key, original key, and installed key. For my laptop those would be the 8.0 OEM key, the 8.1 Pro key and the Media Center key.
EDIT: Both laptops came with 8.0 Core. One of the first things I did after becoming an MVP was use add features to upgrade to Pro. Then when the free Media center offer was out there I got keys for that and used add features again. Those media center keys also work in 8.1.