MS to Allow Windows 10 Activation with Windows 7/8.1 Keys Start Nov.

halasz said:

You could easily test it on a VM. I don't have space to do this at the moment as I only have a 120GB drive and already I'm running 3 windows 10 and one OSX. I've only got about 8GB spare at the moment.

What I did test yesterday though is to install 10565 and activate it on a new VM using a 7 Pro retail key. I then deleted the disk and created a new one and installed 10240 and it was activated immediately with digital entitlement. I've just customized it too much since then to delete it at the moment just to retest with a PID.txt.

If you have space it would only take half an hour.

I was thinking that might work. Not sure I have the ambition to try it at the moment.

halasz said:

No. That was never true and still isn't.

If you have a retail license you can use it as you wish. I don't know anything about OEM but Windows 10 works the same as 7 for retail licenses (i.e. you have to call them if the hardware changes).

You can (and I have tested this) still use your old windows 7 key to activate 7 or 10 (version 10565)

You can (and I have tested this) activate 10565 with a valid earlier key and then clean install 10240.

You can (and I have tested this) restore your old version (7 in my case) and it is still activated.

The idea is that you are either licensed or not. You are licensed on your machine for 10 if you either had licensed insider preview before RTM in June or if you have a valid legacy (7 or 8) version or you bought a Windows 10 key.

I've verified it myself. I reinstalled Windows 8.1 Pro back on a PC I had originally did the free upgrade from. Same key as before the upgrade and well after the 30 day period. Activated just fine.

halasz said:

Good for you - as it should be.

I don't know why some people find Windows 10 licensing so confusing - it really isn't.

Well, sometimes somebody says something, then it gets repeated. Say it often enough and it gets taken as fact even though its fiction.

NavyLCDR said:

halasz is correct. The 30 days period to revert has nothing to do with the product keys. Windows 10 is only supposed to keep the old files necessary to revert back for 30 days. After the 30 days, to go back you have to re-install the previous Operating System and the same product key that it came with will still be valid to activate it.

That part of I'm fully aware of; however there was talk here that the reason you also only got 30 days was because after that your old Windows PID also became invalid as it was used in place of the required PID for Win 10.

This was a big bone of contention here (this forum) when Win 10 was first released to the general public. In fact, the other issue tied with it was system upgrades. In other worlds - can one upgrade their PC (MB, RAM, CPU) without havng to purchase a copy of Win 10? I'm not sure that question has been adequately answered as well, but...

At any rate I'm a bit too lazy to search for the thread but I'm sure some, if not most, here remember that debate.

Thanks.

halasz said:

Good for you - as it should be.

I don't know why some people find Windows 10 licensing so confusing - it really isn't.

It's confusing because MS made it that way otherwise you wouldn't have had the myriad of articles, threads, posts and questions all over the place asking for clarification.

It's not like some of us are newbies and don't have a clue. That said, don't be confused by my low post count here, I simply don't post in these forums like I did in Vista and 7.

Peace

There was plenty of talk that you would have to give up your old product key for the Windows 10 free upgrade. My personal testing shows this to be false. I got a new PID and a new key. The new key is generic but its still a new key. My old product code is still usable and not blacklisted or blocked from activation. It's in use right now on my spare desktop PC. The same PC it was originally used on before it was upgraded to Windows 10.

Thank you; that's good to know.