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

Craig,

If I am not mistaken, he will most likely have to do a clean install to be legit. Which means using the clean command. I will let someone else explain how to do the clean command. Myself, I wouldn't use clean all command because the clean command is faster. If he has more than one hard drive inside his computer, he will have to use the clean command for each drive.


Make sure to backup any data he wants to keep.

Craig said:

Just curious, but if someone had a windows 8 computer, i hear that you don't get a product key on the computer itself, and that it is actually imbedded in the bios, so what would happen when the iso asks him for the product key? or would it detect the key automatically from the bios?

I have a friend who has a windows 8 computer, which had a legit copy but for some reason he later installed a pirate copy of 8.1...he doesn't have windows 8 restore discs and if he decided he would be interesting in getting an activated windows 10 clean install using the iso tool, i was wondering if the disc would read the original key off the bios...

Use showkey plus from this forum to read the Windows 8 product key in bios. It will also tell you what version of Windows 8 the key in bios is for so that you can install the proper version of Windows 10.

Showkey - Windows 10 Forums

Thanks groze.. @NavyLCDR: So then showkey plus will be able to read the windows 8 key in his bios even though he currently has a "pirate" version of 8.1 actually installed? If it would, that would be great...i think he was worried that if he did the windows 10 install with the iso and for some reason, it didn't detect the key from the bios, that he would be stuck (since he does not know the product key that originally came with his legit 8 install from HP on the computer)...

Yes, it will read the key in bios and display both the product key that is in the current OS and the one in Bios. It will even retrieve product keys from backup images.

That's great...i will let him know...i have been trying to encourage him to get back on a licensed version again...he is afraid to do updates on his pirated version...He will have a much more secure system with a legit windows 10 installed...