Reinstall Windows 10 on old laptop - won't activate

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  1. Caledon Ken
    Posts : 30,171
    Windows 11 Pro x64 Version 23H2
       New #11

    I'd still make an Image of the laptop. Like you said the Grand kids will mess it up fast. A restore will be quicker and easier than a rebuild in three months.
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  3. Superfly
    Posts : 3,453
       New #12

    Yup, down-level upgrading still works...

    Coupla days ago built my son and I new AMD rigs - my son's was vanilla (as in new everything) so created the install usb and slipped a PID.txt with an unused Win8.1 key into it. That install was activated by the time setup gave us the desktop.

    Mine. I decided to try an old SSD (with 1703 on it) booted that on the new rig, wasn't activated as expected, but changing key with unused Retail Win 7 or Win 8 keys didn't work... so I trashed that install and installed 1809, then the same key that error'd on 1703, activated 1809... it's all very flaky IMHO.
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