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The few Win8 Upgrades I've done required having update 1 installed, made the version Windows 8.1. I got it free from the Store.
The few Win8 Upgrades I've done required having update 1 installed, made the version Windows 8.1. I got it free from the Store.
That was the other free upgrade. Microsoft offered a free upgrade from 8.0 to 8.1 to anybody that wanted it with no expirery date on the offer.
Just as a clarification. Do I have to install 8, then 10 if I'm replacing my hard drive? I bought the system with 8, then upgraded to 10. Or, can I just use my windows 8 key to install 10?
If your Windows 10 is activated it should say 'activated with a digital licence'. This licence is tied to the hardware of your PC, but the hard drive isn't counted as part of the 'hardware'. You should be able to do a clean install and skip entering a key. It should then activate automatically from the digital licence held on Microsoft's activation servers.
So, do I install the new drive, make a w10 disk, boot off of that and authorize by Internet? Doesn't it ask me for a key?
Yes, when the screen comes up asking for a key, there is an option at the bottom to skip doing it. You can leave it blank and continue. Then you have to pick Home or Pro, if you got Home originally pick Home, if you got Pro pick Pro. Install the correct version and it will activate online with the DL. Pick the wrong one and it won't. If you Windows 7 is the Pro version or higher you get 10 Pro, any version lower than Pro gets you 10 Home.
Ops, I don't know how I got sidetracked on Windows 7? If your Windows 8 was Core, install 10 Home, if it was Pro install Pro. I must have mixed up this thread with another one, sorry.