Check to see if a computer has been previously upgraded to Windows 10

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  1. thecritter99
    Posts : 6
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       New #11

    Kyhi said:
    MS uses a Hardware Hash for the PC to record activation
    Nothing to find on PC itself - only OEM marker, put there by OEM

    what you looking for is just NOT there
    Understood. Thanks for your reply (and the one on the other thread).
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  3. Kyhi
    Posts : 4,144
    Windows 3.1 to Windows 11
       New #12

    windows 8 and up - supports booting from VHD
    create a windows 10 VHD on n external HDD and make the external HDD bootable..

    Boot from the ExHDD and activate windows 10 - if the activation goes through > then you can safetly upgrade that PC's HDD
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  4. NavyLCDR
    Posts : 18,433
    Windows 11 Pro
       New #13

    If the computer has a MS COA (Certificate of Authenticity) sticker on it with a Windows 7 product key, you should still be able to activate a matching Windows 10 on that computer by changing the product key to the one on the COA. If there is a Windows 8 product key stored in BIOS, the Windows 10 installation should pick that up automatically and activate automatically.

    Again, we don't know when MS is going to turn off this capability, but they have not yet.
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