Microsoft’s free Windows 10 upgrade offer is over–or is it? There’s still a way to activate Windows 10 with a Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 key, in addition to Microsoft’s accessibility offer.
Update: We originally wrote this article in 2016, but this upgrade trick still works in 2019!
You Can Still Use an Old Key with the Anniversary Update
How-to Windows 7 OEM Activation The bios of the system must contain what is called a 'SLIC' string, all systems made. A certificate file that matches up against the 'SLIC' string that is stored in the BIOS. A Windows product key that tells the system to use OEM activation instead of the.
RELATED:You Can Still Get Windows 10 for Free from Microsoft’s Accessibility Site
As part of Windows 10’s November update, Microsoft changed the Windows 10 installer disc to also accept Windows 7 or 8.1 keys. This allowed users to perform a clean install Windows 10 and enter a valid Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 key during installation. Windows 10 would then report that key to Microsoft’s servers, and Windows 10’s activation servers would give your PC a “digital entitlement” (now a “digital license”) to continue using Windows 10 for free, just as if you had upgraded.
Windows 7 Professional Oem Activation Key
This also works from within Windows 10. Even if you don’t provide a key during the installation process, you can head to Settings > Update & Security > Activation and enter a Windows 7 or 8.1 key here instead of a Windows 10 key. Your PC will receive a digital entitlement.
Now, even though the free upgrade offer is technically over, this method still works in the Anniversary Update, either when installing Windows 10 with Anniversary Update media or by entering the key after installing Windows 10. Enter any Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 key that hasn’t previously been used to upgrade to 10, and Microsoft’s servers will give your PC’s hardware a new digital license that will allow you to continue using Windows 10 indefinitely on that PC.
Microsoft hasn’t released any sort of statement about this upgrade method at all. It’s possible that Microsoft will disable it soon, but it’s also possible Microsoft will look the other way and keep this trick around to encourage more Windows 10 upgrades for a long time to come.
How to Use a Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 Key to Get Windows 10
RELATED:How to Find Your Lost Windows or Office Product Keys
This process is easy. First, you’ll need a Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 key. If you have one of those lying around, great. If you don’t, you can use a tool like NirSoft’s ProduKey to find the key currently in use on your Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 PC. Write it down.
Be sure you have backups of your important files before continuing. Even if you plan on performing an upgrade install, something could go wrong. It’s always a good idea to have backups, especially when installing a new operating system.
Create Windows 10 installation media if you don’t already have it lying around. You can do this with Microsoft’s Windows 10 media creation tool. Select “Create installation media for another PC” and the tool will offer to create a bootable USB flash drive or burn a bootable DVD.
Insert the installation media into the computer you want to upgrade, reboot, and boot from the installation media. Install Windows 10 normally. You can perform an upgrade installation that keeps your existing files or a clean installation that wipes your system drive.
When you’re asked to enter a key, enter the Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 key. The installer will accept this key and the installation process will continue normally.
(If you’re using a Windows 8 or 8.1 system with the product key embedded in your systems UEFI firmware or BIOS, you may also be able to click “I don’t have a product key.” Windows 10 should automatically find the key in your UEFI firmware later and activate your system.)
After you’ve installed Windows 10, head to Settings > Update & Security > Activation and you should see that your PC has a digital license.
If you didn’t enter a key during the installation process, you can enter a Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 key right in this window when you’re asked to provide a Windows 10 key. Windows will check in with Microsoft’s servers and give your PC a digital license for Windows 10.
It’s that simple. If you ever want to reinstall Windows 10 in the future, you should be able to use the same Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 key you entered here. That key will be associated with a “digital license” on Microsoft’s servers, allowing you to continue reinstalling Windows 10 even if Microsoft disables this method of acquiring Windows 10.
You can also sign in to your new PC with a Microsoft account and that key will be associated with your Microsoft account, making it easy to reactivate your digital license if you ever need to reinstall Windows 10 later.
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This is a batch script for activating Windows 7 using an OEM certificate. For computers that come with a Windows 8/10 sticker but have downgrade rights to Windows 7 this allows you activate it after doing a clean install of Windows 7.
You can also use it to install a retail or volume license key programmtically, using it in a script if desired.
One common use case could be by incorporating it into
setupcomplete.cmd on a sysprep'd Windows 7 image. Open the included setupcomplete.cmd to see options for unattended and auto modes (more on that below).
Main Features
Usage:
Switches
The script supports several modes. The usage is 'Win7-OEM-Activator
MODE '
UNATTEND - Requires no user interaction. Be sure to check the log file if something didn't work, because the script will exit automatically.
AUTO - Automatically installs the matching certificate and product key, but will show the results and prompt you if you want to restart.
RETAIL - Skip straight to retail/VL key activation (if you aren't using it for OEM activation)
If you don't specify a switch (or launch by right-click run as admin), the script is fully interactive.
Supported Windows 7 Editions:
Supported Manufacturers:
Legal:
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS', WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS ORIMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THEAUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHERLIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THESOFTWARE.
By using this software you agree that you are using it at your own risk. The use of this software may be in violation of specific manufacturer licensing agreements and/or terms of service. It is the user's responsibility to read their all applicable terms of service and license agreements, and/or contact their computer and software manufacturers before using this software. The author of this software assumes no responsibility for any damages resulting from the use of this software where the user has violated any agreement between the themselves and any computer or software manufacturer.
Game camera sd card viewer. This software script is intended for consumers who have a device with valid installation or downgrade rights to Windows 7, or a valid Windows 7 retail product key or volume license key. The script does not make use of pirated or otherwise illegaly-obtained Microsoft product keys. The use of any pirated or illegaly-obtained product keys for any software is strongly discouraged by the author.
The OEM digital certificates included with this software are property of their respective owners. They were obtained from the Dell support forums here: https://web.archive.org/web/20170412155729/http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/software-os/m/microsoft_os/20443565
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