Can't activate windows key in PC Settings?

[SirMadDude]

So, initially I owned a laptop with windows 7, and bought the discounted upgrade to w8. I just built my own desktop, so I reinstalled windows 7 to my laptop, so I could use my windows 8 key on my new desktop, and it worked fine.

However, just when I was setting up a few things, downloading some of my programs, etc, I noticed a section in PC Settings to "activate windows" - so I entered my product key. But suddenly it isn't recognised? Any suggestions? Was I not meant to be able to use my windows 8 key as it was an "upgrade" key?

I tried to search for this, but most of the answers I could find were for keys that wouldn't work during initial installation...

 

[Someone Somewhere]

Upgrade keys are exactly that - upgrade. They need to be used on top of an existing key.

 

[SirMadDude]

I thought that could be the case. So how come I can still run w8 on my desktop with w7 on my laptop?

 

[Someone Somewhere]

Because in 30 days the grace period for activating it will expire, and it will reboot every hour or something (can't remember the exact outcome).

 

[esco_sid]

I thought that could be the case. So how come I can still run w8 on my desktop with w7 on my laptop?

Because Microsoft does not know on how many machines the same key is used

Actually you can buy an "upgrade" and use it as a full version on machine that has no prior windows version key and save yourself some money altough i am not sure if that is legal to do but i cant see anywhere that says that would be illegal it just requires some computer expertise editing the registry.

 

[SirMadDude]

Ahh oki, so buying a new copy for me then, I guess. Thanks anyway guys.

 

[Arklelinuke]

Just to add to this, it won't keep you from using Windows like XP used to do. It will just start spamming a screen that has a button on it that will take you to that section of the settings every hour and a half or so.