anthony.hay.wn :
Hey
Thanks for this.
Tried (1) but does not seem to work. Same message pop up.
Don't have original Windows Media. This son old laptop the original windows has been transferred to another laptop.
Do I need to get new windows installed? Was hoping to pass it on to someone without having to incur additional cost?
Thanks again!
If the original license for this laptop was transferred to a different device, well...you no longer have a valid license for this system.
Assuming it is a fairly recent laptop, and assuming there is no broken hardware, you can install Windows 10 and skip entering the license key.
Give it to the new owner, and let them work out their own licensing.
Create your own Win 10 USB install here...