re use win 7 disc

garryash

Distinguished
May 16, 2012
329
0
18,810
I am installing win 10 onto my win 7 desktop in next few days. Now thinking of building an OFFLINE win 7 desktop to play old games on with all the old PC bits I have lying around and using the WIN 7 retail disk as operating system. Will I be able to or will it need to be activated online/by phone with Microsoft??
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


1 license, 1 PC.
You can't Upgrade that to Win 10, and continue to use the Win 7 in a different PC. Yes, it would need to be activated. Which you cannot do.
 

George Phillips

Reputable
Jun 17, 2015
614
0
5,360
If you do a new installation of Windows 10, you could transfer the license of the Windows 7 to another PC. If the activation has any issues, just call the number shown during the installation process to get a code to activate it.
If you do an upgrade, the old license will probably not work any more on any other PCs.
And if the Windows 7 license comes with an OEM PC from like HP, Dell, Asus etc, it can not be transferred to any other PC.
 

garryash

Distinguished
May 16, 2012
329
0
18,810
Thanks folks! I have a genuine WIN 7 disc (not OEM) and have no intention of using the PC online or even on the network. Main purpose is for any software that will not work on WIN 10 and I also intend running a WIN XP virtual machine on the WIN 7 as well.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator


Still, unless you have 2 actual licenses, this will not work.
The Win 7 that you Upgrade to Win 10 can't be used on the other PC, online or off.
It will need to be activated, and at that point it will check. And every time thereafter that you go online to get any updates.

2 PC's, 2 licenses.
 

garryash

Distinguished
May 16, 2012
329
0
18,810
Many thanks folks. I was pretty sure this would be the answer. Just hoped there was a cost free way around it. Never mind. Will upgradein next couple of days and dig the old XPout of the attic if summat dont work!! Just seems a shame to have all the components to make up a desktop sat in the attic from when I rebuilt a few months ago!