[SOLVED] Use Old Windows 7 Laptop Product Key to Activate Window 10 on New Build?

johnsoner13

Respectable
Hello, building a PC with my friend and we're waiting for the parts to come in. While we're waiting, we thought about first buying a cheap ebay windows 10 key but then I remembered I have an old windows 7 laptop with its (I think) windows product key on the sticker on the bottom. I think I remember reading somewhere this will work to activate Windows 10 on a new build. Will it? Thanks.
 
Solution
Hi johnsoner13,

Such keys usually come preinstalled, as in Windows is preinstalled and activated on the laptop when you first start using it. Those preinstalled keys cannot legitimately be transferred to any other computer as they are system locked preinstallation (OEM SLP) keys which are non-transferrable.

It's not possible to just enter the key and hope Windows will activate. It most likely will not, because there's a caveat. SLP keys are tied to a small modification in the BIOS, the vendor flashed some information about the activation in the BIOS that's used for activating Windows. Only with that information in the BIOS would it be possible to legitimately activate Windows.

Short answer, it will not work.
Hi johnsoner13,

Such keys usually come preinstalled, as in Windows is preinstalled and activated on the laptop when you first start using it. Those preinstalled keys cannot legitimately be transferred to any other computer as they are system locked preinstallation (OEM SLP) keys which are non-transferrable.

It's not possible to just enter the key and hope Windows will activate. It most likely will not, because there's a caveat. SLP keys are tied to a small modification in the BIOS, the vendor flashed some information about the activation in the BIOS that's used for activating Windows. Only with that information in the BIOS would it be possible to legitimately activate Windows.

Short answer, it will not work.
 
Solution