Windows 10 activation and hardware upgrades

[Ben_24]

I have a desktop with Windows 10 activated via digital entitlement. Using ShowKey Plus I have determined my Windows 8 Pro key, which I upgraded from. I also found my Windows 10 Pro key but I question its validity because it uses digital entitlement to activate.

MS Answer Techs have told me that if I have Windows 10 build 1511 (November update) I can use previous Windows keys to activate 10.

So, here's my dilemma: I am going to upgrade my CPU, motherboard and RAM in a few weeks. The techs said that I can use my W8 key to activate after the upgrade, but might have to wait 30 days for some reason. I am upgrading without reinstalling Windows too.

Has anyone else had any experience of upgrading and re-activating on the November update? Or any experience at all?

Thank you

 

[JonnyDough]

If you're sure you have a valid Win8 key you have no worries. You can always obtain a Windows 10 ISO from online and do a fresh install and then activate with your Windows 8 key I think. If not, you can always reinstall Windows 8 and then downgrade to Windows 10. It's been a bit since I've bothered with the Windows 10 downgrade from a copy of Win7 Pro x64, but it gives two options I think - a fresh install or keeping certain files.

 

[Ben_24]

If you're sure you have a valid Win8 key you have no worries. You can always obtain a Windows 10 ISO from online and do a fresh install and then activate with your Windows 8 key I think. If not, you can always reinstall Windows 8 and then downgrade to Windows 10. It's been a bit since I've bothered with the Windows 10 downgrade from a copy of Win7 Pro x64, but it gives two options I think - a fresh install or keeping certain files.

The techs said the W8 key was valid, so hopefully it is. I have W10 on a boot usb anyway.

Did you say downgrade as a sarcastic dig at W10? 😛

 

[USAFRet]

You may or may not have to reinstall the OS. Always recommended, often required.

As for the activation? You are in uncharted territory. Your original Win 8 license was consumed in the Upgrade to Win 10.
Will that Win 8 license work again on a whole new activation? Unknown.

If it were completely unused previously, no problem
If you were doing a clean install of Win 10, with the 10586 build you can activate that on its own, with just a valid Win 7/8/8.1 license.

Since it was already used in the Update to 10...unknown.

 

[JonnyDough]

Your Win8 license is still a Win8 license. I have reinstalled Windows 7 after downgrading to Windows 10 and was able to reuse my key to activate Win7 again just fine. Unless they changed something?

 

[USAFRet]

Your Win8 license is still a Win8 license. I have reinstalled Windows 7 after downgrading to Windows 10 and was able to reuse my key to activate Win7 again just fine. Unless they changed something?

If you do it within 30 days, almost certainly no problem.
After that...might be a problem.

 

[Ben_24]

Even if it was a retail Windows 8? They key will have been absorbed?

 

[JonnyDough]

I think my fellow airman might be right. Fine print, somewhere. I put my laptop on Windows 10, all of my desktops I'm leery about.

 

[USAFRet]

Even if it was a retail Windows 8? They key will have been absorbed?

Yes. Going to Win 10 from that is an Upgrade. You are upgrading your Win 7/8.1 to Win 10.
You can't continue to use the original Win 8 license.

Going back after 30 days will involve a call to MS, at best. They may allow it, they may say "Tough luck, Charlie. You had your 30 days"

 

[Ben_24]

Even if it was a retail Windows 8? They key will have been absorbed?

Yes. Going to Win 10 from that is an Upgrade. You are upgrading your Win 7/8.1 to Win 10.
You can't continue to use the original Win 8 license.

Going back after 30 days will involve a call to MS, at best. They may allow it, they may say "Tough luck, Charlie. You had your 30 days"

I'm not bothered about going back. I want Windows 10.

So what you're saying is there's a real chance that I will have to buy a new license, because I lost my original when I upgraded to 10?

 

[USAFRet]

Even if it was a retail Windows 8? They key will have been absorbed?

Yes. Going to Win 10 from that is an Upgrade. You are upgrading your Win 7/8.1 to Win 10.
You can't continue to use the original Win 8 license.

Going back after 30 days will involve a call to MS, at best. They may allow it, they may say "Tough luck, Charlie. You had your 30 days"

I'm not bothered about going back. I want Windows 10.

So what you're saying is there's a real chance that I will have to buy a new license, because I lost my original when I upgraded to 10?

Maybe, maybe not.
That new Win 10 'license' is a combination of your old Win 8 license key, and a hash of some ID info from your current components. Motherboard, CPU, drives, etc.
Change too many at once, and that license is null and void.

Was it in fact a standalone Retail license?
This (from July) seems to say you will be OK:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-win_upgrade/will-upgrading-motherboard-after-upgrading-to/a26e93c4-6886-4b44-99cf-7bf49ccba6ee?auth=1

This, however, paints a darker picture:
http://www.networkworld.com/article/2977210/microsoft-subnet/windows-10-deactivated-replacing-hardware.html

 

[JonnyDough]

I don't think so. If it converted to a Win10 license then you should be able to install Windows10 from an ISO and use it. They can't steal your license from you and give you nothing.

 

[JonnyDough]

"Change too many at once, and that license is null and void." Not sure about Windows 8 but I've had no issues with Windows 7. I just activate over my cell using the text option.

 

[USAFRet]

I don't think so. If it converted to a Win10 license then you should be able to install Windows10 from an ISO and use it. They can't steal your license from you and give you nothing.

The issue is...you are doing it on a whole new PC. The 'license' is, in part, the info from the original hardware.
The activation servers know nothing about your new hardware.

 

[Ben_24]

I bought W7, upgraded to W8 when it released, then 8.1, then W10 when that released.

So I bought a retail W7, bought the upgrade to 8, then did the free upgrade to 10.

 

[JonnyDough]

I've swapped many licenses to entirely new machines, never had an issue.

 

[USAFRet]

Win 7 & 8 licensing is significantly different that the Win 10 Upgrade licensing.

I'm not saying 100% it won't work.
Just be prepared for if it doesn't.

 

[Ben_24]

I'll just wait and give it a go then, I suppose.

 

[Ben_24]

Does anyone here know how to get a Windows 8 Pro .iso? The method suggested by MS is to use the Windows 8 Setup tool, but that cannot connect to the internet after I input my product key.

 

[USAFRet]

Does anyone here know how to get a Windows 8 Pro .iso? The method suggested by MS is to use the Windows 8 Setup tool, but that cannot connect to the internet after I input my product key.

Assuming you have a valid license key, go here:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-recovery

 

[USAFRet]

For anyone that says it always works after a hardware swap, we have this:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2880608/win-reactivating-hardware-swap.html

 

[JonnyDough]

For anyone that says it always works after a hardware swap, we have this:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2880608/win-reactivating-hardware-swap.html

Yeah, you just can't do the online activation. I don't even call though, I use my cellphone and the text number now. It's a lot easier. You text a number, it sends you a link, and you use your touchscreen to enter your numbers. Voila.