windows 7 activation, product key is invalid and it's not letting me change product key, OEM version. (don't want hacks)

[Sam130214]

About 23 days ago, I was upgrading my grandma's laptop to windows 10, but before that, i had to install some tiny updates through windows update (already downloaded). I started the download for windows 10 (assuming that it won't install on its own or the tiny updates would finish installing quickly). I left the laptop for a few hours and went somewhere else, the moment I came I saw that the windows 10 installation had started and was at 20%. then suddenly the screen went blank for 5 minutes and then it started restoring windows 7, what I think would've happened is that the windows update installation and windows 10 upgrade would have clashed. it restored successfully but it became deactivated and my key became invalid, it didn't let me change the key and didn't even show the options to activate windows in other ways. Even commands like slui 3 and slui 4 didn't work properly, they redirected me to the first/conventional method of activation.

right now I am using the laptop by using Remove WAT but I don't want to do that, that's hacking and I can't use optional updates. the windows 10 installer is still showing that I can upgrade but I need to activate. i had made a restore point before starting the updates but that restore point got mysteriously deleted after the restoration. Help me, I am stuck in a huge mess.

P.S. Sorry for missing the capitalization in many places, lot of work.

 

[BadActor]

Use the Media Creation tool and create a Windows 10 installation USB or disk. Do a clean install and when prompted for the key, use your original Windows 7 key. Back up any data you want to keep beforehand. If it still doesn't activate, you may need to call Microsoft and ask them to activate it since the free upgrade period has expired and you had problems just shortly after.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10/

 

[Sam130214]

Use the Media Creation tool and create a Windows 10 installation USB or disk. Do a clean install and when prompted for the key, use your original Windows 7 key. Back up any data you want to keep beforehand. If it still doesn't activate, you may need to call Microsoft and ask them to activate it since the free upgrade period has expired and you had problems just shortly after.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10/

Thanks for the quick reply, I don't have a USB drive or HDD/SSD or whatever at hand so I'll try this solution later, what would be the chances that the Microsoft guys will give me a free upgrade.

 

[BadActor]

I don't really know for sure, but they have been pretty lenient with activations in similar situations as of late.

 

[Sam130214]

I don't really know for sure, but they have been pretty lenient with activations in similar situations as of late.

Maybe because they are 'earning' money by those pesky ads in windows 10.