[SOLVED] Windows 7 and 10 install/activation question

[artoodeeto2]

I’m putting together an HTPC, and while I do plan on getting Windows 10 for it at some point, I was hoping to avoid the expense for now. I’m currently running the free upgrade windows 10 on my desktop pc, upgraded from my (now ancient) copy of Vista which was in turn upgraded to Win7 and then to 10.

My question is, can I install Vista on the HTPC and either leave it as such or upgrade it to 7, without deactivating my windows 10 license on my desktop? I have no idea if my original Vista or 7 product keys are still referenced in my digital license for Windows 10, created when I took advantage of the free upgrade a year or two ago.

Thanks!

 

[Darkbreeze]

Nope. If that product was used to obtain the digital entitlement you are currently using for Windows 10, there is no way to use that deprecated license on another system with the old OS version without it either failing activation or rescinding the Windows 10 license at some point.

Once you update to Windows 10, the original product key is no longer good with the original qualifying product so far as anybody I know of has been able to verify.

Being as Vista isn't one of the qualifiying products though, there could be a gray area there. I'm not sure, but you certainly wouldn't be able to go through the Vista to 7 to 10 process again for free, and honestly shouldn't anyhow. Dishonestly isn't the issue here, it's the fact that it would probably revoke your digital entitlement for 10 on the other system. And it's not entirely morally acceptable either but that's really not my primary consideration although I do think that as much as possible we should support the software developers because there is a lot of time, money, resources and man hours invested into not only developing but supporting these products so that we can have a platform that is at least mostly trouble free in terms of hardware and driver compatibility and if you think it's not, you should have been around for Windows 95, 98 and ME.

 

[artoodeeto2]

Thanks, that’s kind of what I thought. I don’t have a problem buying a copy of 10, I just wanted to put if off a month or so but have a functional system in the meantime. I’ve already bought one copy for a different system in the house (we’ve got 5 computers...) and will have to do so again when I eventually upgrade the hardware in the others. I definitely don’t want to stay with any OS prior to 10 long term, seeing as how this PCs primary purpose will be streaming video.

 

[Darkbreeze]

And given the security risks of running older systems that are no longer supported (Including Windows 7 come January), you for sure don't want to run any system with an old OS if it is going to be going online at all or connected to your local network with other computers that do go online. As I'm sure you are aware of. Good luck to you man.