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Do I need a product key to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro?
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Is Windows 10 a free upgrade?
Apr 8, 2024 · Windows 10 Edition: Generic product key: Windows 10 Home: 37GNV-YCQVD-38XP9-T848R-FC2HD: Windows 10 Home N: 33CY4-NPKCC-V98JP-42G8W-VH636: Windows 10 Pro: NF6HC-QH89W-F8WYV-WWXV4-WFG6P: Windows 10 Pro N: NH7W7-BMC3R-4W9XT-94B6D-TCQG3: Windows 10 SL: NTRHT-XTHTG-GBWCG-4MTMP-HH64C: Windows 10 CHN SL: 7B6NC-V3438-TRQG7-8TCCX-H6DDY
Dec 20, 2016 · Open Settings. Click on Update & security. Click on Activation. Click the Change Product key button. Enter the 25-digit product key: VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T. Change product key to upgrade Windows 10. As you enter the product key will trigger the upgrade process, then simply follow the on-screen instructions to complete the upgrade.
Feb 21, 2024 · Quick Links. Skip Activating Windows. Upgrade From Windows 10. Reuse An Older Windows Product Key. Get a License Through Work or School. Buy a New Computer. Don't Use Shady Windows Key Resellers. Key Takeaways. Windows 11 can be downloaded directly from Microsoft without activation, but a watermark appears.
- Sydney Butler
- Editor, Hardware And Cutting Edge Technology
- You Can Still Use an Old Key with the Anniversary Update
- How to Use a Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 Key to Get Windows 10
Related: You Can Still Get Windows 10 for Free from Microsoft's Accessibility Site
As part of Windows 10's first November update in 2015, Microsoft changed the Windows 10 installer disc to also accept Windows 7 or 8.1 keys. This allowed users to perform a clean install Windows 10 and enter a valid Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 key during installation. Windows 10 would then report that key to Microsoft's servers, and Windows 10's activation servers would give your PC a "digital entitlement" (now a "digital license") to continue using Windows 10 for free, just as if you had upgraded.
This also works from within Windows 10. Even if you don't provide a key during the installation process, you can head to Settings > Update & Security > Activation and enter a Windows 7 or 8.1 key here instead of a Windows 10 key. Your PC will receive a digital entitlement.
Now, even though the free upgrade offer is technically over, this method still functions in every version of Windows 10, from 2016's Anniversary Update to the November 2019 Update. It works when installing Windows 10 with installation media or by entering the key after installing Windows 10. Enter any Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 key that hasn't previously been used to upgrade to 10, and Microsoft's servers will give your PC's hardware a new digital license that will allow you to continue using Windows 10 indefinitely on that PC.
Related: How to Find Your Lost Windows or Office Product Keys
This process is easy. First, you'll need a Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 key. If you have one of those lying around, great. If you don't, you can use a tool like NirSoft's ProduKey to find the key currently in use on your Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 PC. Write it down.
Be sure you have backups of your important files before continuing. Even if you plan on performing an upgrade install, something could go wrong. It's always a good idea to have backups, especially when installing a new operating system.
Create Windows 10 installation media if you don't already have it lying around. You can do this with Microsoft's Windows 10 media creation tool. Select "Create installation media for another PC" and the tool will offer to create a bootable USB flash drive or burn a bootable DVD.
Update: You can simply download the latest Media Creation Tool from Microsoft's website and run it to upgrade---it will upgrade your current PC with no actual media creation necessary. You can choose whether you want to keep your files and programs or start fresh. Assuming you started with a genuine, activated Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 system, it will give you an activated Windows 10 system. It will work if the Media Creation Tool is happy to perform the upgrade. (Even if the resulting Windows 10 installation isn't activated, you could just plug in your old Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 key after the upgrade process finishes.)
Insert the installation media into the computer you want to upgrade, reboot, and boot from the installation media. Install Windows 10 normally. You can perform an upgrade installation that keeps your existing files or a clean installation that wipes your system drive.
- Former Editor-In-Chief
Sep 24, 2023 · Updated September 24, 2023. Microsoft’s initial push to get Windows 7 and 8 users upgraded to Windows 10 is over. But you can still get the OS for free. Microsoft Ended support for...
Apr 19, 2024 · Method 1: Upgrade from Windows 10: Free. If you already have Windows 10 installed on the computer and you just want a newer version of the OS on the same hardware, you can upgrade it...
Aug 18, 2023 · Microsoft allows anyone to download Windows 10 for free and install it without a product key. It'll keep working for the foreseeable future, with only a few small cosmetic restrictions. And you can even pay to upgrade to a licensed copy of Windows 10 after you install it.
