Windows 7/8 Product Key to install Windows 10 workaround - possibly no longer

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jlbenedict

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Looks like there has been an update to the free upgrade, and it is possible that using an older Windows 7 / 8 key for installing Windows 10/11 may no longer be valid/possible.

https://devicepartner.microsoft.com...nstallation-path-for-free-windows-7-8-upgrade



"Created Date: 2023-09-20 | Last Modified: 2023-09-20

Applies To: Publicly Available

Microsoft's free upgrade offer for Windows 10 / 11 ended July 29, 2016. The installation path to obtain the Windows 7 / 8 free upgrade is now removed as well. Upgrades to Windows 11 from Windows 10 are still free."
 
jlbenedict said:
Looks like there has been an update to the free upgrade, and it is possible that using an older Windows 7 / 8 key for installing Windows 10/11 may no longer be valid/possible.

https://devicepartner.microsoft.com...nstallation-path-for-free-windows-7-8-upgrade



"Created Date: 2023-09-20 | Last Modified: 2023-09-20

Applies To: Publicly Available

Microsoft's free upgrade offer for Windows 10 / 11 ended July 29, 2016. The installation path to obtain the Windows 7 / 8 free upgrade is now removed as well. Upgrades to Windows 11 from Windows 10 are still free."
Click to expand...
Bummer.
 
I am still using a bunch of keys I got legitimately from years ago, Win 7, Win 8, no problems. Like a previous poster said, I will keep using them until they quit.
 
If you go the MS account route then you haven't needed a key to install Windows 10 or 11 in years.
 
Got this from another site: It still does work with any existing builds of Win 10 & 11 up to 22H2. It just won't work on any future builds. So you could still install 22H2, use a Win7 key to activate, and then upgrade to the latest build. At least until they decide to block it at the activation server.
 
narsbars said:
I am still using a bunch of keys I got legitimately from years ago, Win 7, Win 8, no problems. Like a previous poster said, I will keep using them until they quit.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I have a list of old TechNet keys stashed away. I need to spin up a VM to see if they'll activate under Win10/11.
 
Seems to be some other updates to all this stuff..

If you frequently "sail the high seas"... (yarrgh) .. then it was discovered HWID activation (exploit) has now been blocked as well.. (after 6+ years of no issues)
 
jlbenedict said:
Seems to be some other updates to all this stuff..

If you frequently "sail the high seas"... (yarrgh) .. then it was discovered HWID activation (exploit) has now been blocked as well.. (after 6+ years of no issues)
Click to expand...

Expanding on that a bit. Any time you activate a Windows 10 or 11 install for the first time, it generates a Digital Hardware ID (HWID) that is stored on Microsoft's servers. At any point in the future, if you do a new install of Windows 10 or 11 on that same hardware, it will activate automatically based on that HWID. This never expires or ever requires inputting your original key ever again.

They offered a free upgrade from Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 to 10, which officially ended on July 29th 2016, but continued to work afterward for a very long time; all the way up until this announcement. When you performed this upgrade, it would give you a HWID for Windows 10/11 that would then work indefinitely. It would also give you a HWID if you entered a Window 7, 8, or 8.1 key during Windows 10 or 11 setup in most cases.

This "free upgrade" from 7, 8, or 8.1 was not very picky. Even if you had a copy of 7, 8, or 8.1 that had been activated via illicit means, you could still upgrade to Windows 10 and get a functionally legitimate HWID in most cases. After that, even if you did a fresh install of Windows 10 or 11, you would continue on with your seemingly legit HWID that no longer had any real direct connection to the original 7, 8, or 8.1 install. There were "exploits" based on this which basically replicated what occurred in the background during the upgrade from Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, causing Microsoft to give you a seemingly legit HWID for 10 or 11 even if you never actually had 7, 8, or 8.1 on your computer. But from the perspective of Microsoft's activation servers, it was still based on the free upgrade from 7, 8, or 8.1.

Now, Microsoft is no longer giving out a HWID when upgrading from 7, 8, or 8.1 or when using a 7, 8, or 8.1 key during setup. The scripts/exploits that attempt to replicate this in order to get a HWID also no longer work.

There do seem to be some exceptions however. There have been many reports that computers with a CoA OEM key (sticker on the device with a key on it) still work. That seems to imply that only generic keys and non-legitimate keys are affected by this free-upgrade cut-off. I can't test this unfortunately since any and all computers that I own that could be upgraded to 10 and then 11 were upgraded a long time ago and thus already have their HWID established.

Also, none of this affects any HWIDs that were generated prior to the cut-off. Regardless of how that 10/11 HWID may have been obtained, they are all still working. This only applies to the generation of new HWIDs via the free upgrade from 7, 8, or 8.1 or exploits based on the free upgrade. Free upgrades from 10 to 11 are also not affected in any way by any of this since they both use the exact same HWID.

It's disapointing, but it's hard to be too upset since Microsoft allowed the free upgrade to contiue for so long after the official end date (July 29th 2016). At this point, it's pretty safe to assume that anyone running 7, 8, or 8.1 who wanted to upgrade would have already done so, and most of the HWIDs that were being generated were probably being done via the exploits rather than legitimate upgrades.
 
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GotNoRice said:
Expanding on that a bit. Any time you activate a Windows 10 or 11 install for the first time, it generates a Digital Hardware ID (HWID) that is stored on Microsoft's servers. At any point in the future, if you do a new install of Windows 10 or 11 on that same hardware, it will activate automatically based on that HWID. This never expires or ever requires inputting your original key ever again.
Click to expand...
Which seems to mean that if you do multiple installs on the same hardware, in different logical partitions on the same physial drives, that you will be OK. (y)
 
Damn, I have like, six or seven different Windows 7 and 8 retail packs that I never activated for the free upgrade. There's no way to add them to an MS account so they can be used in new systems, right? Not even if I swap the license keys via the activation system built into Windows?
 
philb2 said:
Which seems to mean that if you do multiple installs on the same hardware, in different logical partitions on the same physial drives, that you will be OK. (y)
Click to expand...
The only thing the HWID really binds to is the motherboard.
 
In the past 3 days, I've activated 2 different brand new builds with my list of 20 win 7 keys. I have 1 more PC to build and activate today. I'm sure it will stop working eventually, but don't freak out yet.
 
New work around.

https://massgrave.dev/index.html

https://massgrave.dev/hwid.html

HWID 2 (Currently working) (03 Oct 2023 - Current)​


  • When Microsoft stopped the free upgrade, it started requiring Genuine valid key in ticket to authorize a digital license. In the new method we used only the Installation ID of a genuine, valid key. This gets accepted by the server and allows us to get a digital license for free. Check manual activation process in below section to know how to make working universal tickets.
Click to expand...
 
i just did this the normal way 10min ago. i fed an oem w7 pro key off a HP to w10 setup on a Lenovo. it installed and activated perfectly fine. so it seems to still be working, no work-around needed.
ps: you can still create a local account too.
 
I just tried using a Windows 7 Home OEM key (off of a COA sticker in my possession) on a Windows 10 22H2 install. The install accepted the key as valid, but OOBE failed to activate and when I tried to activate post install, it failed as an invalid key. I tried re-registering the key with slmgr and it reported an invalid key.
 
TrailRunner said:
I just tried using a Windows 7 Home OEM key (off of a COA sticker in my possession) on a Windows 10 22H2 install. The install accepted the key as valid, but OOBE failed to activate and when I tried to activate post install, it failed as an invalid key. I tried re-registering the key with slmgr and it reported an invalid key.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if it would make a difference, but have you tried installing and leaving the key blank during the install, then enter the key & activate after Windows is installed?

Last week, I installed Windows 11 22H2, used the method above and it activated fine when I used a Windows 7 OEM key I had saved from my collection.
I would think similar results would occur for W10 if W11 activation worked this way.
 
i just, as in minutes ago, did another w10 install with a oem 7pro key, it activated and is updating just fine. when i do a setup i leave the system offline, feed it the key, complete setup and then when at the desktop i connect. not sure if that makes a difference or not.
 
TrailRunner said:
I just tried using a Windows 7 Home OEM key (off of a COA sticker in my possession) on a Windows 10 22H2 install. The install accepted the key as valid, but OOBE failed to activate and when I tried to activate post install, it failed as an invalid key. I tried re-registering the key with slmgr and it reported an invalid key.
Click to expand...

not that I wanted to question your intelligence.. but considering you are using a Windows 7 Home key.. did you ensure to install Windows 10 Home, and not inadvertently Professional?
 
jlbenedict said:
not that I wanted to question your intelligence.. but considering you are using a Windows 7 Home key.. did you ensure to install Windows 10 Home, and not inadvertently Professional?
Click to expand...
the version installed is selected automatically based on the key entered, most versions are already built into the installer.
 
pendragon1 said:
the version installed is selected automatically based on the key entered, most versions are already built into the installer.
Click to expand...

Unless this route was taken... (slim chance.. as this is [H].. but always possible.

- Install Windows 10.. pick "I don't have a key" during the install... and then pick Professional
- After getting everything set up like you want.. .then you go to do the ole "slmgr /ipk <Windows 7 Home Key>
- Realize that your Windows 7 Home key isn't working... (because of picking Professional during the install)
- Won't be able to use Home key.. .. (do a dism /online /Get-TargetEditions to validate what you can switch to.. possibly could see no Core/Home versions available)
 
jlbenedict said:
Unless this route was taken... (slim chance.. as this is [H].. but always possible.

- Install Windows 10.. pick "I don't have a key" during the install... and then pick Professional
- After getting everything set up like you want.. .then you go to do the ole "slmgr /ipk <Windows 7 Home Key>
- Realize that your Windows 7 Home key isn't working... (because of picking Professional during the install)
- Won't be able to use Home key.. .. (do a dism /online /Get-TargetEditions to validate what you can switch to.. possibly could see no Core/Home versions available)
Click to expand...
i guess. i dont do it that way, only the way i know works.
 
Vile said:
I'm not sure if it would make a difference, but have you tried installing and leaving the key blank during the install, then enter the key & activate after Windows is installed?

Last week, I installed Windows 11 22H2, used the method above and it activated fine when I used a Windows 7 OEM key I had saved from my collection.
I would think similar results would occur for W10 if W11 activation worked this way.
Click to expand...
During my attempts to activate, I had reentered the key using slmgr, and that was unsuccessful. I didn't bother to try repeating the install with no key supplied - I figure that seeing how the installation media originally accepted the key but then activation subsequently failed, and trying to activate after reentering the key failed, that doing a reinstall was not worth my time. And this was on an old Athlon x2 eMachines system - it was a practice in curiosity, not something I needed to do. Installs of Windows 10 on an ancient dual core with a 5400 rpm drive, not too speedy 🐌 and also a little pointless.

jlbenedict said:
not that I wanted to question your intelligence.. but considering you are using a Windows 7 Home key.. did you ensure to install Windows 10 Home, and not inadvertently Professional?
Click to expand...
I'd hope that it'd be more of a question of my attentiveness than my intelligence… but yes, I ensured that I was installing Windows 10 Home by virtue of the fact that during the install, when I typed in the key of the Home COA on the side of the case, the Windows 10 install detected it was a Home key, and post-install the Settings panel reported a (unactivated) installation of Home.
 
Shoganai said:
Yes, some of us aren't bums. It's also dirt cheap to get a valid key online.
Click to expand...
Where are these valid keys sold from for dirt cheap I am curious? Because unless you have an edu or other deal with MS, buying of other keys is often illegal and the sources are questionable...often taken from OEM stickers or MSDN dumps...
 
I just installed a Z790 motherboard had to reinstall windows due to driver conflicts been up all day. Hoping Microsoft tech support will let me activate Windows 11. The last key I bought was like a decade ago with Windows 8!!!! I wouldn't mind by the OEM price is too much to handle and 3rd party sites might get you banned from activation they coudl be using generators.

The Windows 11 built in Activation things don't work at all they used to work. I might youtube a video see if I missed something.
 
I was stuck I called Tech Support from Redmond and two other Indian a guy who had the most broken English the 3rd person got a Virtual Assistance mouse over to walk me though. He went to Windows 11 Eleven Forums and used a generic Key lol. He said sometimes there are problems with Activation Keys. Like I said the last key I bought was from 2012 and Windows 8 those if they took down the sticker price of 199.00 on the Microsoft Store. Now if I have to activate it again I wonder if I'll have a problem again. I had a problem with either Widows 8 or Windows 11 activation but it was totally different they jus sent me a code to enter.

https://www.elevenforum.com/t/generic-product-keys-to-install-or-upgrade-windows-11-editions.3713/

He just copied and pasted one of these codes in Dos using PowerShell :p
 
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jlbenedict said:
I'm quite sure that is from the MS link, with the GVLK keys.. they don't actually "activate" Windows. They allow the "installation" of Windows and then you activate it later on
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/kms-client-activation-keys


This all seems like a YMMV situation... It seems it has been hit or miss.. and there continues to be various reports on whether this still works .. or not.
Click to expand...
Ok that makes sense the key he used is the same key for Windows Pro on that website you posted.
My Windows 11 is activated the next time around who know though guess I can hold off upgrading for awhile I wish I ran a video for what he did to my PC it was voodoo to me.
 
jlbenedict said:
I'm quite sure that is from the MS link, with the GVLK keys.. they don't actually "activate" Windows. They allow the "installation" of Windows and then you activate it later on
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/kms-client-activation-keys
Click to expand...

I'm not sure why you would need to use a GVLK key just to install Windows. Both Windows 10 and 11 give you the option of installing without using any key at all. If you've already previously activated on that motherboard, it will recognize your Hardware ID and activate automatically after install without ever entering a key.

The GVLK keys are intended for use with organizations that are hosting their own KMS server/host, because in that situation, the KMS server/host would handle everything related to the Volume licensing and activation. There is no need to use a GVLK key if you are just using a retail version of Windows.

To use KMS, you need to have a KMS host available on your local network. Computers that activate with a KMS host need to have a specific product key. This key is sometimes referred to as the KMS client key, but it's formally known as a Microsoft Generic Volume License Key (GVLK).
Click to expand...
To use the keys listed here (which are GVLKs), you must first have a KMS host available on your local network. If you don't already have a KMS host, please see how to create a KMS host to learn more.

If you want to activate Windows without a KMS host available and outside of a volume-activation scenario (for example, you're trying to activate a retail version of Windows client), these keys will not work. You will need to use another method of activating Windows, such as using a MAK, or purchasing a retail license.
Click to expand...

Over the years these keys have been used on non-legit installs in many cases, because a common way to "activate" Windows has been to use "activator" utilities to exploit the KMS activation mechanic. If that's what your intention is, that's fine. But if your intention is to have a fully legit retail install, then a GVLK key is not what you want.

edit: apparently when you use the option to not enter a key during setup, it's automatically using the generic key. If it activates automatically afterward (without a KMS server/host), it's because Windows 10 or 11 had already been activated on that motherboard in the past and the Hardware ID was saved on Microsoft's servers. If Windows had never been previously activated on that motherboard, it won't activate.

So with that in mind, it does make sense that if a key had been entered improperly on an install done on hardware that already had a saved Hardware ID, then changing the key to a GVLK would allow activation via the saved Hardware ID. I'm guessing that this is what the customer service rep did to fix the issue.
 
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GotNoRice said:
I'm not sure why you would need to use a GVLK key just to install Windows. Both Windows 10 and 11 give you the option of installing without using any key at all.
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i think in this case it is just to retrigger the activation process so that his legit key would feed back to the device.
 
just did another, worked fine still.

Oh and for all those "i cant install a local account" people, you still can*.
click "setup for work or school"
click "sign in options"
click "domain join instead"
create the account.
done.
*on pro/edu
 
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You can also use Rufus, and one of the options is a local account. When you click start to burn the ISO, you have options. This shows 11 but 10 also has the same options or similar.
Screen-Shot-2022-06-30-at-4.07.10-PM.jpg
 
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