Fred Claus
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Can you put windows 10 on a Windows 8 computer still?
Windows 8 to 10
- Thread starter Fred Claus
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GTP
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Yes you can. You can run it as an upgrade but better to Fabs and do a clean install.
Your Windows 8 product key will activate Windows 10.
britechguy
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Yes, and I never had any problem with the Windows 7 to 10 or 8/8.1 to 10 in-place upgrades with a single exception. And I did a lot of those.
I never even needed to restore from a backup (and I did take them) taken prior to initiating an in-place upgrade except for that single time. The in-place upgrades just worked.
I never even needed to restore from a backup (and I did take them) taken prior to initiating an in-place upgrade except for that single time. The in-place upgrades just worked.
Fred Claus
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Great to know. I also wasn't aware of the fact that the license for 8 still activated the 10 version. I thought I'd have to buy another license.
GTP
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Yes.
It should be a painless and seamless experience. After installation if you go to the "Activation" area you'll see "Windows is Activated."
It should be a painless and seamless experience. After installation if you go to the "Activation" area you'll see "Windows is Activated."
britechguy
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I can't count the number of announcements that "the free upgrade window is closed" that have been happening since July 2016, none of which have, as of yet, been accurate.
You certainly have nothing to lose trying one. If you are blocked, then please do report back with that information.
britechguy
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And we've already had several members state explicitly that they've done them after the last round of "officially closed" announcements. I'll believe it when folks here, or in similar venues, are suddenly throwing up a flood of, "I cannot do an in-place upgrade anymore, or use a Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 license key to clean install Windows 10."
The crying wolf has occurred too darned many times. Microsoft has done itself no favors by continuing to announce cut-off dates that do not exist in reality.
I believe a 7/8 key will no longer activate a fresh 10/11 install (if it doesn't activate automatically due to previous activation on that hardware). I understand the scepticism but this time it is the case. I'm not sure if it affects in-place upgrades.
You Can No Longer Use Windows 7/8 Keys to Activate Windows 10 Either
Microsoft is no longer letting users activate Windows 11 using a Windows 7/8.1 product key. But what about Windows 10?
www.thurrott.com
lan101
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I know for sure 7 won't activate anymore just did one last week. I had multiple other keys laying around and tried them all just for the hell of it and none worked. So those nice upgrades are done...but quite frankly anyone still using 7 should've done this by now lol.
britechguy
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Just did one what? And that's not snark.
There's a difference between trying to use a Win7 key to fresh install Win10 or 11 on a machine that's never had it versus an in-place upgrade.
We need to talk about these as the two separate things they are, and whether each, respectively, still works.
Based upon your input, using a Windows 7 key to activate Windows 10 has stopped working (and I'm presuming this is on a machine that never had Windows 10 on it, ever, to begin with).
lan101
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Sorry I didn't specify...it already had 7 on it activated for years. I did a 10 upgrade and it wanted a new digital license.
Mick
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I just replaced a completely shot spinner with a new SSD, installed Win10 Home from an ISO and it activated on first boot. The machine had been running Win 8.1. If they allow this, I don't see the logic in preventing a normal upgrade.
But did it have Win 10 activated on the machine some time in the past? (Rhetorical question because the answer is likely unknown). If so it reactivates automatically (even if it had Win 8.1 installed immediately prior). If not, automatic activation based on the BIOS license might be unaffected by the change. It might only be the sticker licenses that can no longer be used.
britechguy
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Indeed. And those are two separate situations.
If the BIOS license still works, in-place upgrades should, too (at least from 8 to 10, I'm not doubting @lan101 when he described an in-place upgrade as demanding a digital license when Windows 7 was the starting point).
Mick
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Not as far as is known. It was an old HP box and the sticker on it proudly proclaimed 'Windows 8.1' - so I doubt it.
brandonkick
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And I wonder if they still allow windows updates on non activated windows 10 installs.
For the longest time, the only "issue" was not being able to change your wallpaper. Big flippin whoop.
For the longest time, the only "issue" was not being able to change your wallpaper. Big flippin whoop.
Ken's PC Repair
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Just had a Windows 8 laptop brought in to upgrade to 10 yesterday. Laptop hadn't been used since 2014. Upgraded to 8.1 with an ISO I had (Upgrading to 8.1 though the store was not available). After upgrading to 8.1 I upgraded to 10 using a flash drive and Windows is still activated. So apparently the upgrade is still working.
Sky-Knight
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Congrats you bought that slug a year?
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