No, you cannot use the product key from your laptop. It should be used for the device it was originally registered on.
No, you cannot use the product key from your laptop. It should be used for the device it was originally registered on.
You can likely use your Windows 7 key on a new PC built from scratch, especially if you're booting from a USB drive. For Windows 8, using a friend's key would depend on whether they have the right setup and permissions—make sure it's compatible with their system.
It relies on whether your Windows version is original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or not; if it's OEM, the transfer might not work.
It might be worth looking for a Windows 8.1 product key at a lower cost, but installing it via USB could be challenging without the ISO file.
You might contact Microsoft to arrange the transfer of OEM licenses, though I’m not entirely certain about that process.
Various keys on the laptop are tied to the recovery disc that came with it. Using them outside that setup will likely cause rejection. While contacting Microsoft may help, they’ll probably involve the hardware vendor, claiming ownership of the key and forcing you to return to them. It’s usually better to purchase an OEM Windows copy and keep the key for the laptop, gaining value from its resale potential.
For laptops and similar prebuilt systems, the key is tied to the motherboard. It's unclear whether this applies to Windows 8 as well; if it's already taken, it won't work on another device.