Yes, you can still enable Windows 10 Pro using a Win 7 Professional OEM key.

F5F Stay Refreshed Software Operating Systems Yes, you can still enable Windows 10 Pro using a Win 7 Professional OEM key.

zackforeman
Member

07-01-2016, 07:38 PM

I purchased a laptop without an operating system and was unsure if it would function. I considered buying a Win 7 OEM key and activating Windows 10, thinking it might be a cost-effective option. Since I did this before with a friend’s build, I wondered if it’s still feasible now.

zackforeman

07-01-2016, 07:38 PM #1

ItzHayds_
Member

119

07-02-2016, 05:22 AM

It seems the device is likely pre-installed with a Windows license from a well-known manufacturer. In that case, you won’t need to purchase additional software. Regarding Windows 7, it can still work with Windows 10 licenses.

ItzHayds_

07-02-2016, 05:22 AM #2

cookiedough909
Posting Freak

782

07-02-2016, 09:34 AM

It's a gigabyte laptop, yet I decided to buy it without Windows (it comes with FreeDOS) since it's much cheaper. If I need to spend around 20€ for a Win10 key, I was hoping to get 7 professional OEM keys for just 3.50€—so I thought it might be worth a shot.

cookiedough909

07-02-2016, 09:34 AM #3

AmazinglyCool
Senior Member

695

07-05-2016, 07:26 PM

Set up Windows 7 and perform an upgrade.

AmazinglyCool

07-05-2016, 07:26 PM #4

Set up Windows 7 and perform an upgrade.

Kohwelly
Member

07-05-2016, 09:09 PM

Not tried in more than a year, but no clear reason it won’t work unless the key was previously used for activation. It might be useful as a fallback, though modern Windows 10 now supports using older Windows 7 keys for activation.

Kohwelly

07-05-2016, 09:09 PM #5

Allys_Xoxo
Junior Member

07-07-2016, 09:44 PM

I believe I'll give it a shot, at most I'll lose $3.50

Allys_Xoxo

07-07-2016, 09:44 PM #6

I believe I'll give it a shot, at most I'll lose $3.50

idinosev
Member

175

07-08-2016, 11:53 PM

Windows 7 keys remain available still. You can also work with it on Windows 11. It’s simpler to obtain a $12 license linked to your Microsoft account.

idinosev

07-08-2016, 11:53 PM #7

Windows 7 keys remain available still. You can also work with it on Windows 11. It’s simpler to obtain a $12 license linked to your Microsoft account.

EssieFlo
Member

174

07-09-2016, 12:54 AM

I usually prefer purchasing licenses in W7 formats and performing fresh installations on W10 systems. Upgrades aren’t my favorite approach. It’s usually better to start from scratch. Particularly since yours is brand new, you wouldn’t gain anything by maintaining previous configurations. It’s safer to test a new setup first.

EssieFlo

07-09-2016, 12:54 AM #8

GreyM0nkey
Member

07-09-2016, 08:37 AM

In the end I wasn't able to purchase the Win 7 Pro key for any reason. So I went for a cheaper Win 11 OEM key—maybe it's even a Win 7 key under the hood, since it wasn't that much more expensive. @ewitte mentioned they support Win 11 as well. It functioned perfectly... but I would have really liked to try the Win 7 Pro version.

GreyM0nkey

07-09-2016, 08:37 AM #9

knightndey
Member

183

07-09-2016, 09:58 PM

#10

The 7W sale and support ended a while back. It's unclear if the details are documented, but Microsoft treats licenses as permanent and each new Windows release feels like a free upgrade.

knightndey

07-09-2016, 09:58 PM #10

The 7W sale and support ended a while back. It's unclear if the details are documented, but Microsoft treats licenses as permanent and each new Windows release feels like a free upgrade.