If the copy of Windows came preinstalled with the laptop, you can find the product key on the bottom of the laptop. There will be a barcode, the name of the version of Windows that came with the laptop and at the bottom, will be the barcode. It should be pretty easy to find.
So you could go to and buy a download version of Windows 8.1. You'll get an email with the product key, which you can use, and you can just ignore (never download) the actual file.
Activate Windows 8 without Windows 8 Serial Key
- You will find a code on the webpage. Copy and paste it in a notepad.
- Go to File, Save the document as “Windows8.cmd”
- Now right-click on the saved file, and run the file as administrator.
How to Find Windows Product Key in Registry
- Click the Windows "Start" button and select "Run." Enter "regedit" into the text box displayed and press the "Ok" button. This opens the Windows registry editor.
- Navigate to the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion" key in the registry.
- Warning.
iSumsoft Product Key Finder is 100% secure and ensures no data loss.
In order to activate Windows 10 with a Windows 7 or Windows 8 key, you just need to do the following:
- Find your Windows 7/8 activation key.
- Open the Settings app.
- Once the Settings app opens, navigate to the Update & Security section.
- Now select Activation.
- Click on Change Product key and enter your Windows 7 or 8 key.
Windows 10 was launched back in 2015 and at the time, Microsoft said that users on older Windows OS can upgrade to the latest version for free for a year. But, 4 years later, Windows 10 is still available as a free upgrade for those using Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 with a genuine licence, as tested by Windows Latest.
How To Activate Windows 10 For Free Permanently With CMD
- Run CMD As Administrator. In your windows search, type CMD.
- Install KMS Client key. Enter the command slmgr /ipk yourlicensekey and click Enter button on your keyword to execute the command.
- Activate Windows.
Yes you can definitely use your previous product key on your new system. If that key was installed by OEM in that situation you will have to contact your manufacturer for the activation of your product if it will not activate it automatically.
Use the download tool to create ISO media to update your windows.
- Use Download Tool Now (32bit version)
- Use Download Tool Now (64bit version)
Purchase a Windows 10 licenseIf you don't have a digital license or a product key, you can purchase a Windows 10 digital license after installation finishes. Here's how: Select the Start button. Select Settings > Update & Security > Activation .
Upgrade Windows 8.1 to Windows 10
- You need to use the desktop version of Windows Update.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the Control Panel and select Windows Update.
- You'll see the Windows 10 upgrade is ready.
- Check for Issues.
- After that, you get the option to begin the upgrade now or schedule it for a later time.
Open the Settings app and head to Update & Security > Activation. You'll see a “Go to Store” button that will take you to the Windows Store if Windows isn't licensed. In the Store, you can purchase an official Windows license that will activate your PC.
Reinstalling an upgraded version of Windows 10 on the same machine will be possible without having to buy a new copy of Windows, according to Microsoft. There will be no need to purchase a new copy of Windows 10 provided it is being installed on the same Windows 7 or 8.1 machine that was upgraded to Windows 10.
Video: How to take Windows 10 screenshots
- Go to the Download Windows 10 website.
- Under Create Windows 10 installation media, click Download tool now and Run.
- Choose Upgrade this PC now, assuming this is the only PC you're upgrading.
- Follow the prompts.
But if you have just updated system once, you can uninstall and delete Windows 10 so to roll back to Windows 7 or 8 after 30 days. Go to "Settings" > "Update & security" > "Recovery" > "Get Started" > Choose "Restore factory settings".
Support for Windows 8 ended on January 12, 2016. Microsoft 365 Apps is no longer supported on Windows 8. To avoid performance and reliability issues, we recommend that you upgrade your operating system to Windows 10 or download Windows 8.1 for free.
Press F12 or whatever key you use (check your manual) to get a boot menu, and select to boot from the DVD or USB (whichever you created). In the Windows 10 setup program, choose to format the disk or the partition that you had Windows installed on. Install to the same disk or partition. Skip the key if it asks for it.
As long as you've upgraded within the last month, you can uninstall Windows 10 and downgrade your PC back to its original Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 operating system. You can always upgrade to Windows 10 again later.
Well, you can always downgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 7 or any other Windows version. Depending on how you upgraded to Windows 10, the downgrade to Windows 8.1 or older option could vary for your computer.
Windows 10 key retrieval using CMD
- Windows 10 key retrieval using CMD. The command line or CMD can be used to gain information about a Windows installation key.
- Type the command “slmgr/dli“ and hit “Enter.”
- Get your Windows 10 product key from BIOS.
- If your Windows key is in the BIOS, you can now view it:
If you have a computer that won't boot, you can recover its keys as long as the hard drive still works. You just need to remove the drive, connect it to a functional computer, and point ProduKey at it. If you'd like to do this, you'll need to shut down the broken computer, open it up, and remove its internal drive.
Using the command line to check your license type
- Open an elevated Command Prompt window.
- Type the following command to navigate to the Office folder. For 32-bit (x86) Office. cd c:Program Files (x86)Microsoft OfficeOffice16
- Type cscript ospp. vbs /dstatus , and then press Enter.