# Does a windows 8.1 oem key still work for a windows 10 installation



## P4-630 (Jan 15, 2019)

As the title says.

The windows 8.1 system has never been upgraded to windows 10 before.

I plan to install windows 10 from usb stick with the tool from:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Thanks.


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## RCoon (Jan 15, 2019)

No, it won't work. That period has ended. If you want Windows 10 you need to buy a Window 10 key.


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## P4-630 (Jan 15, 2019)

RCoon said:


> No, it won't work. That period has ended. If you want Windows 10 you need to buy a Window 10 key.



What about this: https://www.howtogeek.com/272201/all-the-ways-you-can-still-get-windows-10-for-free/
(March 29, 2018)

I just can't find this for 2019...


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## RCoon (Jan 15, 2019)

You can install Windows 10 without a key entirely, and quite easily, but it won't be licensed and will harass you forever. No matter which way you look at it, your non-Windows 10 key will not activate Windows 10.


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## P4-630 (Jan 15, 2019)

Well...

My samsung 970 evo 500GB arrived today and installed it.
Installed Windows 10 on it via usb stick and used my windows 8.1 oem key.....
Aaaand it says it's activated! So it still works.


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## DR4G00N (Jan 15, 2019)

P4-630 said:


> Well...
> 
> My samsung 970 evo 500GB arrived today and installed it.
> Installed Windows 10 on it via usb stick and used my windows 8.1 oem key.....
> Aaaand it says it's activated! So it still works.


Yes, Win 7 & 8.1 keys can be used to activate Win 10. I did the same with mine, except I used a retail 8.1 key. I'm not sure how it'll handle an OEM key after a bit of time.


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## AsRock (Jan 15, 2019)

I did it for a win 7 machine about 6-8 month ago without any problems.


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## P4-630 (Jan 16, 2019)

DR4G00N said:


> I'm not sure how it'll handle an OEM key after a bit of time.



If it works it works right?
My Windows 8.1 was a genuine version so I don't see any reason that it suddenly might not work anymore overtime.


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## IceScreamer (Jan 16, 2019)

Yup, I installed W10 for a friend and used his W8.1 key for activation, about two weeks ago.


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## Athlonite (Jan 16, 2019)

P4-630 said:


> If it works it works right?
> My Windows 8.1 was a genuine version so I don't see any reason that it suddenly might not work anymore overtime.



It also works just fine for non genuine copies aswell I went from pirated Windows 8.1 to genuine Windows 10 and haven't had a activation problem yet and that was with build 1511 I'm now on 1809 and still perfectly fine


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## Space Lynx (Jan 16, 2019)

Microsoft never gives me issues on keys anymore, even if re-using multiple times normally they made me call in to activate, now they don't even care. Guess they love all the data mining they get from us now


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## qubit (Jan 16, 2019)

Try and do an upgrade install. It still worked for me a while back with a W7 install, but long after the period had supposedly expired, so it might still be doable. Don't try it without first creating an image of your current Windows installation in case it all goes pear shaped though.

I'm intrigued to know how it turns out.


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## insane 360 (Jan 16, 2019)

its worked for me just recently on several older laptops with both 7 and 8 oem keys and come to think of it a few dell desktops with 7 keys.  as far as i can tell they still want pure numbers and get as many on windows 10 as they can


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## qubit (Jan 16, 2019)

insane 360 said:


> its worked for me just recently on several older laptops with both 7 and 8 oem keys and come to think of it a few dell desktops with 7 keys.  as far as i can tell they still want pure numbers and get as many on windows 10 as they can


Why am I not surprised?


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## bug (Jan 16, 2019)

P4-630 said:


> If it works it works right?
> My Windows 8.1 was a genuine version so I don't see any reason that it suddenly might not work anymore overtime.


OEM keys are tied to the hardware they first run on. It usually takes a motherboard replacement to deactivate them.


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## P4-630 (Jan 16, 2019)

qubit said:


> Try and do an upgrade install. It still worked for me a while back with a W7 install, but long after the period had supposedly expired, so it might still be doable. Don't try it without first creating an image of your current Windows installation in case it all goes pear shaped though.
> 
> I'm intrigued to know how it turns out.



I bought a samsung 970 evo for this windows 10 installation and windows 10 is succesfully activated now with my windows 8.1 OEM key.
See https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...-windows-10-installation.251530/#post-3976579

Currently I have my windows 8.1 installation still on my other SSD which I have disconnected,
if there are no problems in a month or so I will format my windows 8.1 installation on that SSD so I can use it for other stuff.



bug said:


> OEM keys are tied to the hardware they first run on. It usually takes a motherboard replacement to deactivate them.



I know but for now still using the Z170 motherboard, I have no plans to upgrade CPU/motherboard at the moment.
The next hardware upgrade would be a new GPU I think.


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## Gasaraki (Jan 16, 2019)

My Windows 7 key worked 5 months ago so...


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## Splinterdog (Jan 16, 2019)

I recently had to reinstall Win 10 and used my Windows 8 retail key and it activated.
Was well chuffed.


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## arbiter (Jan 16, 2019)

If it works now or not depends on if the key was used to activate windows 10 before during the time it was free to do so.


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## lexluthermiester (Jan 16, 2019)

P4-630 said:


> Aaaand it says it's activated! So it still works.


That's not supposed to work anymore. Maybe more of Microsoft's lame duck nonsense of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing?


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## jeremyshaw (Jan 16, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> That's not supposed to work anymore. Maybe more of Microsoft's lame duck nonsense of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing?


I think they just claim it's not supposed to work, since Win10 being "given away for free" doesn't look good. At the same time, MSFT still wants that sweet, sweet data mine.


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## lexluthermiester (Jan 16, 2019)

jeremyshaw said:


> At the same time, MSFT still wants that sweet, sweet data mine.


Which anyone who knows what their doing can shut off.


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## Vario (Jan 16, 2019)

jeremyshaw said:


> I think they just claim it's not supposed to work, since Win10 being "given away for free" doesn't look good. At the same time, MSFT still wants that sweet, sweet data mine.



My win 7 64 pro system builder bought from Newegg and win 7 64 home OEM (from a cyberpower) keys didn't work with Win 10 activation, and they are legit and activate fine with 7.  Thats fine with me, because I just ended up sticking with Win 7 and will go to 8.1 when 7 period ends in a year, or I will buy a 10 key at that time.  But while a lot of people say they still activate, mine didn't.  Funny enough, I have used four different motherboards with that same Win 7 64 system builder key and no issues activating in 7.


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## Easo (Jan 16, 2019)

It did work the whole 2018. MS wants you to use W10, so why not get few more people on this way? Announce, but still accept the old activation keys and convert them.


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## Vario (Jan 16, 2019)

Easo said:


> It did work the whole 2018. MS wants you to use W10, so why not get few more people on this way? Announce, but still accept the old activation keys and convert them.


 Not for me.  Tried it Jan and Feb 2018.  not a big deal for me, I got 7 working and updating on CoffeeLake anyway with a few workarounds.


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## lexluthermiester (Jan 16, 2019)

Vario said:


> My win 7 64 pro system builder bought from Newegg and win 7 64 home OEM (from a cyberpower) keys didn't work with Win 10 activation, and they are legit and activate fine with 7. Thats fine with me, because I just ended up sticking with Win 7 and will go to 8.1 when 7 period ends in a year, or I will buy a 10 key at that time. But while a lot of people say they still activate, mine didn't. Funny enough, I have used four different motherboards with that same Win 7 64 system builder key and no issues activating in 7.


To be fair, the OP is talking about Win 8.1. It's possible that MS is allowing 8/8.1 keys to activate 10.


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## erpguy53 (Jan 19, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> To be fair, the OP is talking about Win 8.1. It's possible that MS is allowing 8/8.1 keys to activate 10.



MS is still allowing it.  the embedded win8.1 oem key on my dad's Toshiba laptop (which was purchased near the end of 2013), still worked when upgrading to win10 and win10 was activated automatically by digital license


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## Kissamies (Jan 19, 2019)

Feels like that it works with pure luck what I've read.

Heh, when installed W10 on this setup, I had luckily a serial on my warehouse HDD on a txt file. I'm 99% sure that I've bought that serial when I've been drunk since I have no clue where it's from.

e: Didn't activate with MS account, dunno why. IIRC this is the 3rd serial on my MS account, dammit.


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## Flyordie (Jan 20, 2019)

RCoon said:


> You can install Windows 10 without a key entirely, and quite easily, but it won't be licensed and will harass you forever. No matter which way you look at it, your non-Windows 10 key will not activate Windows 10.



My Windows 7 Professional key activated my Windows 10 Pro installation.


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## johnspack (Jan 20, 2019)

I'll bet they still allow win7 to upgrade.  I will never try,  linux all the way baby!  But yeah,  I bet they will allow it....  They want everyone on win10,  so why not?


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## puma99dk| (Jan 20, 2019)

I am still using my original Windows 8 Pro key and I reinstalled in November 2019 or something only thing I had to do was talk to a woman at microsoft saying it started to ask for activation after reinstalling and she cleared the key.

Honestly I changed board and cpu back in August 2019 no issues until reinstall Microsoft just need to realize normal people do change hardware sometimes and do like if the Windows 10 hardware id changes and the key is legit it should automatically just clear it after 5 times of hardware id change or something so we will never have a problem.


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## Athlonite (Jan 20, 2019)

puma99dk| said:


> I am still using my original Windows 8 Pro key and I reinstalled in *November 2019*



You time traveler you


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## puma99dk| (Jan 20, 2019)

Athlonite said:


> You time traveler you



Well it's right next to my computer table in a DVD rack I use for games so it's always handy dandy and ready to be used


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## Space Lynx (Jan 20, 2019)

give me stock market tips @puma99dk| 

Kappa


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## puma99dk| (Jan 20, 2019)

lynx29 said:


> give me stock market tips @puma99dk|
> 
> Kappa



That will leave you crashing and burning never been good with stocks in the first place @lynx29


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## Space Lynx (Jan 20, 2019)

puma99dk| said:


> That will leave you crashing and burning never been good with stocks in the first place @lynx29



nah mate, i was making a joke because the other guy said you were a time traveler, and you had a typo saying you were from November 2019...


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## puma99dk| (Jan 20, 2019)

lynx29 said:


> nah mate, i was making a joke because the other guy said you were a time traveler, and you had a typo saying you were from November 2019...



Just having a bad week still battling with Windows 10 and it's general issues it has but at least my computer is stable and no crashes


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## Darmok N Jalad (Jan 21, 2019)

I ran into issues last December when I upgraded a motherboard and CPU. It was with a retail Windows 8 key that I had used to upgrade to Windows 10 long ago under my MSA. I actually had been using the key under 8.1 for MCE use, but with a new CPU, I figured it was time to go to Win10. I was only using the key on one machine, same storage and case, etc—something I’ve done before. Still, Windows 10 wouldn’t activate, with cryptic error codes that basically said the key is not valid. I was signed into my MS account, which I thought was supposed to help with these sort of changes. I also tried an old Windows 7 key that had also been upgraded to 10, but same error.

Nothing I tried worked, so I called support. It took a few calls to India, and eventually MS remoted in to my PC, asked for visual proof of purchase of my new hardware, _proof of purchase of my Windows 8 key_ (glad I kept the email), and then they gave me a new key. It was a really weird experience, to be honest. Much harder than it needed to be, IMO. They also told me that my old key for 8 will no longer work. I also have an iMac, and I must say, it’s nice to be able to install/reinstall macOS without these concerns. I’m still not sure why it all fell apart. Maybe I did too many hardware changes, but I thought that was not a problem with a retail key.


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## jboydgolfer (Jan 21, 2019)

i have used win7 keys as of a few months ago, but im not sure, if it will on 8, or if it is still active. mine was OEM. worst case scenario, just try it.

@Darmok N Jalad  , where the walls fell


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## Naki (Jan 24, 2019)

This very much works.
However, if you had a Windows 7 Home Basic/Home Premium key, this is what you get - Windows 10 Home.
So, not any option for me, as Home edition lacks the MS RDC, which I use on my PCs all the time.


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