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How to Get and Install Windows 10 Starting from Win 7 Pro OEM License? Solved! [UPDATES 2]

posted by Fnord666 on Friday March 05 2021, @02:08PM   Printer-friendly
[2021-03-07 02:48:19 UTC; UPDATE 2: Windows 10 is finally installed! Well, that is sans product key ATM, but that is manageable. Thanks so very much to everyone who helped out here and on IRC! I still don't know why Windows did not recognize my Samsung 1 TB 860 EVO SATA SSD during the install, so I'm making do with a 750 MB 5400 RPM Western Digital hard disk. That'll have to wait. Next up is to install Turbo Tax and then complete my taxes. I shudder to think of how much longer it would have taken without all of your help! --martyb]

martyb writes:

Background:
A couple years or so ago, I purchased three (used) Dell Latitude E6410 laptop computers for a song ($25 each). They came with no hard drive, but that was not a problem. I got 1 TB Samsung SSD drives for them and that seems to be fine.

No hard drive also meant no OS was installed. But, they each DID come with their own Microsoft sticker (with a hologram) stating:

Windows(R) 7 Pro for Refurb PCs CIT
for Refurbished PCs
[barcode]   XXX-NNNNN
do not tamper with or remove this label
[barcode]  XNN-NNNNN
NNNNN-NNN-NNN-NNN
"For use on Refurbished PC - No Commercial Value - For Authentication Only"

Where:
   X  represents a single letter
   N  represents a single decimal digit

(Also says, vertically, on the edges:)

Certificate of Authenticity
Microsoft

and
ww.microsoft.com/howtotell

Situation:
I'd previously downloaded an ISO (and verified the SHA1 and SHA256), but got stuck when trying to do an install; the format of the codes I have do not match the format of what Microsoft was expecting.

The location where I bought the laptops no longer offers computers for sale (it's a Goodwill store). Also, there are no tech-savvy workers at the location.

My primary problem is it is time to prepare my state and federal income taxes. I've used TurboTax for the past 5 years. (Yes, I could probably use their free on-line version today. But! I am not at all interested in having like 20-30 other domains active while I provide extremely personal and private information to fill out my taxes.) So, plan B is to get Windows up and running so I can fill out my taxes locally.

What now?
So, I have 3 never-been-used "codes" for installing Win 7 pro. There was a time when one had to fight to keep Microsoft from trying to upgrade to Windows 10, so I'd like to think there's some way for me to get to Win 10 from here.

So, I turn to my fellow Soylentils. How can I enter these codes? Is it still worthwhile to get 7 installed in hopes I can still upgrade to Windows 10?

Maybe some other approach? What can I do?

[2021-03-05 15:11:27 UTC; UPDATE 1: Currently downloading "Win10_20H2_v2_English_x64.iso" from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO -- looks like I have 2-2.5 hours left for the download to complete. (Currently at 920 MB of 5.8 GB completed)

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  • (Score: 2) by martyb on Friday March 05 2021, @03:37PM (1 child)

    by martyb (76) Subscriber Badge on Friday March 05 2021, @03:37PM (#1120375) Journal

    Did you try installing Windows 10 without entering any product key at all (select "I don't have a product key")? Many computers that originally shipped with Windows 7 Pro will just automatically activate themselves with license information stored in UEFI. Since your sticker talks about Refurb, though, maybe it won't work that way.

    Nope. For some reason I thought I needed to install Win 7 Pro, first, and then upgrade from there. Am downloading Win 10 right now and have about two hours to go before it completes.

    I get the feeling these laptops originally came from a school system. I have no idea what was originally installed before the hard disk was pulled.

    If all you want to do use Turbo Tax, you don't need to activate Windows 10. It will run fine indefinitely and update also without activation. As long as you can live with the nag watermark and without the ability to "personalize your desktop." I've been running a Windows 10 VM unactivated for years.

    [Eyes go big and wide.]

    I do not need a fancy desktop, so I *could* live with that. OTOH, I *do* have the stickers. If things ever go sideways, it would be nice to have one last variable to consider.

    This helps a lot -- thanks so much!

    (It's going to be quite a while before the Win 10 download completes... but I am much more optimistic at this point.)

    --
    Wit is intellect, dancing.
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  
    Total Score:   2  

  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by caseih on Friday March 05 2021, @03:44PM

    by caseih (2744) on Friday March 05 2021, @03:44PM (#1120378)

    I just installed Windows 10 on three Lenovo computers last week and in all cases selected "do not have product key" and after install they were magically activated. Maybe you'll be lucky. If not, you might try activating Windows 10 after the fact using your stickers. Might even be able to activate over the phone with an agent using the stickers.

    For more details on running unactivated: https://www.howtogeek.com/244678/you-dont-need-a-product-key-to-install-and-use-windows-10/ [howtogeek.com]