Need Help

from GalCiv3 Forums

I woke up this morning to find my main computer's ssd drive had died. I had Windows 7 professional upgrade on it that I had upgraded to windows 10 professional. I just went to reinstall Windows 7 and am told my serial number is invalid.  I don't have any windows 10 professional install files to use. Not sure what I should do at this point, any suggestions? Thanks! 

59,831 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top

PIA that it is, a call to MS Support will probably get it sorted out.  Worth a try, anyway.  Good luck!

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

You can download Windows 10 Pro from MS. Not a big deal. It will activate after install because the PC is now registered for Windows 10.

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Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10

assuming you are on another windows machine...just d/l iso and make a bootable stick/dvd

but that's an interesting bit of info.. about the win7 key not being valid (for win7). it shouldn't be invalid... if it's retail.

 

also saw this.. make sure you didn't enter a typo.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/592346/invalid-product-key-warning-after-clean-reinstallation/

Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting alaknebs, reply 3

but that's an interesting bit of info.. about the win7 key not being valid (for win7). it shouldn't be invalid... if it's retail.
End of alaknebs's quote
Once the PC was upgraded to Windows 10, the Windows 7 key is no longer valid. Otherwise, it could be used on another machine, or dual booted on the same machine. Upgrading to Win 10 upgrades the key as well. Normal stuff.

 

This assumes that the 7 was upgraded to 10, and not a clean install of 10.

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

well.. if it's win7 retail, you are supposed to be able to install it into another machine.. (provided you are not using it on more than 1 at the same time)... as opposed to oem, where you can't. that bit (ie what happens after win 10 upgrade) was never really really made clear. could be because it's the same machine that causes it to raise up a fuss. i don't think ms is allowed to get rid of the rights of people to migrate their win 7 retail.

upgrading win7 retail doesn't give people a win10 retail key. it only upgrades it for that machine and as such, there's no key per se (aside from whatever is generated base on your hardware and stored in ms' servers)

 

clean install of win10 threshold2 (based on win7 key) or win 7->win10 makes no difference license wise. you are merely skipping a step physically if you are doing a clean install that way (there's no clean install using win7 key with the original win10.... and the freebie period was over with the win10 from earlier this summer, so win7 key is not supposed to apply to that... don't even need the win7 key for a win10 reinstall)

Reply #6 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Thanks for all the replies. It has/is quite the nightmare... I was finally able to download an ISO of Win 10 64bit to reinstall and at least they let you finish before requiring activation. I tried to restore a backup I had from the 7th but it was apparently corrupted at some point in the process and failed requiring me to start all over. My highlight of my day off yesterday was going to the dentist to have a temporary crown put in... Yeah, it was that kind of day... But the good news is, I now have a clean Win 10 Pro install running and I'm slowly reinstalling all my old programs and files... should be done by next year... hopefully...