Solved How to check that I have a Windows 10 license in Windows 7.

[dietlbomb]

Earlier this evening I upgraded to Windows 10 and immediately downgraded back to Windows 7 in order to secure a license for Windows 10 for whenever (if ever) Microsoft improves Windows 10 enough to make it worth using. Is there a way to check that I have secured the Windows 10 license from the Windows 7 environment?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I'm not exactly sure how you'd do that, but I'd be interested in knowing myself.

I assume you did an "upgrade install" through Windows Update, rather than any type of install from a DVD or USB stick?

Did you confirm that Windows 10 was in fact activated?

Obviously, you could do a clean install of 10 and see if it that was permitted and activated. But you'd take the risk of wiping out a good Win 7 install and not have a valid 10 install and then might be stuck in no-man's land.

I have Win 7 right now. Earlier today, I made a USB stick installer for Windows 10 using a legit ISO downloaded from Microsoft directly.

I booted from that installer stick and went 5 or 6 mouse-clicks into the installation program to confirm that the stick worked and would likely succeed in making a clean install if I choose to do that before the free upgrade expires in late July. Everything seemed to be kosher. I went as far as the window where you are asked if you want to do a custom install or an upgrade install. I chose "custom install" and was then presented with a list of partitions to which I could install if I wanted to. That's where I cancelled out and I think it's a pretty good confirmation that the stick would work.

You went farther than I did and actually did the 10 install. I didn't have the nerve to do it because I did not have complete faith in the rollback to 7 process, nor do I have complete faith in image restoration.

 

[derekimo]

Did you confirm that Windows 10 was in fact activated?

Just adding to this question above,

Activation of Windows 10 - Check - Windows 10 Forums

 

[DavidE]

I'm not exactly sure how you'd do that, but I'd be interested in knowing myself.

I assume you did an "upgrade install" through Windows Update, rather than any type of install from a DVD or USB stick?

Did you confirm that Windows 10 was in fact activated?

Obviously, you could do a clean install of 10 and see if it that was permitted and activated. But you'd take the risk of wiping out a good Win 7 install and not have a valid 10 install and then might be stuck in no-man's land.

I have Win 7 right now. Earlier today, I made a USB stick installer for Windows 10 using a legit ISO downloaded from Microsoft directly.

I booted from that installer stick and went 5 or 6 mouse-clicks into the installation program to confirm that the stick worked and would likely succeed in making a clean install if I choose to do that before the free upgrade expires in late July. Everything seemed to be kosher. I went as far as the window where you are asked if you want to do a custom install or an upgrade install. I chose "custom install" and was then presented with a list of partitions to which I could install if I wanted to. That's where I cancelled out and I think it's a pretty good confirmation that the stick would work.

You went farther than I did and actually did the 10 install. I didn't have the nerve to do it because I did not have complete faith in the rollback to 7 process, nor do I have complete faith in image restoration.

If you have a spare HD or SSD you could disconnect your current drives and do a clean install of Win 10 to that (clean) drive.
Then you don't have to worry about anything on your current drives being changed, and you would not need to use a rollback or restore to get back to Win 7, just disconnect the W10 drive and re-connect the W7 drive.
That would activate Win 10 for your PC so you could play with W10 and see if you want it now, later, or never.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

David or Derek:

David: I think you answered my following questions, but I want explicit confirmation.

Can either of you guys comment or confirm what I have in mind per the following:

I have a recent highly configured retail and activated Win 7 SP1 install.

I want to try Win 10 for a few weeks or months or possibly forever, but I want a totally reliable fall back position to Win 7. I don't want to trust imaging or Win 7 rollback.

Is this legit per the EULA and problem-free:

Remove existing SSD containing 7.

Install new empty SSD.

Clean install 10 to the new SSD from USB stick made from legit downloaded ISO, activating with my Win 7 retail key.

Confirm 10 is activated.

Use it for a month or two or three and keep it if I like it.

If I don’t, remove the new SSD and replace it with the old SSD containing my current activated Win 7.

Put the new SSD with the Win 10 installation into the closet. Possibly bring it out months or years later if I decide to again try Win 10.

This is one PC, one retail license, and not a dual boot. No reliance on imaging or Windows rollback—just an SSD swap. Each SSD contains an activated Windows installation—one for 7 and one for 10.

I might be able to do something like this with a dock, but I don’t want to get involved with that.

I don’t anticipate constantly switching back and forth from one SSD to the other. I just want a foolproof fallback position if I don’t like Win 10.

Four questions:

1: is this allowed per the EULA and MS regulations?
2: if not, exactly why not?
3: do you know of anyone who has actually done this or something very similar (not a dual boot)?
4: what are the pitfalls or possible problems with this, considering I might change hardware at any moment?

Thanks for any confirmation on this, especially if you've done it or can point me to a discussion of the topic. I googled it a bit a couple of days ago and couldn't find anyone who'd done exactly what I have in mind.

 

[Barman58]

When you perform an upgrade, either via an in place upgrade or a fresh install using the original key, the original licence becomes invalid, replaced by the new digital entitlement Licence .

If you upgrade and then use the roll-back option within the 30 day period allowed the original licence will be re-instated and the digital will also be retained on Microsoft's servers, this is the only allowable way to legally revert that I am aware of. If the roll-back fails you can contact Microsoft who should sort things out as usual. this would also apply with the digital version of a retail licence if major changes are made to hardware in future, although actual details are scarce due to the "New" status of the actual Digital entitlement process

 

[ignatzatsonic]

If you upgrade and then use the roll-back option within the 30 day period allowed the original licence will be re-instated and the digital will also be retained on Microsoft's servers, this is the only allowable way to legally revert that I am aware of. process

Barman:

Are you implying or stating outright that a restoration of an activated legit Win 7 image (not a roll-back from within 10 itself within 30 days) is not legit or would fail in some way, whether done inside or outside of the 30 day window?

I would have thought that tens of thousands of people have tried it by now, so I wouldn't think there would be any gray area after nearly a year since the official release of Win 10.

 

[Barman58]

As I stated this is the only method I personally know that works, It may well be that the actual transfer of the licence take place after the 30 days rather than immediately and so would allow other re-install methods to work. As I have not read any definitive statement from Microsoft, (plenty of contradictory rumours, of course ), I can only state my experience

However, It has always been the case that although the retail licence may be transferred It can only be present on one system at any one time. Your plan would have the licence present on two hard disks at the same time although of course not actually in use, (I don't know how to consider backup images which have a valid licence and so would also technically break the EULA )

How this is going to work with the new digital system is not really known yet but it should be more secure than the old system as all licences would be held in one place.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Can I take your response in post 8 to be a "no, not that I know of from personal experience and to the best of my knowledge" answer to the question I posed in post 7?

I'm not sure what you mean by "I don't know how you would consider backup images which also technically break the EULA" followed by a winking emoticon.

I was and am totally unaware that backup images violated a EULA, but maybe the winking emoticon means you are kidding or ?

I remain confused.

 

[DavidE]

If you just want to test drive Win 10 you can legally use the Enterprise Evaluation version.
This would give you a 90 day temporary license.
You could disconnect your current drives, connect a new drive and install the Enterprise Evaluation version.
Then there are no changes to your Win 7 license/install, it isn't used for the Enterprise Evaluation version.
You do need a MS account to download the Enterprise Evaluation version.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-10-enterprise

I used the Enterprise Evaluation version for Win 8.1 and it worked fine for me, no problems, it served my purpose to see if i wanted 8.1.
I do get a few emails from MS about the EE version, no biggie to me.

I've never read that using and restoring backup images violates EULA !!!
I've used them for many years without any issues.
Some people may have problems restoring an image, but i don't know of any one that lost a valid license.
Worst case i know of is, some folks have to phone re-activate a license, depending on what they did.

In post #5 you stated "considering I might change hardware at any moment".
If you change the motherboard, all bets are off, that change could be considered a new PC and have licensing issues.

 

[dietlbomb]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I'm not exactly sure how you'd do that, but I'd be interested in knowing myself.

I assume you did an "upgrade install" through Windows Update, rather than any type of install from a DVD or USB stick?

I did do the upgrade install through Windows Update. It took about an hour to complete and the rollback took about 10 minutes.

Did you confirm that Windows 10 was in fact activated?

Did you confirm that Windows 10 was in fact activated?

Just adding to this question above,

Activation of Windows 10 - Check - Windows 10 Forums

I did not. I had assumed that by completing the update that the license transfer would be automatic, but I later learned that it happens asynchronously at some point after the update. So I don't know whether it was activated or not.

I think I need to run through the whole process again.

 

[DavidE]

If you used the built in rollback MAYBE the Win 10 license info is in Win 7 somewhere, such as the Windows.old folder.
If you installed Win 10 with a MS account (not Local), the license info MIGHT be available in your MS Onedrive data.
I don't know, maybe someone on the sister site Ten Forums could help answer.
Windows 10 Forums

 

[ignatzatsonic]

In post #5 you stated "considering I might change hardware at any moment".
If you change the motherboard, all bets are off, that change could be considered a new PC and have licensing issues.

When the underlying license is RETAIL???!!!!!

I assume you changed your mind about my needing an Enterprise version between your post 4 and your post 10 for some reason??

 

[DavidE]

When the underlying license is RETAIL???!!!!!

MS has not been clear about this question as far as i know.

A Windows 10 license is good for the "life of the device", right ?
And a Windows Retail license is transferable to a new device (PC), right ?

So does that mean i can build a new PC any-time i want, and transfer my W10 (free upgrade) Retail license to a new PC for the rest of my life ?
I questioned this long ago, and i have never seen a definitive answer.
If anyone knows, i'd like to know.

Personally, i don't believe MS would allow a never ending W10 license, to a new PC, even if the prior Win license that was upgraded is Retail.
I hope i'm wrong, so i never have to pay for a Windows license again.

I assume you changed your mind about my needing an Enterprise version between your post 4 and your post 10 for some reason??

I didn't say you needed an Enterprise version.
I showed you can legally use the Enterprise Evaluation version to test W10.
MS does not have a Home User Evaluation version.
If you want to test drive W10 without affecting your W7/W8x license, it is possible.

 

[dietlbomb]

Thanks again all. I reinstalled Windows 10 today, this time checking that it was activated before I again uninstalled it. It took about 1/2 hour to download the files and 45 minutes to finish the install/uninstall cycle. I can't say whether this is a good idea for everyone, since most PCs don't behave the same, but for me the process went by without any problems.