Can't read product key

I bought a used Thinkpad X1 Carbon 3rd gen that had the SSD removed. I got one installed but I can't seem to get Windows reinstalled. I wanted to reinstall the original OS so I could do the free upgrade to windows 10, I thought it was Windows 8 and I could use the bios key but the sticker is for windows 7 and I keep entering it but I seem to have a letter wrong or maybe it's the wrong version. what can i do to troubleshoot? 99% of the key is legible and I'm pretty sure it's for windows 7 pro.


Is it okay if i post a photo here of the coa? I tried using the microsoft downlaoder website but it keeps getting em an error message and it doesn't work with the free keys I found online to use on that website


thanks

If its activated you can simply goto media creation tool hit upgrade now you dont need a key

FuturDreamz said:

..the sticker is for windows 7 and I keep entering it but I seem to have a letter wrong or maybe it's the wrong version. what can i do to troubleshoot? 99% of the key is legible and I'm pretty sure it's for windows 7 pro.

Download ShowKeyPlus, see Option Two in this tutorial.

Product Key Number for Windows 7 - Find and See

ShowKeyPlus has a 'Check Product Key' function. Type in a product key and it will tell you what version of W7/8/10 it is for, or that it isn't a valid key if you typed it wrong. Try a few variations for the characters you aren't sure of until ShowKeyPlus tells you it is a valid key.

Note that to avoid possible confusion MS do not use the numbers 015 or the letters AEIOULNSZ in any product key.

Is it okay if i post a photo here of the coa?

Not a good idea. If anyone could read it and then used it to activate their Windows install then it would remove any possibility of you being able to activate your Windows.

I should repeat that there was no reexisinng windows installation as when I got the computer there was no ssd or HDD or whatever installed. I'm preparing to do a fresh install but I don't even know if I got the right OS version

hi

the coa key will show the version. home or pro

this was a lappy that had the optional built-in downgrade rights to w7

suspect showkey+ will show both 7/8 product keys


Roy

torchwood said:

this was a lappy that had the optional built-in downgrade rights to w7

suspect showkey+ will show both 7/8 product keys

In that case there should be a W8 key in the bios as well as the CoA for W7. If so, then @FuturDreamz can clean install Windows 10 and it will find and use the embedded W8 key. There's no need to install W7 at all.

When booting from the W10 install usb you will know that Setup has found the W8 key because it will skip asking for a key, or what edition it should install. It will use the key from the bios to both choose the edition and to activate W10 with a digital licence.

That's what I was guessing, as this generation had windows 8 standard, but I didn't know if it got preinstalled with windows 7 at the factory and if they skip adding the bios key if it did.

Hi
@Bree

Absolutley correct, the lack of a harddrive, spinner/ssd is irrelevant


Roy

FuturDreamz said:

That's what I was guessing, as this generation had windows 8 standard, but I didn't know if it got preinstalled with windows 7 at the factory and if they skip adding the bios key if it did.

I'd be very surprised if they had. I have a used Dell built in 2016 that was one of the last to have W7 as a factory installed option before MS stopped allowing it. It had a Dell W7 OEM install on it when I bought it. Looking up its service tag on Dell support shows that it was supplied with W7 pre-installed, but it still had a W10 key in its bios.


You have nothing to loose by trying a clean install. If there is a key it won't ask you for one.

same with my asus, they only show W7 came with W8


Roy