Tech Help Win 7 re-install

[pillar]

Ok, so I will be upgrading my moms hardware. She currently has Win 7 Home Premium, but all I have is a legit Win 7 Pro dvd. Is it possible to use that with her HP cd key? Its been a while since ive searched up this info & figured I would start here.

 

[Simon]

Fairly sure you can, as long as it hasn't been used too many times. I used a Lenovo CD key on my old desktop, if I recall. See what other answers come up but im 90% sure you can.

 

[pillar]

No need to worry anymore as not only did I find the box that came with the cd key, but I found the original that I previous purchased for her. Whats interesting tho is that my mom wants me to upgrade her desktop to Win 10. Heres to a learning curve for her desktop...

 

[reflex99]

No, not possible to use HP CD key. Windows OEM copies are tied to the motherboard they are first activated on.

You can however tell Microsoft your OEM board died and had it repaired with a different board. They have been known to grant a new OEM key for this. I do not condone lying or stealing. YMMV

 

[pillar]

How is it stealing when in the 1st place the cd key that we have is legit & my mom wants to get a free upgrade to Windows 10? Also its not an HP key. Now technically we still have an old school HP cd key, but its XP Home & she already wants to upgrade from 7 to 10. Her choice overall, but thanks for the idea bout the dead mobo.

 

[reflex99]

OEM keys, like the one that HP gave you with the computer are tied to the motherboard of the machine they were originally installed on. Upgrading the motherboard is technically installing it on a new PC, and therefore will need to be reactivated. By lying to MS to get an activation code, you are technically stealing it and violating the license agreement.

MS doesn't really seem care. Probably have bigger issues (piracy etc) to worry about. They might be a bit less lenient with HP issued keys compared to OEM keys purchased through the channel, but I wouldn't really know.

 

[pillar]

The original mobo isnt in the desktop anymore. The key that was tied to it was XP Home. The current OS is Win 7 on the mobo.

 

[Cloakedsphere]

If the current motherboard has windows 7 on it and you're planning on changing motherboards, you might have troubles. Most CD-key's (I think only system builder keys are the exclusions) can either be used a very limited amount of times or its a one time use. Meaning that when you activate the key on one motherboard, you cant use it on another motherboard.

If you got the windows 7 key from HP, then its only tied to what ever motherboard you activated that key on.

If you bought windows 7 from a third party such as a best buy or amazon, then it might be ok.

You have a Windows 7 home premium key but a Windows 7 pro disc... (Or thats what I am getting at.)
You'll need to create an ISO on a thumb drive for windows 7 home premium in the respective key type (such as 32 bit or 64 bit.)

I dont know if that answered your question, but that is what it sounds like you need to do. I dont think you can use a home premium CD key on a pro disc install. Especially if that CD key was originally from HP and not from a different source.

 

[Ric]

All I'm saying is my brother has an OEM key and I've never bought Windows 7.

You do the rest. *whistle*

 

[Crashpilot1001]

There are tools that can legally readout the Windows Key of your current installation. I think I used "Windows Product Key Viewer" due to lost installation disk (and that can be USB stick downloaded from MS)