How To Find My Windows Anytime Upgrade Key

Microsoft'due south free Windows x upgrade offering is over–or is it? In that location'south still a way to actuate Windows ten with a Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 key, in addition to Microsoft's accessibility offer.

Update: We originally wrote this article in 2022, only this upgrade play a joke on yet works as of Jan 14, 2022.

You Can Still Apply an Quondam Key with the Anniversary Update

RELATED: You Can Still Go Windows 10 for Free from Microsoft'south Accessibility Site

As function of Windows 10's offset November update in 2022, Microsoft changed the Windows ten installer disc to also accept Windows vii or 8.1 keys. This allowed users to perform a make clean install Windows 10 and enter a valid Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 central during installation. Windows ten would then report that key to Microsoft'southward servers, and Windows ten'due south activation servers would give your PC a "digital entitlement" (now a "digital license") to continue using Windows 10 for free, but every bit if you had upgraded.

This also works from within Windows 10. Even if you don't provide a key during the installation process, you tin head to Settings > Update & Security > Activation and enter a Windows seven or eight.i central here instead of a Windows 10 cardinal. Your PC will receive a digital entitlement.

Now, fifty-fifty though the free upgrade offer is technically over, this method still functions in every version of Windows 10, from 2022's Anniversary Update to the November 2022 Update. It works when installing Windows 10 with installation media or by entering the key later installing Windows 10. Enter whatsoever Windows 7, 8, or 8.one key that hasn't previously been used to upgrade to 10, and Microsoft'due south servers volition give your PC'due south hardware a new digital license that will let you to go on using Windows 10 indefinitely on that PC.

Microsoft hasn't released any sort of argument about this upgrade method at all. It'south possible that Microsoft volition disable information technology soon, but it'south also possible Microsoft will wait the other way and keep this flim-flam around to encourage more Windows 10 upgrades for a long hereafter.

How to Utilize a Windows vii, viii, or viii.1 Key to Go Windows 10

RELATED: How to Detect Your Lost Windows or Office Production Keys

This process is piece of cake. Get-go, you'll demand a Windows 7, 8, or 8.i cardinal. If you have i of those lying around, cracking. If you lot don't, you tin use a tool like NirSoft'south ProduKey to find the key currently in apply on your Windows vii, 8, or 8.1 PC. Write it down.

Be certain you lot have backups of your important files before continuing. Even if you program on performing an upgrade install, something could go wrong. It's ever a good thought to have backups, especially when installing a new operating system.

Create Windows 10 installation media if y'all don't already have it lying around. You can practice this with Microsoft's Windows x media creation tool. Select "Create installation media for another PC" and the tool volition offer to create a bootable USB wink drive or burn a bootable DVD.

Update: You can but download the latest Media Creation Tool from Microsoft'south website and run it to upgrade—it will upgrade your current PC with no bodily media creation necessary. You lot can choose whether yous desire to continue your files and programs or start fresh. Bold you started with a genuine, activated Windows 7 or Windows 8.one system, it volition give y'all an activated Windows ten system. It volition work if the Media Creation Tool is happy to perform the upgrade. (Even if the resulting Windows 10 installation isn't activated, you could just plug in your old Windows seven or Windows eight.i cardinal after the upgrade process finishes.)

Insert the installation media into the reckoner you want to upgrade, reboot, and kicking from the installation media. Install Windows 10 usually. You tin can perform an upgrade installation that keeps your existing files or a clean installation that wipes your system bulldoze.

When yous're asked to enter a key, enter the Windows 7, 8, or 8.i central. The installer will accept this cardinal and the installation procedure volition continue normally.

(If y'all're using a Windows eight or 8.ane organization with the product key embedded in your systems UEFI firmware or BIOS, you lot may likewise exist able to click "I don't take a product key." Windows 10 should automatically find the key in your UEFI firmware later and actuate your system.)

After you've installed Windows ten, head to Settings > Update & Security > Activation and you should see that your PC has a digital license.

If you didn't enter a central during the installation process, you can enter a Windows 7, eight, or viii.1 key correct in this window when you lot're asked to provide a Windows 10 key. Windows will bank check in with Microsoft'southward servers and give your PC a digital license for Windows ten.

It's that simple. If you ever want to reinstall Windows 10 in the time to come, you should exist able to utilise the same Windows 7, 8, or eight.1 cardinal you lot entered here. That key volition be associated with a "digital license" on Microsoft'south servers, allowing you lot to continue reinstalling Windows 10 even if Microsoft disables this method of acquiring Windows 10.

You lot can also sign in to your new PC with a Microsoft account and that fundamental volition be associated with your Microsoft business relationship, making information technology easy to reactivate your digital license if y'all e'er demand to reinstall Windows 10 later.

Assuming you do sign in with a Microsoft account, yous'll see the bulletin "Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft business relationship" here.

Windows 10 activated with a digital license linked to a Microsoft account.