Change Key Functions on Windows 1. Editing the Registry Entry. Editing the registry keys is a tedious method to remap keys and can lead to small problems if you are not being cautious. I would advise taking a backup before going ahead. If you have no idea about Windows backup, check out this article. If your computer came with an authentic, pre-installed copy of Windows 7, you may be able to find the key on your Certificate of Authenticity (COA) sticker. If you've already installed and activated your Windows 7, you can use the Command Prompt or a free, third-party app to find it. Convert for Windows Convert is a free and easy to use unit conversion program that will convert the most popular units of distance, temperature, volume, time, speed, mass, power, density, pressure, energy, and many others, including the ability to create custom conversions! Aug 15, 2019 Windows 7 keys currently still active Windows 10 installs, therefore you can you them as Windows 10 keys without having to do anything to them. This can also work in reverse for Windows 10 Pro keys.
Activate Windows 10 Using Windows 7 Key
There are many reasons to change your Windows 10 product key. It may be you want to change product key to upgrade your edition of Windows 10. The current product key may be invalid (pirated key), and you want to replace the current product key with a new key without having to reinstall Windows 10. Windows 10 provides five simple methods to change the Windows 10 product key.
How to Change Product Key in Settings
You need to sign in as an administrator to change the product key and activate Windows 10.
Option 1: Change your product key to fix activation errors
Step 1: Click the Start menu and select Settings. Click on Update & Security icon.
Step 2: Open the Activation page. Under Update product key section, click Change product key link.
Step 3: Click Yes button when you see the User Account Control prompt.
Then enter your new Windows 10 product key and then click the Next button to connect to Microsoft activation servers and activate your copy of Windows 10 using the newly entered product key.
How to Change Product Key in System Properties
Step 1: Open System Properties using shortcut keys: Windows + Pause Break.
Step 2: Under the Windows activation section, click Change product key link.
Step 3: Click Yes button when you see the User Account Control screen.
Step 4: Type in your new Windows 10 product key and then press Enter key on your keyboard. Windows 10 will connect to Microsoft activation servers and activate your license if the key is valid.
How to Change Product Key in Slui.EXE
Step 1: Press Win + R to open Run dialog.
Step 2: Type in slui.exe 3, press Enter key.
Step 3: Click Yes button when you see the User Account Control prompt.
Step 4: In the Enter a product key dialog, type in the new product key and then click the Next button to change the product key.
Activate Windows 10 Using Windows 7 Key
There are many reasons to change your Windows 10 product key. It may be you want to change product key to upgrade your edition of Windows 10. The current product key may be invalid (pirated key), and you want to replace the current product key with a new key without having to reinstall Windows 10. Windows 10 provides five simple methods to change the Windows 10 product key.
How to Change Product Key in Settings
You need to sign in as an administrator to change the product key and activate Windows 10.
Option 1: Change your product key to fix activation errors
Step 1: Click the Start menu and select Settings. Click on Update & Security icon.
Step 2: Open the Activation page. Under Update product key section, click Change product key link.
Step 3: Click Yes button when you see the User Account Control prompt.
Then enter your new Windows 10 product key and then click the Next button to connect to Microsoft activation servers and activate your copy of Windows 10 using the newly entered product key.
How to Change Product Key in System Properties
Step 1: Open System Properties using shortcut keys: Windows + Pause Break.
Step 2: Under the Windows activation section, click Change product key link.
Step 3: Click Yes button when you see the User Account Control screen.
Step 4: Type in your new Windows 10 product key and then press Enter key on your keyboard. Windows 10 will connect to Microsoft activation servers and activate your license if the key is valid.
How to Change Product Key in Slui.EXE
Step 1: Press Win + R to open Run dialog.
Step 2: Type in slui.exe 3, press Enter key.
Step 3: Click Yes button when you see the User Account Control prompt.
Step 4: In the Enter a product key dialog, type in the new product key and then click the Next button to change the product key.
How to Change Product Key in Changepk.exe
Step 1: Press the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog.
Step 2: Then type changepk.exe into Run dialog, then click OK.
Step 3: Click Yes button when you see the User Account Control prompt.
Step 4: Enter the 25-digit product key for the edition of Windows 10 you want, press Enter.
Step 5: When the Activate Windows appears, click Next.
Step 5: When the Windows was activated successfully, click on Close.
How to Change Product Key in Command Prompt
Step 1: Open Command Prompt as administrator.
Press 'Windows logo + X' keys, then hit A key on the keyboard.
Step 2: Run the following command line, and press Enter.
slmgr.vbs /ipk
You will see Installed product key successfully message once the key is changed.
Related Articles
- How to Activate Windows 10 for Free 2020
- How to Upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 10 for Free [2020]
- How to Upgrade Windows 10 Pro to Windows 10 Enterprise
- How to Find the Product Key for Windows 10
- How to Find Product Key in Windows 7
- How to Transfer Windows 10 License to New PC or Hard Drive
Updated, July 31 @ 15:55 BST (10:55 EDT): This story has been updated with a few more details, and some other (quicker) ways of achieving an almost-clean installation of Windows 10.
Original story
Windows 10 is an unusual release for Microsoft: if you have a licensed version of Windows 7 or 8/8.1, it will very easily upgrade to Windows 10—you don't even need to enter a licence key. Clean installations, however, are a bit trickier: you do need to enter a licence key, and your Windows 7/8 key probably won't work.
Fortunately, if you're running Windows 7 or 8, and you really want to use your free Windows 10 licence key to perform a clean installation rather than upgrade, there is a solution. It's pretty convoluted, but it works.
First, you need to do an in-place upgrade to Windows 10. You can do this via Windows Update, or if Windows Update isn't playing ball you can use the direct download tool: English/American/German/French/Italian/Dutch. If you use the download tool, make sure you select 'Upgrade this PC now.' It goes without saying that, before you install any new operating system, you should back up any important data beforehand.
Once the upgrade has completed, make sure you've been activated by Microsoft. Open up the new Settings app, then head to Update & Security, Activation. It will say on the right whether you're activated or not (see image). Also note down what version of Windows 10 you have (Home, Pro).
AdvertisementIf you haven't yet been activated, you can try forcing it via command prompt: run cmd.exe as an administrator, then type slmgr.vbs /ato. You may need to try a few times, as the activation servers were being hit quite hard.
Install Windows 10 Without Key
This first step will convert your current Windows 7/8 key into a Windows 10 key.
Now you need to install Windows 10 again! Grab the Windows 10 download tool and run it. This time, select 'Create installation media for another PC.' Select the appropriate version (Home, Pro) and the tool will generate an ISO for you. Let the tool help you burn the ISO to a DVD or USB memory stick.
Now, proceed with a clean installation of Windows 10 (select 'Custom: Install Windows only' when prompted.) When it asks you for a product key, click Skip. If it asks you multiple times, just keep hitting Skip.
Once you've installed Windows 10, it should activate normally. Again, you might need to manually slam the servers using slmgr.vbs /ato. Voilà: a clean installation of Windows 10.
In theory, you should be able to reinstall Windows 10 again in the future on the same PC, but if you make significant hardware changes you might need to use the manual telephone activation process. Currently, it isn't clear if you can take your freebie Windows 10 licence key and use it to install Windows 10 on another machine. Some users are reporting that ProduKey, Magic Jelly Bean, and other key-viewing tools have enabled them to get a new Windows 10 licence key that can be used on another machine, but some users are just getting a generic licence key that isn't transferable. Your mileage may vary.
AdvertisementCaveats and other gotchas
Obviously, it's crazy that you have to go through a full OS installation just to upgrade a licence key. It would be a lot easier and faster if Microsoft provided some kind of tool that converted Windows 7/8 keys to Windows 10.
If you bought a retail copy of Windows 10, this guide doesn't apply to you at all: you'll have a Windows 10 licence key that can be used directly during the installation process.
Another option, rather than installing Windows 10 twice, is to click the small 'change what to keep' button during installation, and then select 'nothing' from the following screen. This will delete all of your files, apps, and settings. This will be functionally the same as performing a clean installation, but there may be small underlying differences.
Convert Windows 7 Key To Windows 10 Key
Another method is to upgrade to Windows 10, head into the new Settings app, and go to 'Update and recovery.' From there, you can click 'Reset this PC,' which gives you the option of reinstalling Windows 10 and either a) keeping your apps and files, or b) wiping everything clean. Again, this isn't quite the same as a clean installation, but it's very similar.
Convert Windows 7 Key To Windows 10
If you do opt for the upgrade-then-install method, one slightly faster route is to download and burn an ISO the first time you run the tool, and then upgrade from that ISO. You can then use the same installation media to do a clean installation, rather than downloading Windows 10 again using the tool.
If you get the following error when trying to activate Windows 10, don't panic: 'Error code: 0xC004C003. Activation server determined that the key has been blocked.' Some users are reporting that they are seeing that error, even with a legitimate key, perhaps due to the activation servers being overloaded. Of course, if you're not actually using a legitimate licence key, then... well... do panic.
