License key for free windows 10 upgrade

[Bruce R Myers]

Just a quick Question. I upgraded from win 7 to win 10. It went flawless. I used magic Jelly Bean to extract the win 10 license key from my PC. In the future if I have to use my win 10 software on my flash drive to install again( on the same PC) will that license key work or do you really need the license key when installing it on the same PC?

 

[clifford_cooley]

Windows 10 stores the key somewhere on the machine, so you shouldn't manually need the key at anytime. I'm guessing the key is stored in the motherboard BIOS, but I'm not certain about that. This is why you can perform a clean install after which the upgrade has completed. The upgrade process places the key where it needs to be for the clean install to find.

 

[Bruce R Myers]

If you bought a PC with win 10 on it it would be stored in the Bios, but as for an upgrade it couldn't burn it to the bios useless you did a firmware upgrade and that requires electronically burning it to the Bios chip on the mother board. That didn't happen on my upgrade. Thanks for the reply. I'm just hoping that extracting the key with jell bean will be enough but this is a whole new license issue with Win 10.

 

[Trouble]

Can I reinstall Windows 10 on my computer after upgrading?
Yes. Once you’ve upgraded to Windows 10 using the free upgrade offer, you will be able to reinstall, including a clean install, on the same device. You won’t need a product key for re-activations on the same hardware. If you make a meaningful change to your hardware, you may need to contact customer support to help with activation. You’ll also be able to create your own installation media like a USB drive or DVD, and use that to upgrade your device or reinstall after you’ve upgraded.

SOURCE: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wind...Upgrade_SEM_BNG_MSBranded_ACTV_en-US_sitelink
In my experience you will not need a license key under those circumstances.
I've performed a clean install already without issue. When prompted (both times beginning and end of install) I chose to skip / do this later and never entered a product key at all.

 

[clifford_cooley]

but as for an upgrade it couldn't burn it to the bios useless you did a firmware upgrade

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...ense-key/0df52673-2764-4096-86ce-802a4213c40e

Designed for users of Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10, our embedded product key tool will retrieve and display the Windows setup product key embedded in the BIOS or EFI, allowing you to store it for safe-keeping or use it to reinstall Windows with an official Windows setup image.

 

[davidhk129]

Just a quick Question. I upgraded from win 7 to win 10. It went flawless. I used magic Jelly Bean to extract the win 10 license key from my PC. In the future if I have to use my win 10 software on my flash drive to install again( on the same PC) will that license key work or do you really need the license key when installing it on the same PC?

Product key is NOT needed if you are to re-install Win 10 after successful initial upgraded and successful activated.

 

[Bruce R Myers]

Thanks for the info, I know new win 8 computers have the key embedded in the bios, but an upgrade from 7 to 10 wont have it burned in the Bios. Thanks for the tip on retrieving the license key from the computers that do have them embedded.

 

[Jake B]

New Windows 10 have the key embedded the issue is when you upgrade the process is different. When you upgrade it checks if you key on the OS your upgrading from is valid. The is takes and picture of your machine and stores your machine and Windows 10 info on Microsoft's server. It also links you info to your MS account if you use your MS account to login. You can install Windows 10 as many time as you want on that machine and it uses the into on the MS server and your MS account to activate the new install.

When you purchase a new PC with WIndows 10 the OS is installed in the factory.

 

[Bighorn]

I wonder if Mr. Myers is still around.

 

[Trouble]

The thread was born August 3, 2015 and soon to celebrate its' third birthday.
I'm thinking replies at this point, might fall on deaf ears.