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Given that Microsoft's free upgrade to Windows 10 ends in a month or so. I want to know if there is an easy way to make my Windows 7 PC Windows-10-eligible without actually upgrading.
I saw a previous post How to activate the free Windows 10 upgrade without actually using it? but my question is a little different. I have upgraded Windows 10 on several PCs and subsequently reinstalling them clean with Windows 10. So I am sure I can replace the HDD, reinstall Windows 7 using my original Windows 7 key and activate Windows 10.
But that is half day worth of work. I wonder if there is an easier way to activate my PC with Windows 10 without actually installing Windows 10 on it, not even on a separate HDD. I also don't want to mess up my PC by allowing Windows 10 to upgrade in-place and then downgrade back to Windows 7.
some user
Posted 2016-06-27T20:46:44.210
Reputation: 2 022
With how hard they've been pushing Windows 10, I highly doubt they would let you do that. – imtheman – 2016-06-27T21:05:56.833
1The only thing I can think of that is the quickest way is this: upgrade to windows 10, (3 hours?) then soon after, search for "reset pc" in the start menu, and choose to roll back (30 minutes?). Make sure you first verify that your windows was activated in 10 and activate if its not the case. Once you have upgraded windows 10 once installing it later will work without using a key and activate, as long as you don't change hardware. – LPChip – 2016-06-27T21:25:20.360
Get a second hdd, install Windows 10, with the windows 7 key on this new hdd. The only way to activate Windows 10 is to install it on the machine, if your not willing to do that, purchase a Windows 10 key. – Ramhound – 2016-06-27T22:20:29.577
If I have Windows 7 Enterprise 64-Bit they say there is different way to upgrade. If anyone has this version did you try upgrading? – Boris_yo – 2016-07-17T20:45:59.810
Windows 7 Enterprise edition aren't eligible for free upgrades. You won't even get the upgrade notification. – some user – 2016-07-18T21:22:54.550