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Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

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ThinkPad560X
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Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

#1 Post by ThinkPad560X » Sun Sep 02, 2018 11:06 pm

I have a Windows 7 key on the bottom of my ThinkPad T400. I bought a new 1TB HDD for the ultrabay to have a dual boot of Windows 7 Pro and Windows 10 Pro. I have a clean install of Windows 10 Pro on the drive but not activated. If I use the Windows 7 Pro key on it (if it still works) will I lose my Windows 7 and get a message saying Windows 7 is not genuine anymore or can I have both OS running on the machine fine?
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A22m,A22e,A30,G40,R31,R40,R50,R60,R61,R400,R500,
T20,T23,T30,T40,T43,T60,T61,T400,T400s,T500,W500,W700,
X21,X30,X41,X41T,X60,X60T,X200,X200T,X300,X120e,Z60m,Z61tT410T410sT510T420T420sT520
T430T430sT430UT530T470T470sT470pT570SL500L470L570

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Re: Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

#2 Post by axmaxwell » Mon Sep 03, 2018 12:22 am

This will probably be just a trial and error solution. I can tell you for a fact that even on a computer that had an oem Windows 7 install I still got the build 7601 this product is not genuine error. There are rumors that you can call Microsoft and cry that you had a valid product key, this and that, but I still ended up having to pay for a new product key.
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Re: Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

#3 Post by ThinkPad560X » Mon Sep 03, 2018 11:33 am

I been looking for how long on google to find "Can I still use my Windows 7 if Windows 10 is using 7's key" and just get all the answers will my windows 7 key work on windows 10 still. I left my laptop on overnight and Windows 10 installed all those annoying games back on it and enabled that Cortana voice search after I turned everything off. I think i'm just going to keep my windows 7 on my T400. I don't want to use my 7 key on 10 if it going to do this and lose my 7 license.
IBM: 760XD,770Z,600X,240,560X,560Z,570,380Z,390X,i1200,i1400,
A22m,A22e,A30,G40,R31,R40,R50,R60,R61,R400,R500,
T20,T23,T30,T40,T43,T60,T61,T400,T400s,T500,W500,W700,
X21,X30,X41,X41T,X60,X60T,X200,X200T,X300,X120e,Z60m,Z61tT410T410sT510T420T420sT520
T430T430sT430UT530T470T470sT470pT570SL500L470L570

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Re: Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

#4 Post by shawross » Mon Sep 03, 2018 6:51 pm

It is probably worth digitally activating your mobo for Windows 10 if you can do that without any monetary pain with your Windows 7 product key.

After Windows 10 is activated you can still run Windows 7 because it is just a like a roll back to Windows 7 which I have done on most of my hardware. Probably this has been done tens of thousands of times and MS doesn't inform people that they lost their Windows 7 product key when they upgraded? to Windows 10.

If MS tried to revoke peoples Windows 7 Product key it would be easy to say that you wanted to evaluate Windows 10 and due to lack of compatibility you had to roll back to Windows 7 which is actually what happens in the real world.

I am not sure that the T400 plays nice with Win 10 as it caused me dramas about 3 years ago when I tried but Windows 7 is not far off EOL so after that date your product key will be of limited value anyway.
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Re: Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

#5 Post by MikalE » Mon Sep 03, 2018 6:58 pm

After using Win10 for a year, my Win7 key was still good for a clean reload via phone activation.
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Re: Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

#6 Post by ThinkPad560X » Mon Sep 03, 2018 10:38 pm

okay thanks. Windows 10 is running fine on my T400. Just all the dumb adwear that 10 keeps installing that I went into to turn it off. After these consistent updates it keeps reseting my settings and renabling cortana. So just figured i'd stay with my Windows 7 Pro till its end, and then move to 10. I even have Windows 10 Pro (OEM disc and retail flash), But from what I heard Microsoft is slowly moving windows 10 to a service and may come in and say if you want a no ad OS just pay a $1.99 a month for no ads or can get Enterpise.
IBM: 760XD,770Z,600X,240,560X,560Z,570,380Z,390X,i1200,i1400,
A22m,A22e,A30,G40,R31,R40,R50,R60,R61,R400,R500,
T20,T23,T30,T40,T43,T60,T61,T400,T400s,T500,W500,W700,
X21,X30,X41,X41T,X60,X60T,X200,X200T,X300,X120e,Z60m,Z61tT410T410sT510T420T420sT520
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Re: Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

#7 Post by MikalE » Tue Sep 04, 2018 7:23 am

That's what I think they will end up doing too.

Selling Windows, or rather 'leasing' Wondows and charging a monthly fee like satellite or cell phone service.

You'll be able to download and install Windows but you won't be able to use it until you pay your monthly fee.

JMO.
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Re: Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

#8 Post by pianowizard » Tue Sep 04, 2018 8:22 am

ThinkPad560X wrote:
Mon Sep 03, 2018 10:38 pm
Just all the dumb adwear that 10 keeps installing that I went into to turn it off. After these consistent updates it keeps reseting my settings and renabling cortana.
I have been running Win 10 (both Pro and Home) since the day it came out, on a fair number of computers, and never had these problems. I think a few silly game apps were automatically installed after a major annual update, but they were easy to uninstall using CCleaner, after which they never returned. On all these computers I disabled Cortana from day one and it too never came back. And I have never had any ads. Regarding settings, I don't think they are reset without the user's permission, but instead some of the major updates introduce new settings which are activated by default, so we need to manually turn them off.

As much as I like Win 10, I have to admit it takes a lot more work to optimize than all previous versions of Windows. But I've never had the problems you are experiencing, so I bet you are doing something wrong. Google around to see if there are detailed tutorials. As far as installation and optimization are concerned, Win 10 is not a user-friendly OS.
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Re: Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

#9 Post by MikalE » Tue Sep 04, 2018 9:39 am

Designed that way on purpose to mine your data for the ignorant and unaware.
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Re: Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

#10 Post by ThinkPad560X » Tue Sep 04, 2018 11:33 am

I wish Microsoft would release a real Windows classic theme. It shouldn't be hard for them to make a full skin theme for us older windows users. Everyone has there own way of organization and looks on there Personal Computers, Mine is this https://irusoft.blogspot.com/2016/09/windows-2000.html (Just pics of the windows 2000 desktop) I even have my Windows 7 set to Windows classic. But if windows 10 is suppose to be the last windows shouldn't they release a Windows classic theme, XP theme, Vista/7 theme? Some people don't like change and if keeping there normal looks but on a newer version of windows I think would make people happy and move to 10.
IBM: 760XD,770Z,600X,240,560X,560Z,570,380Z,390X,i1200,i1400,
A22m,A22e,A30,G40,R31,R40,R50,R60,R61,R400,R500,
T20,T23,T30,T40,T43,T60,T61,T400,T400s,T500,W500,W700,
X21,X30,X41,X41T,X60,X60T,X200,X200T,X300,X120e,Z60m,Z61tT410T410sT510T420T420sT520
T430T430sT430UT530T470T470sT470pT570SL500L470L570

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Re: Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

#11 Post by w0qj » Wed Sep 05, 2018 11:28 am

A number of our computers (X1C3, X230, T410) had its Windows 7 did a free upgrade to Windows 10.
We then did Windows 7 Product Recovery for all above machines, which worked (meaning: the computer then ran with Windows 7, works with Windows Update too).
That was almost two years ago (yikes!).

We recently reinstalled Windows 10 back onto our X1C3 and X230 using the Rufus + Win10 ISO method, and it worked.
(MS Media Creation Tool did not work for us, not sure why).

So there you have it: You can upgrade to Win10, then do a simple Product Recovery for Windows 7.
And a future option to upgrade back to Win10 to boot ;)

shawross wrote:
Mon Sep 03, 2018 6:51 pm
It is probably worth digitally activating your mobo for Windows 10 if you can do that without any monetary pain with your Windows 7 product key.

After Windows 10 is activated you can still run Windows 7 because it is just a like a roll back to Windows 7 which I have done on most of my hardware. Probably this has been done tens of thousands of times and MS doesn't inform people that they lost their Windows 7 product key when they upgraded? to Windows 10.

If MS tried to revoke peoples Windows 7 Product key it would be easy to say that you wanted to evaluate Windows 10 and due to lack of compatibility you had to roll back to Windows 7 which is actually what happens in the real world.

I am not sure that the T400 plays nice with Win 10 as it caused me dramas about 3 years ago when I tried but Windows 7 is not far off EOL so after that date your product key will be of limited value anyway.
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Re: Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

#12 Post by GrifterGuru » Fri Sep 07, 2018 10:42 pm

Having had a number of machines (laptops & Towers) Run Win10 for short periods, I found it mandatory to install a couple of very usable and very friendly tools to handle some of the settings.

The tools are

"ClassicShell" to give a normal start menu to it (ClassicShellSetup_4_3_0.exe)
"O&O Shutup 10" ( Which allows you to switch OFF some of the annoying settings (OOSU10.exe)

I also had to run:

WX App uninstaller (WX_App_Remover_1.2.exe)
As well as running an "uninstall cortana" widget and a "uninstallonedrive" widget. Two services I nether liked nor wanted, one drive especially as I did not want anything getting up to MS servers that need not be there.

I maintain a backup of those "Must install" programs for future use as at the end of the day, I find them too valuable to me to lose them.
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Re: Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

#13 Post by CrazyTPFan » Tue Nov 13, 2018 5:03 pm

In my experience using a windows 7 key on windows 10 works and still lets you use it for windows 7.

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Re: Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

#14 Post by ThinkPad560X » Tue Nov 13, 2018 5:41 pm

That's good to know then. I think Microsoft should just allow Windows 7/8 keys to upgrade to Windows 10 anytime they want since they already done it. If anything they probably already allow this but just told the crowed the free upgrade is over to make people go buy a 10 key. I read a few days ago that some error/bug reset everyone's Windows 10 Pro key to Home Edition. I'm fully back on Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit till its end. Still seems like there is too many bugs and erasing of personal data and I don't need that to go through.
IBM: 760XD,770Z,600X,240,560X,560Z,570,380Z,390X,i1200,i1400,
A22m,A22e,A30,G40,R31,R40,R50,R60,R61,R400,R500,
T20,T23,T30,T40,T43,T60,T61,T400,T400s,T500,W500,W700,
X21,X30,X41,X41T,X60,X60T,X200,X200T,X300,X120e,Z60m,Z61tT410T410sT510T420T420sT520
T430T430sT430UT530T470T470sT470pT570SL500L470L570

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Re: Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

#15 Post by w0qj » Tue Nov 13, 2018 10:51 pm

Amen
ThinkPad560X wrote:
Tue Nov 13, 2018 5:41 pm
...I read a few days ago that some error/bug reset everyone's Windows 10 Pro key to Home Edition. I'm fully back on Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit till its end. Still seems like there is too many bugs and erasing of personal data and I don't need that to go through.
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Re: Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

#16 Post by GomJabbar » Wed Nov 14, 2018 4:35 pm

ThinkPad560X wrote:
Tue Nov 13, 2018 5:41 pm
I read a few days ago that some error/bug reset everyone's Windows 10 Pro key to Home Edition.
i am on Windows 10 updated fully except for Feature Update 1809. My Windows 10 Pro key is still Pro, as it was always. Not sure what you are talking about above.
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Re: Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

#17 Post by pianowizard » Sun Nov 18, 2018 1:19 pm

GomJabbar wrote:
Wed Nov 14, 2018 4:35 pm
i am on Windows 10 updated fully except for Feature Update 1809. My Windows 10 Pro key is still Pro, as it was always. Not sure what you are talking about above.
Three of my computers have Feature Update 1809 installed as well, and all my Windows 10 computers are fully updated. I didn't have any of the issues associated with 1809, and all my Pro keys are still Pro. Based on what I've read, both bugs affected just a small fraction of a percent of all Windows 10 users. Of course that's still hundreds of thousands of users, and naturally many of these folks complained loudly on forums, giving the impression that it was a major pandemic. Sensationalistic journalists further exaggerated the scope of the problems. But for computers, software, and electronics in general, bugs affecting ~0.01% of devices are extremely common, and some manufacturers may even consider that percentage of duds a huge success. In fact Windows 7 has had similar (if not worse) bugs numerous times, and yet few people made a big deal out of them. But when Windows 10 has these issues, people jump at the opportunity to say "I told you Windows 10 is garbage".

Don't get me wrong, I am not defending Microsoft. As I recently said elsewhere on this forum, Microsoft needs to take quality control much more seriously. All I am saying is that these Windows 10 bugs weren't really that unusual.
ThinkPad560X wrote:
Tue Nov 13, 2018 5:41 pm
I'm fully back on Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit till its end.
If I recall correctly, you have been struggling for years to install Windows 10 on your old computers. Perhaps part of it is Windows 10's fault, but perhaps it's also partly your fault.
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Re: Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

#18 Post by shawross » Sun Nov 18, 2018 7:14 pm

I agree Windows 10 isn't always compatible with old computers but why then did MS overly push it to users then?

Besides this they made rolling back to Windows 7 problematic for users.

Also with new editions of Windows 10 being forced on users new problems would appear and testing of these feature upgrades is poor at best.

I don't think Windows 10 is garbage but it has been poorly managed by Microsoft and there is a lack of trust there now.

I think many Windows 7 users will probably being moving to Linux for a future OS.
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Re: Using Windows 7 key on Windows 10 and still using Windows 7?

#19 Post by w0qj » Mon Nov 19, 2018 2:17 am

Many of us on this forum manage more than a few computers, and some of these are Win10 machines.

So it's a matter of time before we have to handle (aka damage control) these Win10 upgrade snafus,
even if our own machine is not Win10.

These careless Win10 upgrade snafus would likely increase our computer maintenance workload eventually...
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