Fresh install Win7 after 10 upgrade past 30 days

Joined
Jan 24, 2007
Messages
726
Hey guys, my brother doesn't like Win10 on his pc and wants 7 back but it's after the whole 30 day downgrade option. I've been searching and all I can find is people changing the old Windows folders before the 30 day period to be able to go back afterwards. I was wondering if I could do a clean install of Win7 with the product key pulled from within Win10 since he didn't know it beforehand. Thanks guys.
 
The Windows 10 Product Key won't be useful to install Windows 7, no, but if he was able to "pull" the Windows 7 key from that installation beforehand then yes he should be good to go. Because it's been past 30 days there is a chance - a small one but it does exist - that the activation might not go through fully because Microsoft does say you've only got that 30 day window (no pun intended) to do the rollback.

There's only one way to find out, however.

If it's a custom build using a retail version of Windows 7 you might have issues as just noted; if it's an OEM machine from Dell, Gateway, etc, then you can roll back to Windows 7 (as long as it was actually licensed for that OS with a COA to show it) anytime forever. The rollback issue is just with retail licenses because once they're upgraded and that 30 day window is closed, you give up the right to roll back to take advantage of the free upgrade to Windows 10. It's a bunch of crap in the long run especially for those people that find Windows 10 isn't all it's cracked up to be - some people just take longer than others to come to that realization. :)
 
Yes it is a custom machine and it was pulled from within Win10 and says it's for Win10, I guess he's SOL....
 
Can't hurt to contact the seller or whoever built it for him to ask if they might have recorded the Windows 7 Product Key (assuming it was a proper legit one).

By the way, if it was a proper legit build done by a reputable shop they should have placed the Windows 7 Certificate of Authenticity sticker on the case someplace, whether on the outside or the inside - it's a requirement that the sticker must be on the hardware someplace to be legitimate. That's a sure sign that whoever built the machine was doing so with the intention of selling off bogus illegitimate Windows 7 licenses.

Have him scour the case inside and out looking for that sticker, if he doesn't find one tell him to raise hell with whoever built the machine for him.

Can't hurt. :D
 
Back
Top