[Not working anymore] How to upgrade from W7/8.1 without going through the complete upgrade process

Install it and read the info you find when googling for the suggestions in my sig.

It's not allowed to discuss those tools on mdl.

 

OK, I will read that information if I can’t get the activation with this method. I just wanted to try.

If I install Windows 10 directly, can I activate via the Microsoft Account? I just installed Windows 10, connected to the Internet, and then entered the MSA. But Windows hasn’t activated. If I copy the Genuine Ticket of my old PC to the Windows 10 of my new PC, will it activate?

Or should I have copied the file before connecting to the Internet and now I have to do everything again?

 

Google massgravel

 

1. No
2. yes

massgravel is much faster.

 

Hello. I downloaded MAS 1.5 and I activated W10 with the HWID option and the Downlevel method (the simpler one), because I didn’t know at that moment how to change the method.

Is MAS as clean and safe a method as the one described in this thread?

The System screen of my old W10 in my old PC even shows the Product ID. And I don’t see that in the new W10 activated with MAS.

The method of this thread is incredible because we don’t even have to run any external file (well, we had to do it in W7 if we didn’t have the key, but not in the fresh W10). But, is it worth to carry it out or the MAS method leads to exactly the same results? (I want to be sure about this before installing all the software).

Also, if you consider MAS is as good, should I run the LockBox Method? (it “better mimics genuine activation” according to the text I read).

 

I ran into the same problem with a friend's computer some years ago, it was so recent it wouldn't even detect the DVD drive during Windows 7 installation. I manage to find a workaround by starting the Windows 8.1 installation, manually install Windows 7 WIM, then I googled for the USB 3.0 drivers so I could use the keyboard/mouse.

If you don't want to use external tools, you can try installing Windows 8.1, activate it (KMS), install every driver you can find, then upgrade to Windows 10 v1511. It MUST be v1511, any newer version won't activate when upgraded from Windows 8.1 with KMS. It should activate correctly, and then you can do a clean install of the latest Windows 10 version.

 

if you dont like massgravel use old windows 7 key works fine with windows 10

 

Ah… Yes, I could install Windows 8.1. Does it have a NVME driver included? (W7 doesn’t).

If for some reason I want to do this method again (or in other PC), because I am stupid, stubborn, purist, or whatever, I thought about installing W10 in another drive or partition. And from that OS I can run W7 installer (or better, the 8.1 one, as you said) to install it in the desired drive/partition. In the case of W7, I would also have to load the NMVE driver during the install process, and that would lead to more trouble, researching, waste of time, etc.

An also, maybe my UEFI BIOS allows me to install Windows 8.1 from a USB stick or DVD.

But why did you upgrade to that version of W10 first and you did not fresh install W10 directly? The method described in this thread indicates the fresh install just after generating the Genuine Ticket from W7/8.

And what is a KMS activation? “Microsoft Loader.exe” is KMS? The last time I installed W7 I used this file.

 

I liked massgravel, it was very easy and fast. But as I am not an expert, I just don't know how it works. If it just creates a HWID and it doesn't touch the system files, and it doesn't install a spy app or something, I think it is a great tool.

I don't have a Windows 7 key. I have never bought a Windows copy, to be honest.

I think I could also fresh install W10 again, and activate again via Microsoft Account? But if the MAS tool doesn't add anything to the system files, I guess it is absolutely worthless to do that, it would lead to the same.

 

KMS (Key Management Services) is a type of activation for corporations that allows them to activate Windows and Office within their own network without requiring online activation. Upgrading from Windows 8.1 "KMS" to Windows 10 only works up to v1511, but after Windows 10 v1511 is successfully activated you can install any other version of Windows 10 and it will reactivate the moment it gets online.
There is a batch (KMS something something AIO) that activates anything from Windows Vista upwards and from Office 2010 upwards by converting Windows/Office to VL, then installing a local KMS service. I only suggested it because Windows 7 fails to install on newer computers but Windows 8.1 mostly still works, that is IF you still want to go with the upgrade route. But as was mentioned by others, there are newer methods that skip the upgrade process all together.

 

@johnye_pt

OK, thank you. But that upgrade in the middle is not present in the method described in this thread. The title says it all.

Have you used MAS? Do you have an opinion about it?

 

If you're using a Retail/OEM Windows 7/8.1 activation or Windows Loader for Windows 7 then the title applies, you can upgrade from Windows 7/8.1 to any Windows 10 version. The case I mentioned is only for KMS activations, which is what I use for Windows 8.1 when Windows 7 isn't able to install on newer hardware. I never used any other method other than Windows Loader for Windows 7, KMS for Windows 8.1, or the KMS "batch" for everything else.

There are probably more reliable/safer/better methods, I simply never tried them.

 

@johnye_pt

OK. Probably I will keep the Windows 10 activated with MAS, because I don’t find for the moment anything wrong with it. And I have already dedicated some time to try the method of this thread, but I failed for the aforementioned reasons.

But, to summarize, if you activate W 8.1 with KMS, run gatherosstate.exe and create the Genuine Ticket file, then clean install W10 and copy Genuine Ticket to the corresponding folder… Won’t you get an activated W10?

Or what you are saying is that you didn’t try this, you didn’t create the Genuine Ticket, and you did your own method just because you found that it works too (upgrading to W10 and then clean install to a newer version of W10)? It is not clear if you did the gatherosstate-Genuine Ticket trick and failed.

 

It will only activate with v1511 or earlier, v1607 onwards won't activate using this method. Microsoft probably removed this ability from Windows itself or from their servers.

Upgrading from Windows 7 + Loader or Windows 8.1 + legal activation to any Windows 10 version will result in an activated OS (AFAIK), but upgrading from Windows 8.1 with KMS will only work successfully with Windows 10 v1507 or v1511. After a successful activation you can wipe the HDD and install any version you want and it will get activated the moment you get online.

I'm actually on v1511 / build10586 myself and never saw any reason to update. With each new iteration Windows 10 gets slower and slower, registry tweaks stops working, stuff that worked fine gets broken/changed/removed, and the Meltdown/Spectre fiascos made Windows even slower on older computers like mine. I simply deleted the Windows Update service, and I keep my browsers and antivirus software up to date.

 

@johnye_pt

OK, thank you. By the way, what antivirus do you use? And do you also have a firewall?

Are W10's antivirus and firewall any good?

I hate W10 antivirus because it sends files to quarantine without notifying me. Generally files used to activate software.

 

On latest versions, Windows 10 AV is basically as good as any free antivirus. I used AVG and Avast, they both became very resource heavy so I switched to Avira Free Antivirus and use Windows 10 default Firewall, I have no need to block anything since I mainly only use free programs.

 

Hey... I formatted C: drive and reinstall Windows 10, just to try.

Before connecting to the Internet, I copied my old Genuine Ticket file (the one I created with my other PC in Windows 7 to activate Windows 10) to the corresponding folder in the new Windows 10 of my new PC.

Then I connected online. And Windows activated immediately, without rebooting.

What activated Windows? The HWID created by MAS before reinstalling Windows? Or the Genuine Ticket I pasted in the folder?

I have the impression that when my old Windows 10 was activated via the Genuine Ticket, this file disappeared afterwards. And now it didn’t disappear. Also, I didn’t connect to any Microsoft Account in the new Windows. And I didn’t reboot either.

So, was it the previous MAS activation? Did Windows identify my hardware and maybe my IP? If this is the case, it is incredible, because even if I don’t want to activate, it will activate.

 

Is it the first time you activate Windows 10 in that computer, or have you done it previously? If you did it previously, the moment you connect to the Internet with a fresh installation it will reactivate almost immediately, no ticket file needed because that HWID is already saved in Microsoft servers. If it's the first activation then the ticket is needed so the servers think you're upgrading from Windows 7. I don't have a clue why the ticket wasn't deleted, but as long as it's activated...

 

@johnye_pt No, I activated previously in that computer with MAS. Then I formatted and reinstalled W10.

So, it seems that Windows recognized my PC. Do you know how? Does it recognize the serial number or other thing that distinguishes my hardware? Does it also look at the IP and the location?

 

When gatherosstate.exe* is ran a hash of the hardware is made (genuineticket.xml is created), mainly motherboard/lan, this hash is send to MSFT servers when the genuineticket.xml is applied and the system will get the digital license based on the hardware.

Every time you install that exact same OS on that same hardware it will automatically pick up the digital license for activation.

*MAS does the same + MAS has an option to keep the genuineticket.xml.