0

In the past, because of the hype, I have upgraded to a pirated version of Windows 10. Coming from a Licensed Windows 8.1.

Now I'm wondering if I can still comeback to Windows 8.1 using my product key. Because I want to get the Free Windows 10 Upgrade.

Would it be possible to use my product key again??

Hexxed
  • 123

2 Answers2

2

You've already mangled your existing operating system by upgrading to a pirated version of Windows 10. Use your Windows 8.1 disk to do a new installation of your original Windows 8.1 operating system. If you have saved the product key from your original Windows 8.1 operating system, then use that product key again to install Windows 8.1.

You can downgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 8, by following the instructions in the answers to this question: How can I downgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 8?. Why not downgrade the pirated Windows 10 to Windows 8 instead and then change the product key and upgrade legally back to Windows 10? There are two reasons for not doing it this way:

  1. Your new Windows 10 can inherit problems from the pirated version of Windows 10.

  2. It's a two-step process to install Windows 8.1 and upgrade to Windows 10 instead of a four-step cumulative history: Windows 8.1 -> pirated Windows 10 -> downgrade pirated Windows 10 to Windows 8.1 -> upgrade to Windows 10. Even though the two-step method doesn't save any time, it still eliminates two unnecessary steps.

karel
  • 13,706
1

You can directly perform a clean install of Windows 10 by getting the iso from here : https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/techbench

From version 1511, Windows 10 installation allows you to use directly your Windows 8.1 key (the legal one) to activate your free upgrade copy of Windows 10 from that licence.

As it is a clean install, there won't be anything left from the pirated one.

nex84
  • 643