Prompted For A Product Key – What Is It?
Some Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 users are having a hard time upgrading to Windows 10 as they are being prompted for a product key. By default, the Windows 10 operating system does not require a product key and users should not be prompted for one, given you upgraded your computer from an activated Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 license or from the Windows 10 Preview build. However, there are some users encountering this problem and there are several reasons for this.
Solution
Error Causes
There are a few reasons why some users are being prompted for a product key when upgrading to Windows 10:
- Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 license is not activated.
- You’re upgrading to Windows 10 final release from a preview build.
- There are broken operating system files.
- Activation servers get overwhelmed due to the high volume of upgrades.
- The Windows 10 copy you downloaded does not correspond with the current Windows system you are upgrading from.
Further Information and Manual Repair
Before you can fix this problem, you need to know why you’re being prompted for a product key. Some things you should know about Windows 10 product key activation are the following:
- You cannot activate Windows 10 using your Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 product key. Windows 10 has a unique product key.
- Error codes such as 0x8007232b, 0XC004E003, 0x8007007B, or 0x8007000D might pop up during system upgrade especially when the activation servers get overwhelmed with the high volume of upgrades.
- You don’t really need to know your Windows 10 product key.
Now, if ever you’re prompted for a product key when you’re upgrading to Windows 10, you can apply the following methods:
Method One: Give It A Few Days
If you’ve been prompted for a product key upon upgrading to Windows 10, you should click on the “Do this later” option. Wait for a few days then Windows 10 will get activated automatically.
Method Two: Download A Copy of Windows 10 Corresponding Your Current System
One of the reasons Windows users are being prompted for a product key when upgrading to Windows 10 is that they have downloaded a wrong edition of Windows 10 and do not correspond with your current system.
- Users of Home Basic, Home Premium, Windows 7 Starter, Windows 8.0 Core, and Windows 8.1 Core should download Windows 10 Home ISO.
- Users of Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 8.0 Pro, and Windows 8.1 Pro should download Windows 10 Pro ISO.
NOTE: Users of Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8.0 Enterprise, and Windows 8.1 Enterprise are not eligible for the free upgrade offer.
Method Three: Ensure Windows Is Activated
If your Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 is not genuine or activated, you will get prompted for a product key. You need to make sure first your current system is activated.
- Click on Start then right-click Computer. For Windows 8 and up users, you can simply press on Windows key + X then select Choose Properties.
- When the Properties window appears, check if the Windows you’re running is activated.
Method Three: Reset License Status
- Press on Windows key + X.
- Select Command Prompt (Admin).
- Once the command prompt window appears, type vbs –rearm then press Enter.
- Exit Command Prompt then restart your PC.
- Input the product key by following the instructions given.
Method Four: Force Activation
- Press on Windows key + X
- Select Command Prompt (Admin).
- Once the command prompt window appears, type vbs –ato then press Enter.
- Exit Command Prompt then restart your PC.
Method Five: Run System File Checker
Another thing you can try doing is to run the system file checker utility to scan if there are any broken operating system files. In doing so, you’ll be able to detect problems that might be preventing the product activation of your Windows 10 upgrade.
Method Six: Contact Microsoft Activation Center
If in case you’ve exhausted all your resources and you are still being prompted for a product key when upgrading to Windows 10, you can try contacting the Microsoft Activation Center for further details. Check here for the appropriate telephone numbers to contact.
Method Seven: Download An Automated Tool
If you still experience the error after doing the methods above, you might want to try a powerful and trusted automated tool to fix the job.