Is it possible to use a Windows 7 pro key to activate Windows 10 pro?

Hello

I have recently purchased a laptop which had Windows 10 Home preinstalled by HP. I then decided to clean install Windows 10 Home and used a key to upgrade to Windows 10 pro. But I still need to activate Windows 10 pro.

Okayyy not entirely sure where the Windows 7 part of your thread title comes into this but if you have installed Windows 10 Pro with a Windows 10 Pro key then it should activate automatically. If you right click "This PC" and then left click "Properties" at the bottom there is an entry that says "Change the Product Key" clicking that should allow you to insert the Windows 10 Pro product key.

_Pete_: I don't think he has a Windows 10 Pro key.

P Bowry:
You would need to have Windows 7 Pro on that computer first and activated. Then install Windows 10 Pro.
But it came with Windows 10 Home. Looks like you will have to buy the Windows 10 Pro key from Microsoft.

Um okay still confused LOL. But if the OP has a Windows 7 pro key then he can download Windows 7 pro from here :-

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows7

Install that and then upgrade that to Windows pro. Unfortunately the automatic upgrade has expired so you will have download the Windows 10 Media tool. Or have I still got this all wrong.

You right on in the last message, as long as the Op activate it in Windows 7 before he upgrades to Windows 10.
I'm just wondering though if he will be able to. That laptop motherboard is registered to that Windows 10 Home version.

About a year ago I posted a message on the Microsoft Community Forum about if I ever lost my Hard drive, if I would be able get 10 pro back on the new drive. They told me no problem, it only registers the motherboard. I upgrade to Windows 10 through the Windows 8.1 Pro that I had on my computer. I originally bought the builders version of Windows 8 Pro when it first game out.

Bottom line is that the OP can only try or he will have to pay. having said that it doesn't like we will ever find out.

You can still use an unused windows 7 key to activate a copy of windows 10. Or install 7 and activate it and then get the free upgrade to 10. It's still there, just not being advertised

You can install straight to 10 and use a 7 key that's never been used for 10 and it activates fine. They make it pretty darn easy to get 10 activated if you have any Windows license from the past decade